Transportation from Lungi International Airport

From Lungi International Airport which is situated across a wide estuary from the capital, Freetown. There are three main ways of moving between the airport and Freetown.

By road

The drive between Freetown and Lungi Airport (via Port Loko) takes around three hours although the road is paved and in good condition. Taxis and buses operate from the main bus stations in Central and Eastern Freetown, but take far longer and do not run on scheduled timetables.

Kissy ferry

This is the cheapest (around US 0.50) and most popular form of transport for locals.

The government-owned ferry leaves from Kissy in the East End of Freetown, far away from most hotels and tourist attractions. The departure times rarely coincide with flight times. The maintenance standards of these vessels are poor and there is no safety equipment on board. However, the ferry is certainly the most interesting form of transport, as there are often comedians, singers, food and drink vendors, and even farm animals on board. Unlike the water taxis, the ferry is able to carry a limited number of vehicles. If you are late, small speedboats leave from the same ferry terminal throughout the day for a slightly higher fee. With either the speedboat or the ferry, leave plenty of time for delays.

In travelling from Freetown, you will arrive by boat at Tagrin and will need to take an additional taxi or motorbike taxi to reach Lungi Airport.

Water taxi

The most expensive but most popular form of transport for tourists and business travellers: there are at least four water taxi services that time their services with incoming and outgoing flights and deliver you either to the centre of Freetown or around Aberdeen, close to the Lumley Beach and most of the tourist hotels. These are generally quite safe and include a bus transfer to/from the airport terminal. Sea Coach at Aberdeen appears to have the best amenities and the safest boats.

If your flight arrives late at night, you may wish to book a room at one of the Lungi Airport hotels – the official airport hotel is nearby but is quite expensive at around $80 per night. There are far cheaper local hotels and guesthouses available, some of which are of respectable quality.

If you are travelling to any city other than Freetown, it is quicker to proceed directly by road rather than spending time taking a boat across the estuary and then navigating your way out of Freetown. There are licenced taxis parked within the airport car park, or you can try your luck finding a taxi or motorbike on the main road outside.