I’m originally from New York. Therefore, it has long been my belief that the only way to travel internationally is to go through JFK Airport.

We had to go to New York prior to our trip to get our visas at the Senegalese consulate. Fortunately, a visa is no longer necessary for Americans to travel to Senegal. And there are other consulates. But, again, I was of the belief that foreign travel and all things related to it had to begin and end in New York.

When looking for flights, the best we could do involved a very long layover in Brussels. No disrespect to Brussels. I’ve spent time there and it is a lovely city. But this was not a European vacation. We wanted to get to Dakar and that layover was way too long. It felt even longer on the way home, since there was no more trip anticipation.

Several trips later, we decided to try leaving from other airports. Living in Philadelphia, there were other choices (not the Philadelphia airport, but others).

So what’s the best way to travel to Senegal from the US

We finally found that we could fly direct from Dulles International, just outside of Washington, straight to Dakar.

Does it take longer to drive to Dulles than to JFK? Yes, an extra hour. Is it worth it? Oh my goodness, yes!

The first benefit is the direct flight (on South Africa Air). South Africa Air flies direct from New York as well, but for some reason it is almost three times more expensive. From Dulles it costs about the same as the flights from New York with long layovers.

The other major benefit is that the volume is much lower, especially coming through customs on the way home. Have you been to JFK? Getting through customs is a pretty interesting experience with so many travelers from all over the world. But it takes forever. Dulles was extremely quick. Maybe not as interesting, but quick. No more JFK for us.

The other good news is that Senegal has a new airport (closer to Thies than Dakar, but still the only way to arrive in-country). Not yet five years old as of this writing, Blaise Diagne International Airport is modern and beautiful. The former airport (Leopold Sedar Senghor International) was, well, neither. (Though it still got us in and out of Senegal, so I appreciated it.) Blaise Diagne is what one might expect upon entering what is considered the gateway to West Africa.

Some tips for the airport:

Most airport employees do not speak English. You may find some taxi drivers who speak some English. That’s great, but you really will want to have some French and at least a few Wolof phrases in your knowledge bank. You can download a free audio file below to learn some common phrases in both languages.

Exchange your dollars for cfa at the airport. You will find that a better experience than trying to exchange money once you leave the airport. Some vendors may accept dollars, but the rate will not be to your advantage.

And, very importantly – if you have cfa left over at the end of your trip, exchange it for dollars at the airport before you leave Senegal. The cfa is not like the euro. Very few banks will exchange it once you return to the United States.

So, shop around for airports from which to leave the US, exchange your money, and learn some phrases if you don’t already speak French or Wolof.

Then have a great trip!

For more on visiting Senegal, check us out here

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