Getting around Franceville
Franceville is the capital of Haut-Ogooué Province, in southeastern Gabon, and the third-largest urban centre in the country. It sits on the east bank of the Ogooué River, just south of its confluence with the Mpassa, and it is the eastern terminus of both the Trans-Gabon Railway and the Transgabonaise road corridor from Libreville. For a visitor, the practical picture is a compact city with a limited but usable set of transport options: shared taxis for local trips, a long-distance railway for reaching the coast, and a small airport with domestic flights.
How tourists move around the city
Franceville has no metro, tram or urban rail network. Getting around town is done almost entirely by taxi, on foot, or by private vehicle. The city is built on a series of low plateaux, and the urban area is compact enough that walking is a realistic option in and around the centre, though you should expect the usual tropical-savanna conditions: warm temperatures year-round and frequent thunderstorms during the long rainy season from roughly September to May.
Rail: the Trans-Gabon Railway
Franceville is the eastern terminus of the Trans-Gabon Railway, which runs from the coast. The line was built to Franceville between 1974 and 1986, with passenger services to the city beginning in 1987. Several overnight trains run per week from Owendo, just south of Libreville, and the journey takes about 12 hours.
- Franceville station is located southwest of the city centre, next to the football stadium.
- Services are overnight, so plan for a full night of travel in each direction.
- Because departures are only several times a week rather than daily, check the schedule before you build a trip around the train.
Buses and other public transport
There is no municipal bus, metro or tram system described for Franceville. The railway is the main form of public transport linking the city to the rest of the country; within the city itself, shared taxis fill the role that buses would elsewhere.
Taxis and shared rides
Taxis are the main way to get around Franceville, and the fare structure is based on the type of trip rather than a meter.
- A "course" (a full trip) around town costs 1000 CFA.
- A "demi-course" (a half trip) costs 500 CFA.
- If you get into a taxi that already has other passengers, each passenger pays 100 CFA.
- From the airport into town, a taxi costs 5000 CFA.
Because shared rides are normal, expect to be joined by other passengers and to pay the shared rate in those cases. Agree on whether your trip is a full or half course before you set off, and carry small notes and coins in CFA to make payment straightforward.
Walkability
Walking is a viable way to cover short distances in central Franceville, given the compact layout of the urban area on its low plateaux. The main caveats are weather-related: the city has a tropical savanna climate with warm temperatures throughout the year and frequent thunderstorms during the rainy months, so it is worth timing walks around the afternoon storms and carrying rain protection during the September-to-May wet season. The drier, cooler months of June, July and August are the most comfortable for walking.
Getting from the airport into the city
Franceville has an international airport, developed as part of the public investment that turned the town into one of the country's principal urban centres. Domestic flights connect the city with Libreville on Air Service and Air Nationale every day of the week except Tuesdays and Thursdays.
- From the airport, a taxi to town costs 5000 CFA.
- There is no airport rail link or shuttle bus described; taxi is the practical option for the airport-to-city leg.
- Because flights do not operate on Tuesdays and Thursdays, check the day of travel carefully when planning a flight-based arrival or departure.
Arriving by road
Franceville lies at the eastern end of the Transgabonaise road corridor running east from Libreville. The road is paved for most of the way, but some sections are still dirt road, and the paved stretches have many potholes. A 4x4 is recommended if you are driving yourself.
Practical summary
- Local trips: shared taxis, with fares of 1000 CFA for a full course, 500 CFA for a half course, and 100 CFA per passenger when sharing.
- Long-distance: overnight Trans-Gabon Railway trains from Owendo, near Libreville, several times a week, about 12 hours; the station is southwest of the centre by the football stadium.
- Air: domestic flights from Libreville on Air Service and Air Nationale, except Tuesdays and Thursdays; taxi from the airport to town costs 5000 CFA.
- Road: the Transgabonaise from Libreville is partly paved with potholes and partly dirt; a 4x4 is recommended.
- On foot: workable for short central trips, but plan around the rainy season and afternoon thunderstorms.