West and Central Africa · Benin

Hi everyone,

I’m planning a trip to Benin in July, and I saw there were a few recent discussions about this destination. Would you have any suggestions for nice places to stay in Cotonou that won’t break the bank, as well as in other cities (Porto-Novo, Ouidah, etc.)? Thanks sooo much for all your valuable tips!

Hi everyone, thanks for your advice! I’m starting a new thread because it seems my first one about Senegal was deleted—or maybe it’s just my computer acting up again 😉. Anyway, I’ve decided to go to Benin instead. I’ll be there from January 5th to February 2nd—why count the days when you love traveling😄? I’d love all your tips on accommodations, restaurants, and itineraries. I’m basically starting from scratch to plan my trip.

Hi there,

I’d planned to go to Benin in 2026, but given the recent events and upcoming elections, I’m thinking I’ll wait to see what happens after the elections.

Has anyone traveled to Benin recently or is planning to go soon?

Hi, A friend and I want to do a Togo-Benin loop by moped in early October for about 15 to 20 days. We're looking for info and tips on: 1 / Moped rental places 2 / The most scenic route 3 / Accommodations—simple but clean, possibly homestays And anything else you think might be useful. Thanks in advance! Best, Didier

Hello, We’re two senior travelers and would like to spend a good two weeks in Benin next winter. Classic itinerary: North and South. Could you recommend a driver-guide so I can ask for a quote? Many thanks!

Hi there,

If anyone's interested, I got back a month ago from a nearly 3-week motorcycle trip on a 125cc bike through Benin and Togo. I’ve attached an overview of my route. There was no planning at all before leaving—everything was done a bit on the fly. I arrived and left from Cotonou. I rented the bike from a garage through Thibault (already known on this forum). However, it was nothing but hassle with the bike; I had to pretty much rebuild/replace all the parts. A real time-waster on an already long and exhausting route.

The main roads are extremely good, and the tracks are too (dry season). Money is a bit tricky to manage since 10,000 CFA notes are really hard to use (even at gas stations). Crushing heat in February—it was really tough to sleep every night.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate!

Hello fellow travelers, I've made the France-Benin trip several times via the Mali "Route de l'Espoir," and the last journey was pretty tense—2013, 🥵‍🔥 military convoys and all the chaos in Mali from the border to Bamako. 😅 So, I’m planning to take the route again but this time via Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire, with a good old J9 (the mayor’s vehicles I used to travel in… 😎. Though the Mercedes 308 wasn’t bad either). Has anyone done this recently? A friend of mine did it 4 years ago, but things can change pretty quickly. If you’d like to share your latest experiences, I’m all ears! 😊 Have a great weekend! 👋

Hi there,

I’m planning a trip from France to Benin, passing through Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, and Burkina Faso with a vehicle. I’d like to fill my trunk with equipment I need over there: solar panels, chargers, expansion tanks for solar water heaters, miscellaneous gear... I know the region a bit and, intuitively, I think it’s a bad idea—I’ll probably get shaken down every 100 km by police, customs officers, gendarmes, and others... Has anyone done this kind of route with a fully loaded trunk, and how did it go, especially at customs checkpoints (from Ceuta to Porga or earlier) and elsewhere? Thanks in advance for your experiences. R.