Libreville (Owendo) to Franceville
Trains link Libreville with Franceville several nights a week, either the faster Train Express Trans-Ogooue (formerly Ntsa Express) or the all-stations Train Omnibus l'Equateur. The station at Libreville is Owendo, which is about 4 or 5 miles south of Libreville itself. Although most trains run overnight, there are no sleeping berths, only seats. Feedback would be appreciated if you use these trains.
You can check these times at www.setrag.ga. Departure times seem to change every few months, so check locally. They also have an Android app, play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.setrag.mobile.
Express: VIP class, 1st class, 2nd class, restaurant car, in cars built in Germany in 2017.
Omnibus: VIP class, 1st class & 2nd class in some cars built in Korea in 2011, and some 2nd hand 1960s cars from France.
? = approximate time. ??:?? = time not known.
How much does it cost?
Infants under 4 free. Children 4-11 half price. You can check these fares at www.setrag.ga.
How to buy tickets
-
You can buy tickets at the station, but make sure you bring the passports (or photocopies of the passports) of all passengers.
-
To arrange tickets in advance, try the following travel agency:
NgondeTour
Galeries Maxime Montee de LouisInfoline: (+241) 06 57 39 66
www.ngondetour.com
Luggage
Up to 10Kg of hand luggage can be taken onto the train with you. Up to 30Kg can be checked before departure for a CFA 1300 registration fee and CFA 500 wrapping fee per item. You need to check your bags in at the station at least an hour or two before departure. If you have a 1st class or VIP class ticket there is a 1st class lounge you can use at Owendo to wait for your train. Feedback would be appreciated.
What are the trains like?
The express train was re-equipped in 2017 with modern air-conditioned cars built in Germany. 1st class has seats 2+1 across the car width. 2nd class has seats 2+2 across the car width. Both are comfortable although only seats are provided, not sleeping berths. The express train also has VIP class, consisting of very comfortable 40-degree-reclining leather seats with footrest. New restaurant cars should also have been delivered by the end of 2017. The train omnibus uses older cars, mainly French-built, but they are still comfortable. No alcohol is allowed on board these trains.
Traveller's reports
Traveller Clive Leatherdale reports, "Previous guidebooks have suggested the train is decrepit and prone to breakdown and delay. To my untrained eye, the train looked modern and reliable. On the day I visited the station it arrived on schedule to the minute. Owendo station struck me by its cleanliness and efficiency, and Gabon seems proud of its railway."
More information
If anyone has any more information. photos or travel reports that would be useful for this page, please e-mail me!
Useful country information
Hotels in Gabon
Backpacker hostels
www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.
Travel insurance & other tips
|
|
|
|
|
Always take out travel insurance
Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash and belongings, up to a sensible limit. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself. Here are some suggested insurers. Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.
www.staysure.co.uk
offers enhanced Covid-19 protection & gets 4.7 out of 5 on
Trustpilot.
www.columbusdirect.com
is also a well-know brand.
If you live in the USA try
Travel Guard USA.
|
|
Get an eSIM with mobile data package
Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a mobile data package for the country you're visiting and stay connected. Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM card so you don't need to buy a physical SIM, including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list. Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.
|
|
Get a Curve card for foreign travel
Most banks give you a poor exchange rate, then add a foreign transaction fee on top. A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month at time of writing. The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.
How it works: 1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android. 2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses. 3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card. 4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app. You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.
I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader. The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than digging a card out). I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great. See details, download the app and get a Curve card, they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.
|
|
Get a VPN for safe browsing. Why you need a VPN
When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure. A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi. It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply. See VPNs & why you need one explained. ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription. I get a small commission to help support this site.
|
|
Carry an Anker powerbank
Tickets, reservations, vaccination records and Interrail or Eurail passes are often held digitally on your mobile phone, so it's vital to keep it charged. I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over if I can't get to a power outlet. Buy from Amazon.co.uk or from buy from Amazon.com.