Not sure if I should carry coins for public transport in Guinea or if card payments are common. Advice?
Bring enough Guinean francs for transport. Use Ecobank or BICIGUI ATMs in Conakry with Visa cards if you can, but don’t expect Mastercard to work. Shared taxis and minibuses are dirt cheap but only cash. Break large notes in shops before hopping on, because drivers rarely have change.
My Revolut Mastercard didn’t work at any ATM in Conakry, even at BICIGUI downtown. Had to rely on USD I brought and exchanged at a poor rate near Madina Market. Public transport is strictly cash and drivers won’t even look at a card. It was a bit stressful, so don’t count on ATMs being reliable.
I stayed near Kaloum in Conakry and took shared taxis almost every day. Always cash, usually 10,000 GNF for short trips. My Wise Visa worked fine at an Ecobank ATM near Boulevard de Commerce, so I could withdraw without problems. Hotels like Riviera Royal accepted card payments, but nothing in daily transport did. It was easy once I carried a pocket full of small notes.
In Conakry, taxis and minibuses (“magbana”) are all cash-based. Drivers only take Guinean francs, and fares are usually small - 5,000-15,000 GNF depending on distance. No public transport accepts cards. ATMs from Ecobank and BICIGUI in Kaloum or near the airport sometimes work with Visa, but they’re often empty. Bring cash, and don’t expect card payments outside of big hotels or supermarkets.