Getting around Cameroon: planes, trains, coaches, taxis and motorbikes

Flying: airports and domestic flights

International flights mainly land at Douala (DLA), the country's busiest airport, and at Yaoundé Nsimalen (NSI), opened in 1991 some 27 km south of the capital. Air France, Brussels Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, Royal Air Maroc and ASKY, among others, link them with Europe, the Middle East and the rest of Africa. Garoua (GOU), in the north, is the third international airport, with a 3,363 m runway; Camair-Co links it to Douala and Yaoundé, with seasonal flights to Jeddah. All are run by Aéroports du Cameroun (ADC).

The only regular national carrier is Camair-Co, a state-owned airline created by decree in 2006 and flying since 28 March 2011. Its position is fragile: Camer.be (February 2026) reports cumulative debt of 124 billion CFA francs, an ageing fleet of which about half is regularly grounded, and 600,000 passengers carried in 2024. Sources disagree on the fleet: six aircraft in August 2025 according to English Wikipedia (two Boeing 737-700s, two Dash 8-Q400s, two Xian MA60s), five in November 2025 according to French Wikipedia. The UK Foreign Office reports frequent delays and cancellations and advises against flights operated with MA60 aircraft.

The domestic network links Douala and Yaoundé with the far north. In March 2023, according to Ecomatin, Camair-Co offered five flights a week to Garoua, four to Maroua and five to Ngaoundéré, from Douala and Yaoundé. Schedules change often: check them shortly before travelling and have a back-up plan.

Camrail trains

Since 1999 Camrail has operated, under concession, about 1,000 km of metre-gauge track. Three lines carry passengers: Douala-Yaoundé, Yaoundé-Ngaoundéré and Douala-Kumba. For travellers, the night train to Ngaoundéré is the most comfortable way to reach the north overland; from Ngaoundéré the road continues to Garoua and Maroua.

On 21 October 2016, a Yaoundé-Douala train derailed at Eséka: the official toll was 79 dead and 551 injured, out of about 1,300 passengers. The collapse of a bridge on the main road had pushed travellers onto the railway, and Camrail had added eight carriages to the usual nine. Government-commissioned reports found Camrail 'entirely responsible' for the crash, noting in particular that 13 of the 17 carriages had faulty brakes. The Douala-Yaoundé express only resumed in 2021, with refurbished carriages and locomotives delivered in January 2020.

Intercity coaches ('agences de voyage')

Between cities, most Cameroonians travel by coach with private companies known as 'agences de voyage'. On the Douala-Yaoundé route, Ecomatin listed Finexs Voyages, Buca Voyages, General Express, Global Voyages, Princesse Voyages, Touristiques Express, Garantie Express and Overline in 2021. Each company has its own terminal; in Yaoundé departures are spread across several districts by direction (Mvan for the south and east, Biyem-Assi and Nsam for Douala, Tongolo for the west, according to Wikivoyage). You buy your ticket at the company's counter, and many coaches leave when full rather than at a set time.

Companies generally offer a 'classic' class and a pricier 'VIP' or 'prestige' class. In December 2021, the classic Douala-Yaoundé fare rose from 3,000 to 3,500 CFA francs (Ecomatin). The order of 26 February 2024 sets a reference rate of 16 CFA francs per kilometre for adults, but notes that fares are negotiated route by route. Wikivoyage recommends the 'prestige' services, roughly twice the price but better maintained, with seatbelts that work. For short hops or villages, people take bush taxis, minibuses that can carry up to 20 people with luggage piled on the roof (Wikivoyage).

Taxis, ride-hailing and motorbike taxis (bendskin)

• Yellow taxis: in town they are shared. You flag one down, call out your destination, and the fare is agreed before you get in (Wikivoyage). Official fare since 26 February 2024: 350 CFA francs by day, 400 from 10 pm to 5 am; private ride ('dépôt'): 3,000 CFA francs by day, 3,500 at night.
• Safety: the UK Foreign Office advises using only trusted, pre-booked taxis, ideally arranged by your hotel or restaurant, and not hailing taxis in the street, citing documented assaults. The Yango ride-hailing app works in Douala (Wikivoyage).
• Motorbike taxis: known as 'bendskin' in Douala, they are everywhere. Decree No. 2008/3447/PM of 31 December 2008 requires a helmet and safety vest, a rider aged at least 18 with a category A licence, and restricts them to peri-urban and rural areas; in Douala some urban zones were closed to them. The rules are poorly enforced, Le360 noted in 2019. In Yaoundé they are confined to their own district, according to Wikivoyage. Accidents are common: insist on at least a helmet.

Driving: car hire, licences and road conditions

At the end of 2024, according to the public works minister quoted by Cameroon Tribune (September 2025), the road network covered 121,874 km, of which 10,576 km were paved, under 9%, including 109 km of motorway. National roads are in good or fair condition over 71.3% of their length, against only 24.2% for municipal roads, which make up 81% of the network. The UK Foreign Office reports potholes, no lighting and frequent accidents on the Douala-Yaoundé road, and advises against driving at night, especially in rural areas. In the East and Centre, Wikivoyage considers a 4x4 essential outside the big cities.

Car hire exists but is expensive; many visitors hire a car with a driver, at around US$60 a day plus fuel and meals according to Wikivoyage. As for licences, the UK Foreign Office says a UK photocard licence is valid for up to six months; beyond that you need a Cameroonian licence. International driving permits, licence exchange and the rules for other nationalities are covered on the driving licence page.

Distances between major cities

To reach the north from Yaoundé, the simplest options are the night train to Ngaoundéré (667 km of track) and then the road, or a flight to Garoua or Maroua.

Frequently asked questions