Togo eSIM

The distance is trivial — the Kodjoviakope post sits at the edge of Lome and you walk across into Aflao. The thing to check is paperwork: leaving and re-entering depends on what kind of visa you hold for each country, so confirm the current rules before you set off. Leave plenty of time at the post as well, because passport queues get long in the morning and again in the evening.

In Atakpame, Sokode and Kara it behaves normally. Once you turn off the highway towards the Koutammakou villages, in the hills near the Benin border, you can be out of range for half an hour or more at a stretch. Download that map area, save your driver's number to the device, and agree pickup points and times while you are still in town rather than assuming you can call from the villages.

You really can: Gozem runs both motorbikes and cars in Lome, which removes the haggling and leaves you a record of the ride. Street motorbike taxis, the zemidjan, are still everywhere and are often quicker in rush hour; if you use one, agree the fare before you get on and hold your phone securely while riding, because some stretches of road are rough.

Most plans here start when the phone first connects to a network at the destination, so you can install in advance at home and switch it on after landing. Each plan page states its own rule.

No. The eSIM is a second line, so you keep your home number for SMS OTP. Turn off roaming data on the home line and set the eSIM as the data line.