Dakar is a major West African hub, so there are lots of flights coming from and going to Europe, North America and other African cities. Be prepared to arrive and leave at anytime of the night or day - many flights come in at around 2 and leave at around 4 AM.
By plane
From South Africa: SAA Johannesburg
From Europe: Air France Paris-CDG, TAP Air Portugal Lisbon, Alitalia Milan, Iberia Madrid, Las Palmas, Brussels Airlines Brussels, Turkish Airlines Istanbul
From Africa: TACV Cabo Verde Praia and Bissau, Royal Air Maroc Casablanca, Air Ivoire Abidjan, Ethiopian Addis Ababa via Lomé and Abidjan or via Ndjamena, Kenya Airways Nairobi via Bamako, Virgin Nigeria Lagos, Brussels Airlines Banjul, Tunisair Tunis, Air Algérie Algiers, Air Mali International Bamako, Air Mauritanie Nouakchott, Bellview Airlines Lagos, Delta Airlines Luanda begins January 21, 2011
From North America: SAA Washington-Dulles and New York-JFK, Delta Atlanta beings January 21, 2011, Delta New York-JFK
From Asia: Emirates Dubai
By road
The main method of travel around the country is by sept places from French, "seven seats," literally questionable station wagons in which they will pack seven people so that you are basically sitting on the next person's lap throughout the journey. You can also come with a group and rent out an entire sept place, but this will be expensive. If you are obviously a tourist, they WILL try to rip you off, so make sure to set a price before you agree to a driver. There are set prices to often-travelled locations. The main sept place station in Dakar is Gare Routieres de Pompiers. Watch out for pickpockets!
By Rail
The rail service connecting Dakar and Koulikoro in Mali, once stopping at many cities in Senegal, has been cancelled indefinitely.