Is it okay to use ATMs late in the evening in Guinea or should I stick to daytime withdrawals only? I am a single woman travelling so want to be safe.
As a budget traveler through West Africa, I planned all my cash runs for the daytime. In Guinea, it’s not just about safety - ATMs run out of cash, and many don’t take international cards. I met others who had to rely on hotel desks or trusted locals. If you must withdraw money after dark, stick to ATMs inside well-lit, busy locations.
I used an Ecobank ATM near the Port Autonome in Conakry around 8:30 PM. The area had some movement, but it still felt tense. The ATM worked, but it was slow. Locals said it’s not common to use ATMs at night here. Withdrawing cash after dark in Guinea isn’t unsafe if you’re in a busy zone, but honestly, it’s best done before dusk.
Traveling overland from Senegal, I reached Nzerekore and found that even finding a functional ATM was difficult, let alone one that worked after dark. I ended up relying on currency exchange kiosks and avoided night ATM use altogether. Guinea isn’t particularly threatening, but streetlights are rare, and ATMs are few. Withdraw early and carry local francs when possible.
ATM safety at night in Guinea isn’t ideal. I stayed in Conakry near Kaloum and once needed to withdraw from a UBA ATM after 9 PM. The area was mostly empty, lighting was poor, and the ATM took forever to process. It worked, but I felt uneasy the whole time. Locals later told me to avoid withdrawing money after sunset - safer to do it inside bank branches during the day.