Sao Tome and Principe Driving Advice and Car Hire Info
Driving in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome drives on the right and you need an International driving permit to rent a car. Roads in São Tomé town are paved, but some are in poor condition. Outside town main roads are paved but are in even worse condition. Secondary roads are often unpaved. The state of the roads can make the 80 km from Sao Tomé city in the North to Portalegre in the South a full day journey . Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and animals on the roads can be a major hazard especially at night when most roads are unlit. In rural areas outside town, drivers are expected to honk the car’s horn periodically as a warning signal of their approach. Some roads may be impassable without a four-wheel-drive vehicle, especially after rain.
Sao Tome has three main routes, the EN1 (São Tomé-Guadalupe-Neves), the EN2 (São Tomé-Santana-São João dos Angolares-Porto Alegre) and the EN3 (São Tomé-Monte Café). It also has secondary roads, some of them area the ES1, ES2 and the ES3. Around two thirds of the 300 KM of roads are paved. Príncipe roads have no route numbers. Roads in the southern part of Sao Tome are generally much better than those in the north.
Only a few miles of roads exist on the island of Príncipe; the conditions are generally worse than those on Sao Tome.
Sao Tome and Principe Car Rental
None of the big multinational companies operate in Sao Tome though there are a number of local firms offering self drive on the island.If you are a local car rental company who would like to feature on DriverAbroad.com please check details on our Partnering page or contact us on ADriverAbroad@Outlook.com.
