Bus Travel from Cotonou to Northern Benin (2026): Booking, Rules, Companies

To reach Parakou, Natitingou or the centre of the country from Cotonou, the bus is the simplest choice. What remains is knowing whom to trust for timetables and prices, which change faster than any guide. This page sticks to what the official websites of the companies and of the State confirm: how to book, what the regulations say, and where to check the day's fare.

The essentials (information checked on 4 October 2026)

• Baobab Express, founded in November 2013 and based in Parakou, runs fixed routes across the country, with 16 agencies. Booking online, through a mobile app or by Mobile Money.
• Fares and timetables are not published on the company's home page: they appear in the app and at the agency.
• Any passenger carrier must hold a transport authorisation issued by ANaTT.
• Mixed transport, which loads people and goods together, is formally banned in Benin.

Baobab Express: the company that publishes its tools

According to its official website, Baobab Express was founded in November 2013 on the initiative of a Belgian investor. Its head office is in Parakou. It runs several fixed routes covering the country from north to south, with more than 30 routes mentioned and 16 agencies.

You book on the online platform or in the mobile app (Android and iOS), and pay by Mobile Money: "call, book and pay by Mobile Money", the company says. Published contact: secretariat@baobabexpress.org and +229 01 65 61 80 05 or +229 01 65 61 79 99. The official site is baobabexpress.org.

The home page gives neither fares nor itineraries from Cotonou: check the app, or an agency, for the route and date you need.

The other companies

Other companies link Cotonou to the north, including ATT and Confort Lines. We do not repeat their timetables or fares: no official source publishes them reliably. A fare copied from year to year misleads. Ask for the price at the agency when you book, and keep your receipt.

What the regulations say

Running a passenger transport business requires a transport authorisation, issued by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport through the National Land Transport Agency (ANaTT). The application is made online, through ANaTT's SYGFR system. The transport card, valid for one year, costs 3,000 FCFA a year for national transport, according to ANaTT.

Mixed transport, that is, loading people and goods at the same time, is formally banned in Benin and in ECOWAS states. On 17 October 2023 ANaTT announced a two-week awareness period before the enforcement phase, led by the Republican Police. The announcement does not give penalty amounts.

Frequently asked questions

How do I book a Baobab Express bus?

Online, in the mobile app (Android and iOS) or by phone, with payment by Mobile Money, according to the company.

Where do I find the Cotonou - Parakou fare?

In the Baobab Express app or at the company's agency. No official source publishes a fixed price list: the amount shown when you book is the one that counts.

Does a bus company need an authorisation?

Yes. A transport authorisation is mandatory to carry people or goods, and ANaTT issues it.

Can I carry goods on a passenger bus?

Not by loading them together with the passengers: mixed transport is formally banned in Benin.

Official sources (checked on 4 October 2026)

• Baobab Express: presentation, booking, contacts, agencies.
• ANaTT, Autorisation de transport and Autorisations de transports: mandatory authorisation, online application.
• ANaTT, Carte de transport: one-year validity, 3,000 FCFA a year for national transport.
• ANaTT, Interdiction du transport mixte en République du Bénin, 17 October 2023.
• ARCEP Bénin, switch from 8 to 10-digit numbers, from 30 November 2024.