Back from 3 weeks solo motorcycle trip in Benin/Togo

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!

Hi there ;) Could you let me know the formalities for crossing borders by motorcycle? Thanks!

No issues with the motorcycle. At the Benin/Togo border in the north, they just noted the license plate. At the Togo/Benin border in the south, I didn’t mention I was on a motorcycle—it wasn’t necessary.

Interesting to read. I did the same route during the second half of March. But... with a car + driver 😊

I came across very few tourists and can confirm it was really hot... Overall, I preferred the southern part of Benin. Further north and in Togo, there aren’t really any standout sites (maybe Lomé’s fetish market, though it’s quite touristy).

What did you think of it? What was the total cost of your trip?

Hello,

It's true that the southern part is more interesting in terms of sites/things to do. But I found the landscapes in the North much more beautiful and varied. Same for the western part of Togo. On a motorcycle, half the journey toward southern Benin is really monotonous to ride—long straight lines with the same scenery all the way. With all the mechanical issues on the bike, in the end, it was pretty rushed to wrap everything up in three weeks. A bit too ambitious at the time, the road is exhausting. But that doesn’t take away from the thrill of this kind of adventure.

My total cost was 2500 €. 900 € for the flight (very expensive since I booked last minute) 270 € for motorcycle rental 120 € for visas 1200 € for accommodation, food, visits, etc...