Flat-rate official taxis park right outside T1 arrivals
Just outside Lomé–Tokoin International Airport’s single terminal T1, Airport Taxis Officiels line up in a marked rank reserved for licensed cabs. These are the airport’s own contracted taxis, so you walk 50–100 meters from baggage claim, skip street hagglers, and speak directly to a dispatcher by the queue.
Fares with Airport Taxis Officiels run on fixed price bands instead of a meter, typically quoted in CFA francs based on zones in Lomé and nearby areas. You agree the amount with the dispatcher or driver before you get in, pay in cash at the end (plan for small bills under 10,000 CFA), and avoid mid-ride bargaining entirely.
Service runs 24/7 alongside the flight schedule, with lines longest around late-evening arrivals between 20:00 and 23:59. In quieter windows, you can be in a taxi within 5–10 minutes of clearing customs, which beats waiting for a hotel shuttle or arranging a ride over local apps after landing.
Cars are usually standard sedans with room for 3 passengers in the back and 1 in front, plus two checked-size suitcases (23 kg each) in the trunk if you pack reasonably. If you show up with 3–4 large bags, say so at the rank so they can assign a car with a larger trunk or fold-down seats.
Compared with bargaining with freelance taxis on the access road, you pay a bit more for Airport Taxis Officiels, but you get a driver cleared to work the airport, a known starting point, and a drop-off right to specific hotel doors along Boulevard du Mono or in quartiers like Tokoin and Kodjoviakopé. That premium is usually a few thousand CFA over street prices.
For a smoother handoff, ask your hotel in Lomé to email you their typical fare from LFW in CFA and keep that number handy at the rank as a sanity check. Tip: take a photo of the taxi’s license plate before departure and send it over WhatsApp to a contact in Togo; it takes 5 seconds and buys peace of mind if you misplace something in the cab later.