Getting to Africa

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Africa Travel

Thanks to the continent’s unparalleled wildlife and unique cultures, Africa has become a popular vacation destination. This Africa Travel Web Guide points you to resources for everything you’d want to know about travel on this continent. The sites within offer an introduction to Africa’s history and the daily life of its people, discuss transportation and accommodation options, and provide advice and opinions from those who have traveled to Africa in the past.

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General Africa Travel Resources

Because of Africa's size, seeing the entire continent in a single trip is nearly impossible. It ... read more »

Travel Requirements for Africa

When it comes to Africa, there is a lot you should know before you go. Learn about the practical ... read more »

Getting to Africa

Getting to Africa may not be the most pleasant experience if you are traveling from the United States. You can get a direct flight, or stop-over in Europe, but it won't be cheap either way. From Europe, the trip is considerably easier, as there are more flights at lower rates. The following sites can help you find a reasonably priced flight no matter where you depart from.

Dulcinea's Insight

The first rule for traveling to Africa: plan in advance (about two months). You can make things less stressful for yourself by booking your flight early, and you may find lower rates by booking far ahead.

For more information on booking a flight, take a look at the findingDulcinea Travel Web Guide.

For entry requirements and restrictions, consult the sites in the previous section, "What should I know before I go to Africa?"

Fly into regional hubs-South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana, Morocco, and Egypt-as flights into these destinations are most affordable and available.

A roundtrip flight is going to be expensive if you are flying from the United States to Africa (probably over $2,000).

Dulcinea's Picks

For flight tips ...

The New York Times has this extremely helpful article about finding the best deals when flying to Africa. It was written on March 18, 2007, and claims that the prices to Africa have gotten more expensive recently, meaning that travelers need to utilize the full spectrum of options to save money on airfare.

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To search for flights to Africa ...

Flight Centre is an independent travel retailer. Because it is usually cheaper to fly from the United States to Europe, and then to Africa, this site lets you book all of your flights at once. This service is also as useful if you live in Europe, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or South Africa.

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BootsnAll is an extensive independent travel network, and has wisely tapped into real travelers' knowledge and experience as a basis for its recommendations. The site offers a flight search tool, which finds the best fares from big-name search engines like Travelocity and Booking Buddy. Browse the "Community" page for insightful blogs and discussion forums with first-hand advice for booking a trip to Africa.

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Mobissimo excels at showing you what your options are. Like BootsnAll, this site searches multiple flight search engines. Not only does it display some of the best results from the standard Orbitz and Expedia services, but this service also seeks out great deals from frequently overlooked sources, like AirGorilla and Vayama.

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Expedia is another huge travel agent with similar services to those previously mentioned. The site's simple interface makes searching easy. You'll find extensive route coverage, low prices, and a convenient "flexible date" option to help you find the lowest prices. There are detailed descriptions of hotel amenities, rooms, dining facilities, and policies, accompanied by user reviews, ratings, and photos. The substantial "Deals by Destination" section is also worth a look.

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AfricanMecca specializes in finding trips to Africa. The process is easy; enter your dates of travel and departure and destination locations, and the site displays options from various airlines. Depending on your destination, you'll get both direct and indirect flight options. There is no drop-down menu of cities or airports, so it helps to know which city you plan to fly into before you visit this site.

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