Getting around Nigeria: trains, buses, driving and domestic flights

Nigeria's transport choice depends less on your passport than on where you are going and whether you are travelling in daylight. The table below sets out the practical options; prices are 2026 estimates and should be re-checked before you book.

Start with the flight. Air Peace, Arik, Ibom Air, United Nigeria and others connect Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, Enugu and Calabar, and a Lagos–Abuja hop takes about 1 h 10 min. Fares run about US$80–200 one way. Delays and cancellations are common, so book the morning departure and never schedule a domestic flight on the same day as an international one.

In Lagos and Abuja, arrange a car with a driver through your hotel or host: US$60–120 a day, and the safest way to move around Lagos. Ride-hailing (Uber, Bolt) works in both cities, especially in daylight; check the plate and driver against the app, and share the trip with someone. Fares across Lagos run ₦5,000–20,000. Do not pick up strangers or change the route on request.

On the Lagos lagoon, ferries and water taxis beat the traffic between Lagos Island, Ikoyi and the beaches. Expect ₦2,000–10,000 for a scheduled service and US$100+ for a private boat. Wear the life jacket and do not travel in bad weather.

For intercity road travel, buses run Lagos–Abuja in 10–12 h for US$20–40. Use only reputable operators, travel in daylight, and treat this as a last resort: accident and kidnap risks on intercity roads are real. Trains are the modern standard-gauge lines on a few routes — Lagos–Ibadan about 2.5 h and Abuja–Kaduna about 2 h, ₦6,000–20,000 — but the Abuja–Kaduna line was attacked in 2022, so check current advice before booking.

Security advice varies sharply by state and changes often. Check your government's guidance for each state you plan to cross, and avoid night travel on intercity roads. Sunday mornings are church time in the south and Friday midday prayers in the north, so plan city moves around those windows. Grid power is unreliable and hotels run generators; carry a power bank so your phone stays charged for maps and ride-hailing.

Tap water is not safe to drink; use bottled or sealed sachet water from known brands. Western toilets are standard in hotels, malls and restaurants, but carry tissue and hand sanitiser. Tipping is expected: 5–10% in restaurants if service is not added, ₦5,000–10,000 for a driver day, ₦500–1,000 for a hotel porter, and a few hundred naira to official parking attendants only.