Route

Where will you go?

START date: March 14. 2010. Location: Tunis, Tunisia.

The Trans Sahara Rally is absolutely unique of its kind. This is the only rally being organized on this route. Our route was last used by the first pioneers of the Paris-Dakar rally in the late ’70s. And you can be one of the very few people driving through these regions as a participant of a motorsport event.
We don’t like the beaten track so we’re not driving on the Atlantic route like everyone else. We prefer discovering. How about you?

The route covers approximately 6000 kilometers (3,700 miles).
It starts in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. All the teams will meet the night before the rally kicks off for a big party. From Tunis, we’ll head southwest, crossing into Algeria and heading deep into the heart of the Sahara. Several days will be spent among the dunes, driving between incredible rock formations and gazing awe-struck at the endless seas of sand.

After some time, we cross into Niger, heading south across the savannah. Before we reach the border of Benin, we’ll take some time to explore the awesome “W” National Park.  Once in Benin, we’ll be sure to stop for a day and check out the Penjari Biosphere Reserve for a mini-safari among the elephants, lions, leopards, and hippopotamus that make it their home.
From there our road continues ever southward, passing ancient villages where life seems to have been put on ‘pause’ for centuries. Appearances are deceiving however – this area has a vivid history. It was the centre of the slave trade in the 17-18th centuries. Hey, even today, voodoo is the state religion!
Finally, at the end of the road we’ll find the coastal town of Grand Popo. There, even if everyone’s exhausted, we’ll have one final bash to celebrate the end of our epic coast-to-coast journey.

FINISH date: March 31. 2010. Location: Grand Popo, Benin.

What should you expect?

We know it’s cliché, but when it comes to the Trans Sahara Rally, expect the unexpected! The Sahara is not just a bleak place. Along the way, you’ll encounter incredible people, ancient and unusual architecture, intense heat, breathtaking landscapes, lots of sand, wild open lands, wild animals, cuts and bruises, and time consuming border crossings. There will be problems, it’s inevitable. But the highs will make up for the lows, and plenty of fun will be had by all.

Remember, we won’t hold your hand the whole way. Before the rally, we will scout out basic lodging facilities found along the route, and give participants some ideas about where they can sleep. There will be a basic first-aid crew to help out, and we do our best to remain in communication. But that’s it – the rest is up to you. So while you should expect to have a lot of fun, also be prepared to think on your feet and solve problems as they arise.

See the map above and check the rough route of the Trans Sahara Rally 2010

Want to see the details? Click on the link under the Map below!

View Trans Sahara Rally 2010 in a larger map