Getting around by bus and coach Madagascar

The good find! As follows: Cotisse also provides connections between Tana, Tamatave, Morondava and Fianarantsoa.

Serves Antsirabe, Fianarantsoa, Ambositra, Ranohira, Tuléar, Fort-Dauphin, Morondava, Mananjary and Manakara. Towards the south: Antsirabe (3 h of travel, 20,000 Ar) Ambositra (5 h, 30,000 Ar), Fianarantsoa (9 h, 45,000 Ar), Ambalavao (at least 10 h, 50,000 Ar), Ihosy (12 h, 50,000 Ar), Ranohira (14 h, 70,000 Ar) and Tuléar (18 h, 55,000 Ar). To the west: Morondava (12 h, 55 000 Ar). To Fort-Dauphin: at least 3 days of travel, count 140 000 Ar.

Gare de l'Est serves several towns: Moramanga (10,000 Ar), Brickeville (30,000 Ar), Vatomandry (25,000 Ar), Mahanoro (36,000 Ar) and Marozevo (10,000 Ar). For Andasibe, get off at Moramanga to take a second taxi-brousse; add 5,000 Ar for this second trip. The taxi-brousse leaves at 4 a.m., then runs every hour until 6-6.30 p.m... in theory. As always in Madagascar, you'll need to have plenty of time on your hands for such a trip, as the unexpected can happen all the time.

This is the comfort version (and the most timely) of the taxi-brousse: the company Cotisse offers direct minibus trips from Antananarivo to Tamatave in "economy" (19 seats), "premium" (16 seats) or "VIP" (9 seats + air-conditioning, electrical outlets and breakfast). All are equipped with wifi and screens showing movies, a must for the price. Here, the number of passengers is strictly respected, departures are punctual and tickets can be purchased in advance. Many cities of the Big Island are served.

For Antananarivo, count 13 hours of road. Bush cabs leave at 7 am and 6:30 pm. Count 35 000 Ar approximately.

For Manakara, count 13 000 Ar; for Mananjary, count 13 000 Ar. Departures all day long as soon as a taxi-brousse is full.

For Ambalavao, departures three times a day for 2 500 Ar.

For Tulear, in the morning at 7:30 and 8:00 am and in the evening at 5:30 pm, for 27 000 Ar.

Comfort option: Cotisse minibuses offer 3 daily departures from Tana to Fianarantsoa for 25 000 Ar in complete safety. We recommend it!

The North and East station serves the North (via the RN 4) and East (via the RN 2) regions, and more precisely Diego, Majunga, Tamatave, Foulpointe or Ambanja (pier for Nosy Be at Ankify). To Diego, count from 120 to 190 000 Ar for a trip of about 30 hours. Towards Majunga, from 105 to 150 000 Ar for a 12 hours drive. To Tamatave, several times a day. Count more or less 8 hours of travel. By minibus, count 30 000 Ar. By bus ("Boeing"), count 35 000 Ar. These travel times are estimated.

From Antananarivo, Morondava can be reached by taxi-brousse; allow around 12h and 55,000 Ar to cover 700 km.

From/to Tuléar, you can reach Morondava in the dry season (between June and November). Taxi-brousse services are regular (about every three days in the dry season), 35h!

Cotisse: 16-seater minibus (Mercedes Sprinter 2 or 3) with unlimited wifi. Punctuality, safety and professionalism for this private company, which provides daily connections between Tana and Tamatave, Mahajanga, Morondave, Fianarantsoa and Diego Suarez. A reliable company.

The! station! It joins towns and villages not accessible by conventional car (the programme, donc tracks). Serve Ambatondrazaka, Andilamena or Tanambe.

16-seat minibus (Mercedes Sprinter 2 or 3) with unlimited wifi. Punctuality, safety and professionalism for this private company that provides daily connections between Tana and Tamatave, Mahajanga, Morondave, Fianarantsoa, Diego Suarez.