Niger / République du Niger – Let’s explore here

Niger is a landlocked, mainly flat, desert country in West Africa, about five times the size of the UK. It is comprised of many types of Saharan desert, and in the North of the country lies the Aïr Mountains, which create a microclimate which supports a wide variety of life. The country has a long, rich and very troubled history, involving much political instability, resulting in it now being one of the least developed and poorest countries on the planet. It shares land borders with Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Libya, Mali and Nigeria.

What currency do they use in Niger?

In Niger they use the West African CFA franc. Cash is widely used. The use of credit / debit cards is not widely accepted. Traveller’s cheques are not readily accepted. There are very few ATMs outside of the capital, Niamey.

The West African CFA franc is used in Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo.

You should make yourself aware of the amount that your bank charges you for using credit and debit cards abroad. Often credit cards are cheaper for purchasing items directly, and for withdrawing cash from ATMs.

What language do they speak in Niger?

They mainly speak Hausa in Niger, although French is the official language, although not so widely spoken. English is not widely spoken.

What time zone is Niger in?

Remember, when you’re planning your next trip to take a look at what time zone it’s in.

Do I need a visa to visit Niger?

We’ve created a dedicated, more comprehensive page on visas, which you should find helpful. Check it out!

What’s it like to drive in Niger?

We’ve also created a dedicated page to driving abroad, which you might find helpful 🙂

Current travels

Our current planned route takes us close to Niger, and we may make a detour to visit the country, probably from either Benin or Nigeria. Although due to the current turbulence in the region, we may visit at another time. Whenever we do visit, hopefully our journey will improve our knowledge of this intriguing and beautiful country, and enable us to meet some interesting people. We’ll be updating this page at that time – don’t forget to check back 🙂

Is wild camping legal in Niger?

Yes, wild camping is fine in Niger.

If you’ve got some awesome pictures, or some useful info that you’d like to share, let us know! 

And don’t forget to check out all the other pictures!