The Tour de France? That’s nothing! Try riding across the entire African continent on a bicycle! Since 2003, a hardy bunch of cyclists has been doing just that, as part of the Tour d’Afrique. The Tour d’Afrique crosses the entire African continent, from Egypt to South Africa, approximately 7,500 miles. While some participants are there to race, many others are just there for the experience and travel at their own pace, so people of all ages are welcome as long as you are in good shape and like to ride.

The Tour d’Afrique takes a good four months to complete, and like most epic-level travel experiences, it’s not cheap. The full tour will set you back €8,900, not including your bike, supplies for your bike, food on rest days, flights or visas. Fortunately, you can also sign on to just do a specific part of the tour.

As far as travel visas are concerned, the requirements vary depending on which country you’re looking at. Here’s a breakdown:

• Egypt: If you’re flying in, you can get a 30-day tourist visa when you arrive at the airport, or apply in advance if you’d like. If you’re entering by land, you’ll need one in advance.

• Sudan: US citizens should apply for a visa in advance at a Sudanese embassy or consulate.

• Ethiopia: If you’re riding in, you’ll definitely need to apply for your visa in advance. Theoretically, if you’re flying in, you can get a visa on arrival, but the US Department of State recommends against it as airport officials sometimes refuse to issue them. So, be a good Boy/Girl Scout and “be prepared!” See Ethiopian Visa Requirements for Tourists for more details.

• Kenya: US citizens need to apply in advance to enter by land. If flying in, you should be able to get a visa on arrival but be prepared to wait for the privilege. See Kenyan Visa Requirements for Tourists for details.

• Tanzania: You can get a visa on arrival, but it’s recommended that you get one in advance to avoid long wait times. See Tanzanian Visa Requirements for Tourists for more information.

• Malawi: US citizens can get a visa on arrival with a passport, an itinerary and proof that you have enough money in the bank account to support yourself.

• Zambia: You can obtain a single-entry visa on arrival. If for whatever reason you’d prefer a multiple entry visa, you need to apply in advance. See Zambia Visa Requirements for additional details.

• Botswana: No visa is required, just make sure your passport will be good for at least 6 months after the date you enter.

• Namibia: Visas on arrival are available as long your passport is valid for at least 6 months after the day you enter. Also make sure you have at least 5 unstamped pages in the back.

• South Africa: No visa is required for stays of 90 days or less, but you do need at least 2 blank pages in the back of your passport. You should also bring proof that you’ve been vaccinated for yellow fever.

RushMyTravelVisa can help you get the visas you need for this or any other trip. We’ll research your itinerary, walk you through the application process and expedite your applications with the appropriate embassies for the fastest possible processing.

Apply for your travel visas with us today!

Tags: Africa, Africa travel, Botswana, Egypt visa, Egyptian visa, Ethiopia, Ethiopian visa, Kenya, Kenyan visa, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Sudan, Sudan visa, Tanzania, Tanzanian visa, travel visas, Zambia

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 9th, 2011 at 10:00 pm and is filed under Destinations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.