How to get from Dakar to Saly and Mbour

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Toll motorway, taxi, bus or TER: every way to get from Dakar to Saly and Mbour, with real travel times, FCFA price ranges and the traps to avoid depending on where you start in Dakar.

How to get from Dakar to Saly and Mbour

Saly sits about 80 kilometres south of Dakar, with Mbour roughly ten kilometres further on. On paper, a seventy five minute drive. In practice, your travel time depends on which Dakar neighbourhood you leave from, what time you escape the peninsula, and which option you pick.

Getting out of Dakar is the hard part

The unpredictable stretch is not the Petite Côte road, it is the city itself. From the Almadies, Ngor, Yoff or Ouakam, allow thirty to fifty minutes just to reach the toll motorway entrance. From the Plateau, Point E, Mermoz or Sacré-Cœur, the VDN and the corniche are the usual routes, but both clog up around office hours.

If you live in Liberté 6, Parcelles Assainies, Pikine, Guédiawaye, Keur Massar or Rufisque, you are already on the right side of town and the whole journey can come in under two hours.

The golden rule: leave before seven in the morning or after eight at night. The worst slots are Friday evening, the day before a major holiday, and the Sunday evening return towards Dakar.

Driving the toll motorway

The motorway and its Mbour branch changed this trip completely. From Diamniadio onwards the road is wide, partly lit, and free of speed bumps. Plan for:

  • Toll fees: a few thousand FCFA in total depending on where you join and your vehicle class. Carry cash, not every lane takes a card.
  • Fuel: fill up before Diamniadio, stations thin out after that.
  • The Mbour exit: it drops you onto the national road. Saly Portudal comes slightly before Mbour town, on your right.

With clear traffic, central Dakar to Saly is about one hour forty, door to door. Watch for speed checks on the national road, and for carts and pedestrians after dark.

Taxis, ride hailing and private transfers

This is the easiest option with luggage, small children or a late flight. A regular city taxi will often take the run, but agree the fare before getting in: Dakar to Saly usually lands between twenty five thousand and forty five thousand FCFA depending on the car, the hour and your starting point. Ride hailing and transfer companies quote a fixed price at booking.

If you are landing at Blaise Diagne international airport, you are already halfway: Saly is roughly forty minutes away. For a night arrival, book the transfer in advance rather than negotiating outside the terminal.

Buses, coaches and shared vehicles

Coaches and minibuses to Mbour leave from the road stations in Dakar's suburbs. Expect roughly two thousand to five thousand FCFA per seat depending on the vehicle. Three things to know:

  • Vehicles leave when they are full, not on a timetable. Arrive early.
  • Large bags usually cost a small supplement.
  • With stops along the way, the ride can stretch past three hours.

More organised air conditioned coaches also run on this corridor, with announced departure times and numbered seats: often the sweet spot for a solo traveller.

The TER plus road combination

The TER commuter train links Dakar to Diamniadio in around thirty minutes and never touches a traffic jam. Board in Dakar, Colobane, Hann, Thiaroye, Rufisque or Bargny depending on your neighbourhood, ride to the end of the line, then pick up a taxi, a ride hailing car or a coach for the rest of the way.

The ticket costs only a few hundred FCFA, and you negotiate the second leg from Diamniadio. On a Friday evening this combination regularly beats driving. Check the last departures if you plan a late return.

Recommended addresses on SeneFinder

More transport providers in the region are listed on SeneFinder: see all addresses.

Useful tools

Frequently asked questions

How long does the trip from Dakar to Saly take?

Allow one and a half to two hours by car on the toll motorway outside peak times. A Friday evening departure, or a start from the Almadies, can easily add another hour.

Does the TER go all the way to Mbour?

No, the TER stops at Diamniadio. Its job is to skip Dakar's traffic, after which you continue by taxi, ride hailing car or coach to Saly or Mbour.

What is the cheapest way to travel?

A coach or minibus from a road station, usually between two thousand and five thousand FCFA per seat. The trade off is that departure depends on the vehicle filling up, and the journey takes longer.