GH Ghana: how to get around

Cars with foreign registration are not allowed to circulate at night 18:00-06:00. Only Ghanaian registered vehicles are allowed on the road at this time. Non-compliance can result in fines and the impounding of the vehicle for the night.

When traveling in some parts of the country, there will be police checkpoints on the road, some real, most fake. At the fake checkpoints, they will come up with non-existent laws that you supposedly broke and will try to get a bribe out of you. Usually, you can pay the police GH₵1-5 to let you go. At some checkpoint, they will give you a logbook that you need to show to the officers at the next checkpoint. If you decide not to pay the bribe, traveling even short distances will become onerous, as the police will keep you at the checkpoint for a long time. For brave travelers, it is possible to drive through some of the illegal checkpoints, without stopping to pay the bribe.

Bus transportation is provided by the state-owned transport company (STC), as well as many privately-owned companies such as VIP Bus, VVIP Bus, O.A. Travel and Tours, M Plaza, and Diplomatic Transport. Fare depends on preferred company and destination of travel. Most of these buses are reasonably spacious charter buses with a/c and assigned seats, and there are meal and wash-room stops when aboard. However, bus breakdowns do occur occasionally and seatbelts are not a guarantee.

As a general rule, STC is the only operation departing/arriving at posted times. The rest of the companies are still reliable, but you will often have to wait 1-3 hours more. A further exception here is Metro Mass Transit, which can be several hours late and does not provide assigned seating.

However these private buses don't travel to rural areas of the country. Metro bus which is a state company is by far the cheapest means of travel between towns.

A 'tro-tro' is almost any sort of vehicle that has been adapted to fit in as many people, possessions, and occasionally livestock, as possible. Tro-tros are typically old, 12-passenger VW or Mercedes-Benz vans. Similarly to 'shared' taxis, tro-tros will run along fixed routes and have fixed fares, and will rarely run with less than capacity (so be prepared to wait). They are inexpensive (cheaper than shared taxis and STC buses) and fares should reflect distance travelled, however they have a questionable safety record and frequently breakdown. Breakdowns however are usually not too much of a problem since they will break down in a route where other tro-tros run, so you can just grab another one. Although they generally run point to point they will usually pick and drop on route if required. They make runs within the city (i.e. Circle to Osu for GH₵0.20) as well as intercity routes. They are often the only option between remote towns but are not recommended for long journeys. Tro-tros are an excellent way to meet Ghanaians, and are always great for a cultural adventure. Sometimes they will make you pay extra for luggage, and occasionally they will try to overcharge (very rarely).

If you feel like being an elite tro-tro rider, ask around for City Express, a newish service sporting the usual minivan, but with working brakes, non-stop travel, half the seats, and impressive air conditioning. It mostly runs between the larger cities along the coast, e.g., Takoradi, Accra, Aflao, et al.

Taxis are prevalent, easy to spot, safe, and as a tourist you will find they find you quick enough if you need one. To charter a taxi is more expensive than to share one, but prices are negotiable and almost always need to be bargained over. Always settle on a fare before getting in. A taxi for a very short route should be no more than GH₵1.00, longer GH₵2.50-5.00 and GH₵8.00 should be enough for most places in the city. As of December 2011, you can use a rough rate of GH₵1.00 for every 1.5 km travelled (check Google Maps for the distance between places). Fares continue to fluctuate with the fuel prices on the international market. Almost every taxi driver will start with a high price that is 1.5-3 times the local price if you're a foreigner and then you'll have to bargain them down. You'll get the best price when you start to walk away from the taxi. In Accra and the major cities most taxis that will stop for you assume you require a charter taxi and unless you are on a very strict budget it's usually easiest to do this. In more remote areas, shared taxis are most common. Little ride-hailing app works in Ghana.