Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Bahir Dar
306.90
1 day, 5.30am
Dessie
208.80
7½hrs, 6am
Dire Dawa
275
9½hrs, 6am
Gonder
372.80
1 day, 5.30am
Harar
278
1 day, 6am
Jimma
199
6hrs, 1pm
Car & 4WD
Although it's possible to hire a self-drive car, you're usually restricted to the capital. Hir-
ing a chauffeured 4WD, although expensive, removes most limits on where you can
travel. Four-wheel drives are rented by almost all of Addis' travel agents (
Click here
)
.
For more details on hiring,
Click here
.
Minibus
With sealed roads now all but connecting Addis Ababa with Bahir Dar and Gonder,
private minibus services are starting to crop up. They're very fast (not always a good
thing!) and cut journey times down to six or seven hours for Bahir Dar and 10 hours for
Gonder. There's no station per se, but commission agents tend to patrol for customers near
the Wutma Hotel in Piazza.
Getting Around
Though a sprawling city, Addis Ababa is fairly easy to get around.
To/From the Airport
Bole International Airport
lies 5km southeast of the city centre; both international and
domestic flights depart from here.
Minibuses from Piazza, Mexico Sq and Meskal Sq serve the airport daily from 6am to
8pm (Birr4.70). Some charge an additional Birr2 or Birr3 for excess luggage.
Blue city taxis to the airport for a local should cost around Birr80 to Birr100 from any-
where south of Meskal Sq to around Birr130 to Birr150 if leaving from Piazza; add Birr20
at night or early in the morning. As a foreigner you're likely to pay at least Birr100 more
for either route. From the airport, prices are much higher and normally quoted in US dol-
lars (though they accept Birr).
