Accra Getting Around

Getting Around

SUV or Car with driver If you need an SUV or a sedan there are plenty of affordable options because even the best drivers earn only about $15 a day in Accra. You can book directly from Avis and local rental companies at the larger hotels, such as the Golden Tulip, La Palm, or La Badi Beach. Cars are available on short notice but if you want a van or SUV it is best to book ahead. Rates for car and driver are about $9 (Cedis 80,000) an hour. For a $75 you can book a ten hour day, but fuel is extra. Rates increase if you leave metro Accra, which is fair because poor roads add to the wear and tear on the vehicle. Toyota Land Cruisers are a popular choice and are widely available. By foot Accra is relatively safe to walk around during the day. Watch out for open sewers, automobiles, wandering livestock (even in the city) when walking the streets. By taxi To flag a taxi wave your arm with your finger pointed down to the ground. On a busy street you will have many taxis driving past trying to offer you their service. There are no meters on Ghanaian taxis. You must negotiate how much you are willing to pay before you start the trip. Try to ask someone local how much a trip to a certain location usually costs. Metered Taxi There are some taxis with meters in them. They are generally more expensive, but you can be a little more sure about how much they will cost. Share Taxi These follow fixed routes, similar to taxi's and have fixed rates per passanger. These can be a very useful way to get about the centre of Accra. The rate is not dependant upon numbers of passengers, so you may be lucky enough to travel in a taxi alone for a fifth the rate you'd have paid to flag it down. Tro Tro TroTros are very crowded and dilapidated private vans that act as the city's public transit system. TroTros travel along a well known routes in the city, and stop at various points along the way (some stops have signs, others don't). As a TroTro approaches a stop, a "mate" (the driver's assistant) will usually yell out the side of the window where the TroTro is going.