Two toll motorways cross the part of Senegal that matters to travellers: the one leading to the airport and the one running towards Touba. Here is what it really costs, toll station by toll station, and how to pay without losing time at the booth.
Two toll motorways, two different uses
Senegal today has two motorway axes with tolls, managed by Agéroute, the state company that oversees the construction and upkeep of the network. The first, the Dakar-Diamniadio-AIBD motorway, links the capital to Blaise-Diagne International Airport over some thirty kilometres: this is the axis taken by almost every traveller who rents a car straight off the plane. The second, longer one, extends this axis inland as far as Touba under the name Ila Touba motorway, over roughly 184 kilometres. Together, they form the backbone of Senegal's fast road network, the one that avoids the chronic slowdowns of national road 1 around Rufisque and Thiès.
On both stretches the carriageway is wide, well maintained and lit on the busiest sections: a real comfort after a few kilometres on a Senegalese secondary road. The trade-off is the toll, charged at each station you pass through rather than at entry and exit as on some European motorways.
How much the journey costs, station by station
Rates vary with the station passed and the vehicle category. For a standard passenger car (saloon, city car, compact SUV), here are the orders of magnitude observed in 2026, to be confirmed on the spot as Agéroute regularly adjusts its scale:
| Journey | Indicative rate (light vehicle) |
|---|---|
| Dakar (Pikine) → Sébikotane | around 500 FCFA |
| Dakar → AIBD airport (Diass) | around 2,000 FCFA |
| Diamniadio → Thiès (Ila Touba) | around 1,000 FCFA |
| Thiès → Touba (Ila Touba, terminus) | around 1,000 to 2,500 FCFA depending on the exit station |
In practice, count rarely more than 3,000 to 4,000 FCFA to link Dakar to Touba in a single run, tolls included. Keep cash in small notes: some outlying stations do not always accept bank cards, even if electronic payment is spreading on the busiest axes.
Xéweul, the electronic toll that avoids stopping
For regulars on the Dakar-AIBD run, Agéroute offers the Xéweul card, an electronic toll badge that lets you clear the station at reduced speed (around 25 km/h) without stopping at the booth, the amount being debited automatically from a prepaid account.
- ▸Worthwhile for a one to two week stay with several round trips to the airport, less so for a single arrival journey.
- ▸The card is obtained at an Agéroute agency or at certain partner sales points, with an initial deposit.
- ▸Failing that, the standard lanes stay open: cash or bank card at the booth, with no booking and no particular queue outside peak hours.
Toll or national road: what to choose
National road 1, which is free, follows the same corridor as the Ila Touba motorway but passes through the centres of Rufisque, Thiès and Mbour, with their speed bumps, their markets spilling onto the carriageway and their frequent checks. On a Dakar-Touba journey, the toll easily saves an hour, sometimes more on a market day or a pilgrimage day. For a simple run to the airport the time difference is more modest, but it is still worth having if your flight is early in the morning and you want to leave no room for the unexpected.
This cost against time calculation resembles the one you make as soon as you leave the tarmac: on the laterite tracks away from the main axes, caution takes priority over speed, whereas on the paid motorway it is the opposite. And since fuel remains the second expense of a road trip after the rental itself, keep an eye on prices and range on the fuel side before setting off on a long journey that includes the Ila Touba.
From the airport, the car that waits for you
If your stay starts on the Dakar-Diamniadio-AIBD axis, you may as well make picking up the vehicle straightforward right out of the terminal rather than dealing with a first toll while still discovering local driving. A rental directly at Dakar airport avoids that first blind journey and puts you on the motorway with an easy mind, the toll money already in your pocket.
Frequently asked questions
Count around 2,000 FCFA for a light vehicle on this journey of some thirty kilometres, to be checked on the spot as Agéroute rates change from one year to the next.
Cash in small notes remains the safe bet at every station, including the most outlying. Bank cards work at the busiest stations, but it is better to keep cash as a backup.
Only if you make repeated round trips to the airport or to Touba. For a single or occasional journey, the standard payment lanes are more than enough.
Yes, the RN1 follows the same corridor for free, but it passes through the town centres of Rufisque, Thiès and Mbour, with a markedly longer journey time, especially during the day.
- ▸Senegalese highway code: speed limits, priority, local specifics
- ▸Police and gendarmerie checkpoints: papers, behaviour, good practice
- ▸Driving at night in Senegal: the real risks and precautions
- ▸Crossing the Gambia border by car: Banjul-Barra ferry, formalities, ECOWAS Brown Card
- ▸Mauritania border by car: Rosso or Diama, which to choose?
In summary
The Senegalese toll motorway saves time, is paid largely in cash, and rarely costs more than a few thousand francs even on a long journey towards Touba. Enough to drive more calmly right out of the airport.
Rent your car directly in Dakar
With or without a driver, take the road to the airport or the Ila Touba with a light heart.
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