Nairobi Getting There & Away

Getting There & Away

Most individual travelers fly directly to Nairobi, since it's a convenient place to start your travels in Kenya, whereas most package tourists arrive in Mombasa. Air fares from abroad to Nairobi are always more expensive than the charter flights to Mombasa, while Eldoret airport has been closed for foreign passenger traffic for a couple of years. You can get your visa right at the airport, as most tourists do, but depending upon your time of arrival, this can tie you up in a queue for half and hour or more. The foreign exchange counters at the two airports do - amazingly - offer better rates than the banks, so use them. Take care that you are not only given bills of 1000 KSh, but rather many bills of 100 KSh, and some coins. If you arrive in Mombasa and want to go to Nairobi, see the Mombasa section. You can take a quick flight, or use the overnight train, or use an unlimited number of buses that ply the Mombasa - Nairobi route day and night at average prices. Railroad Travel Kenya is probably the only country that was created through the building of a railway; thus, a good reason to try out this slow but comfortable (and fairly cheap) mode of transport. Kenya Railways do not yet have a website (the domain is parked), but their traintable is available via www.fahrplancenter.com  . Regular overnight trains (1st and 2nd class with sleeper cars of 2 and 4 berths, 3rd class seats only) connect Nairobi with Mombasa and Kisumu. Meals are included in the two upper classes. Passenger traffic to Uganda ceased years ago.