Travel Information
Togo
Booking your flight
Mercy Ships recommends booking your flight as soon as you receive your final acceptance letter using one of travel agencies listed in the Travel Agency section. We highly recommend Air France and/or Ethiopian Airlines due to their higher safety records and their current schedules which is as follows:
- Air France: fly from Paris to Lome, Togo: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays
- Ethiopian Airlines: fly from London to Lome, Togo: Tuesdays and Saturdays
There are several “cheaper” airlines (including Royal Air Maroc) which fly into Togo but their arrival and departures times are after 10pm which is after curfew.
Please note: We cannot accommodate arrivals between 10pm and 8am (unless your flight with Air France or Ethiopian Air is delayed). If you book a flight arriving after 10pm, you will be required to go to a hotel until morning. Please contact your Placement Facilitator if you need hotel suggestions.
We also do not advise people to book their own travel on multiple airlines without using an experienced travel agent (see Travel Agents). If you are delayed by one airline causing you to miss connecting flights, the other airlines are not obligated to honor your tickets and you may be left stranded.
Travel Agents: Listed in the Travel Agencies section are several travel agents that Mercy Ships uses or has been recommended to us, many offer “missionary” rates. If you require a letter of proof that you are coming on a mission’s trip, please use your acceptance letter or contact Human Resources.
Visas
Mercy Ships has received a signed visa waiver from the Togolese government, allowing our crew to arrive in Togo without a visa. As soon as we receive your travel details (via the Pre-Arrival Form), we will send you a letter confirming your status with Mercy Ships and copies of the visa waiver paperwork. You will need to carry these with you to show to the ticket agent at the airport upon departure (along with your passport) and to Togo immigration upon your arrival.
Arrival
Upon your arrival, one of our ships’ drivers will pick you up at the airport during our operational hours (8am – 10pm). Our drivers are not authorized to meet any flight between the hours of 10pm and 8am. Therefore, if you plan to arrive into or depart from the country between 10pm and 8am (unless you arrive on a delayed Air France or Ethiopian Airlines flight), you will need to book yourself into a hotel in advance and we will send a driver to pick you up the following morning.
If you have a Mercy Ships shirt, please wear it when you travel so that you can be spotted easily. There will always be someone there from the ship to meet you and transport you to the ship. They will be holding up a sign which says "Mercy Ships - Africa Mercy" and will be wearing the following high visibility garments:
- A High Visibility vest (with Mercy Ships printed on the front)
- A red baseball cap (With AFM Transport written on the front)
If you cannot immediately see them, do not leave the airport as they will be looking for you, but may just have been slightly delayed en route. Do not accept a ride with anyone who cannot provide Mercy Ships identification. If at any time you are concerned you should call the ship for confirmation or further instructions. Please be sure to carry the ship's phone number in case you need to reach us with schedule changes or problems.
It is (+1) 954 538 6110, alternatively the local number is (228)768-1200. Both of these numbers are answered 24 hours/day.
Consider bringing one change of clothes and necessary medications in your carry-on bag in case your luggage is lost or delayed.
Security
The security of Mercy Ships crew is taken very seriously. In each country Mercy Ships serves, the security is continuously monitored through contacts with major embassies, government security forces and ground observers.
On arrival to the Africa Mercy, the ship's crew is provided a general security briefing and all crew will be informed of any unusual security precautions that need to be taken.
