A permit from the Ministry of the Interior is required for all travel outside the capital. Government curfews are in force in Kinshasa. Small planes may be available for charter. Services are unreliable owing to political instability and fuel shortages. The main internal railway runs from Lubumbashi to Il bo, with a branch to Kalemie and Kindu, and from Kinshasa to the port of Matadi.
Rail services are generally subject to disruption.
There is no air-conditioning, but there are couchettes and dining cars on the principal trains. Traffic drives on the right. Owing to poor maintenance, the roads are among the worst in Africa and only achieve a fair standard around the main towns. It is wise to check that bridges are safe before crossing. Vehicle thefts, including hijackings at gunpoint, occur.