Country Information

Capital: Libreville

Time zone: GMT + 1

Telephone services: Country Code: 241
Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: Not present

Tourist information: Office National Gabonaise du Tourisme, PO Box 161, Liberville, Gabon Tel: 722 182

Passport information: Valid passport required by all except nationals of: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, and Equatorial Guinea who must have an ID card or passport expired for less than 5 years. Return Ticket Required. Requirements may be subject to short term change. Contact the relevant consular authority before finalising travel arrangements.

Visa information: Visa Required by all except nationals of Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Togo. Nationals of France can obtain a visa on arrival. Tourist and business visas are granted.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid, Vaccination recommended
Malaria: Precautions required. Falciparum variety prevalent. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported.
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required by all travellers over one year of age.
Other Health Risks: Bilharzia, Cholera, rabies, River blindness also present. Although incidence of Ebola is unlikely, sensible precautions should be taken.

Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink. Avoid dairy products as they are not pasteurised. Fruit and vegetables should be peeled before consumption.

Currency: CFA Franc (CFA Fr) = 100 centimes.
NOTE: Import of local currency is limited to CFA Fr 250000.
There is very limited acceptance of any credit cards or travellers cheques.

ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: Prices and services are generally expensive for the tourist.

Languages: French and the African language – Fang

Weather: May – Sept = Dry Season. Feb – Apr = Raining Season. Trade winds prevail during the dry season

Electricity: 220 Volts Ac 50 Hz

Post: Airmail at least 1 week to Western Europe.

Transport: FLIGHTS: Regular domestic flights operate. SEA: River barges and Ferries operate along the waterways. RAIL: Currently being expanded connects main cities. ROAD Mostly not tarred of poor standard, inadvisable during the raining season. CAR HIRE: Possible from main hotels and airports. DOCUMENTATION: IDP required.

Special information: A yellow fever certificate will be required to enter the country.

Capital: Budapest

Time zone: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 in the summer)

Telephone services: Country Code: 36
Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: Police – 107, Ambulance – 104, Fire – 105

Tourist information: Tourinform (Hungarian Tourist Board), H 1052 Budapest, Süt? u. 2, Hungary Tel: (1) 117 9800 Fax: (1) 117 9578.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all except nationals of France and Germany holding a national identity card . All passports must be valid for at least 6 months. Requirements may be subject to short term change. Contact embassy before departure.

Visa information: Required by all except: Nationals of Canada, USA, Japan for a stay of up to 90 days. Nationals of the UK for a stay of up to 6 months. Nationals of Austria, Finland and Spain for a stay up to 30 days. Nationals of Argentina, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Iceland, Israel, South Korea Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Seychelles, South Africa, Switzerland and Uruguay for a stay up to 90 days. Nationals of CIS (with the exception of citizens of Uzbekistan who do need a visa), Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Nicaragua, Romania, San Marino, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) for at stay up to 30 days. Nationals of Singapore for a stay up to 14 days

Health information: Other Health Risks: Rabies

Food & drink: Water is considered drinkable, normal precautions should be observed with food

Currency: Hungarian Forint (HUF) = 100 fillér
Exchange: banks, hotels, airports, railway stations, some restaurants. NOTE: Import and export of local currency is limited to HUF 10000. Retain all exchange receipts.
All major credit cards and travellers cheques are widely accepted. German DM is the preferred currency.
ATM availability: Over 1000 locations.

Cost of living: Westerners will not experience great disparity in local and Western prices

Languages: Hungarian (Magyar). German is widely spoken. Some English and French may also be spoken, mainly in the West.

Weather: June – Aug. is usually very warm. Spring and autumn are mild and winters are very cold. There is rainfall throughout the year and snow in winter.

Electricity: 220 volts Ac, 50 Hz.

Post: 3 – 7 days to other European destinations.

Transport: RAIL: All main cities are connected by regular services but facilities are often inadequate. Concessions are available to groups of six or more and the young and elderly. ROAD: Generally the road system is good. Zero alcohol is permitted when driving. BUS: Services link Budapest with the major provincial towns. CAR HIRE: Available at large hotels and the main airports. DOCUMENTATION: Pink national UK licence is accepted but IDP is required if a green licence is held.

Special information: Petty crime is rife in Budapest especially in tourist areas. Only carry a photocopy of your passport. Do not carry large amounts of money. Very few people speak English outside of large hotels and restaurants. A knowledge of German is very useful. Usual social courtesies apply. Both Christian and surname should be used in introductions. PHOTOGRAPHY: Do not take photographs of anything connected with the military. Other restrictions will be sign posted.

Capital: St George’s

Time zone: GMT – 4

Telephone services: Country Code: 1 473
Outgoing Code: International operator must be used.

Emergency telephone numbers: Police – 112, Ambulance – 434. All services – 911.

Tourist information: Board of Tourism, PO Box 293, Burns Point, St George’s, Grenada Tel: 440 2001 or 440 2279 or 440 3377 Fax 440 6637.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Return Ticket required. Requirements may be subject to short term change. Contact embassy before departure.

Visa information: Visa required by all except: Nationals of Great Britain, Australia, Canada, USA, EU countries, Japan. Those who continue their journey to a third destination, providing they hold onward tickets and are travelling within 14 days of arriving. Nationals of commonwealth countries (except nationals of Cyprus and Pakistan who do need a visa). Nationals of Bulgaria, Chile Czech Republic, Iceland, Israel, South Korea, Liechtenstein, Norway, Poland, Slovak Republic, Switzerland, Taiwan, (China) and Venezuela. Visitors holding a re-entry permit.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required from those over one year of age coming from infected areas.
Other Health Risks: Rabies.

Food & drink: Water is considered drinkable, normal precautions should be observed with food.

Currency: DEastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$) = 100 cents.
All travellers cheques and major credit cards are widely accepted. US dollars are the preferred currency.

ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: Moderate to expensive. Hotels need to be booked well in advance. Prices may vary with seasonal changes and specific events. Duty free shops exist with an international market.

Languages: English

Weather: Tropical climate. Rainy season June – Dec. Dry season Feb – May.

Electricity: 220/240 volts AC, 50 Hz.

Post: Post will take approximately 14 days to reach Europe.

Transport: SEA: Round island trips are very popular, small to large boats can be hired. ROAD: They are narrow and winding. CAR HIRE: A large variety if vehicles can be hired. DOCUMENTATION: IDP is recommended. BUS: Cheap but slow service operates.

Special information: Beach-wear is not acceptable in town.

Capital: Jakarta

Time zone: GGMT + 7 -West, + 8 – Central, + 9 – East.

Telephone services: Country Code: 62

Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: Police – 110, Fire – 113, Ambulance – 118.

Tourist information: Indonesian Tourist Promotion Office, 24 Hour Brochure & Information Line Premium (Higher) Charges Apply 3 Hanover St, London, W1R 9HH Tel: 0891 600180.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Return Ticket Required. Requirements may change at short notice. Contact the embassy before departure.

Visa information: Tourist visas required by all except the following: (providing their stay does not exceed 60 days) Nationals of EU countries except Portugal. Nationals of Argentina, Brazil, Brunei, Chile, Egypt, Hungary, Iceland, South Korea, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Maldives, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela and Yugoslavia. Nationals of any country travelling for conference purposes who have documentary proof of approval from the Indonesian government.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Malaria: Exists in the Falciparum variety everywhere except the main tourist resorts of Bali, Java and large cities.
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required from those arriving from infected areas.

Other Health Risks: Bilharzia, Rabies.

Food & drink: Outside of urban areas water is untreated and not safe to drink. Avoid dairy products as they are not pasteurised. Fruit and vegetables should be peeled before consumption.

Currency: Rupiah (Rp) = 100 sen.
Exchange: Not a problem in tourist areas, may be more difficult in less commercialised areas. NOTE: Import and export of local currency is limited to Rp 50 000.
Travellers cheques are easily exchanged in large hotels and banks. Preferred cheque currency is US dollars. Visa MasterCard and Amex are all accepted. Diners Club has a more limited use.
ATM availability: Over 1300 locations.

Cost of living: Tourist resorts are more expensive although cheap accommodation can be found in the form of bungalows in the main resorts. Provisions may be difficult to find in rural areas.

Languages: Bahasa Indonesian and 250 local dialects. Dutch and English are also spoken.

Weather: The climate is tropical and varies from area to area. Jun – Sept is the Easter Monsoon which brings the driest weather. The Western monsoon brings the main rains from Dec – Mar. However rainstorms can occur all year round.

Electricity: 110 Volts AC 50Hz, but may vary between areas,

Post: Up to 10 days.

Transport: FLIGHTS: Good internal air system. ROADS: Good roads within Java but less so in Bali and Sumatra. The other islands have poor road systems. TAXI: Available in all main cities, all are metered. DOCUMENTATION: IDP is required.

Special information: EXTREME RISK: in some areas (Aceh – Maluku Provence – please see FCO site for further details) because of ethnic tensions. There is a risk of disturbance and unsettled conditions though not as problematic as anticipated. Travellers should exercise caution and avoid large crowds which can turn into demonstrations Please consult the FCO website for details of specified areas of the country where you should not travel. Never pass or accept anything with your left hand as this is insulting. Foreigners are regarded as walking bank accounts. Pickpockets are common. Visitors are advised to avoid crowds and not to travel alone. British nationals are advised against all non-essential travel to Ambon and Maluku Province; East Kalimantan (East Borneo); Lombok; North Aceh; Pidie and East Aceh Regencies; West Timor and East Timor. Permits are required to travel to Most of Irian Jaya where there is an independence movement.

Capital: Accra

Time zone: GMT

Telephone services: Country Code: 233

Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: 221 665 (Embassy)

Tourist information: Ghana High Commission (tourist information), 104 Highgate Hill, London N65 HE Tel: (020) 8342 8686 or 342 7588 Fax: (020) 8342 8566 or 342 8570.

Passport information: Valid Passport required. Return Ticket Required. Requirements may be subject to change at short notice. Consult embassy before departure.

Visa information: Required by all except nationals of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Guinea Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo and Zimbabwe.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Malaria: Precautions advised. Falciparum form exists and resistance to chloroquine has been reported.
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required by all.
Other Health Risks: Bilharzia, Rabies, a vaccination against cholera is strongly recommended, a vaccination certificate is required if arriving from an infected area.

Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink. Avoid dairy products as they are not pasteurised. Fruit and vegetables should be peeled before consumption.

Currency: Cedi (c) = 100 pesewas.
Exchange: Only authorised foreign exchange dealers must be used. NOTE: Import and export of local currency is limited to c3000 and should be recorded in passport.

Credit cards and travellers cheques have very limited use.
ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: Relatively more expensive the surrounding areas.

Languages: English and local African languages are spoken.

Weather: The climate is hot and humid throughout the year. Apr – July = the raining season.

Electricity: 220 Volts Ac 50 Hz Plugs = 3 pin in larger buildings, older buildings have 2 use plugs

Post: 2 weeks or more to Europe.

Transport: RAIL: Limited CAR HIRE: Available but very expensive, DOCUMENTATION: British driving licence valid for 90 days. IDP is recommended. BUSES: Extensive bus services operate in Accra

Special information: Take local advice about security matters. Exercise care with possessions at the main airport. Ghanaians should always be addressed formally. PHOTOGRAPHY: Be discreet with cameras especially around the Castle in Accra or at the Akosombo Dam. Do not take photos of anything connected with the military.

Capital: Dublin

Time zone: GMT

Telephone services: Country Code: 353
Outgoing Code: 16

Emergency telephone numbers: Dial 112 anywhere in the EU to reach the emergency services. Additional local numbers:-All services – 999

Tourist information: Irish Tourist Board, 150 – 151 New Bond Street, London W1Y 0AQ Tel: (020) 7493 3201 Fax: (020) 7493 9065.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all except: Nationals of EU countries providing they carry a national ID card, persons born in the United Kingdom travelling directly from the United Kingdom. Nationals of Liechtenstein, Monaco and Switzerland providing they carry a national ID card. Return Ticket required. Requirements may be subject to short term change. Contact the relevant authority before departure.

Visa information: Required by all except: Nationals of Australia, Canada, USA, EU, Japan. Nationals of Andorra, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Gambia, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Jamaica, Kenya, South Korea, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Malawi, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Nauru, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, San Marino, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela, Western Samoa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Health information: No information available at present.

Food & drink: Water is considered drinkable, normal precautions should be observed with food.

Currency: In common with12 Member States of the European Union (EU), here the Euro is the currency. There are seven different banknotes and eight coins of the Euro. Each participating EU country has coins with one common side and a reverse side specific to each country, while the banknotes look the same throughout the euro area. All major credit cards and travellers cheques are accepted throughout Ireland.
ATM availability: Approximately 1 000 locations.

Cost of living: Food and drink can be quite expensive. However ‘Bed and Breakfast’, or camp sites offer cheaper accommodation.

Languages: Irish (Gaelic) is the official language and is mainly spoken in the west. English is more widely spoken.

Weather: Rain falls all year. Spring and autumn are very mild. Summers are warm, winters are much cooler.

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50 Hz.

Post: Irish postage stamps must be used on all mail. Poste Restante correspondence is available.

Transport: RAIL: Extensive network between the main cities. ROAD: The network links all parts of Ireland. TAXI: Services available in the main cities. BUS: A nation-wide network of buses serves all the main cities but services to remote areas will be infrequent. CAR HIRE: Available from the major air and sea ports and large hotels. DOCUMENTATION: Owners taking their own cars into Ireland require the vehicles registration book, nationality plates, insurance for the Republic and a full EU licence or IDP. A ‘green card’ is strongly recommended.

Special information: The Irish are a very gregarious people and usually have very close community bonds. Visitors will find people very friendly. Casual wear is acceptable.