Means of transport Addis Ababa

The airport is 20 minutes from the city center (if traffic is good) and 5 minutes from the Bole area. Terminal 2 handles the majority of international flights, while Terminal 1 (a 5-minute walk away) handles domestic flights. E-visa is compulsory and pre-approved on arrival, so formalities are swift. The major hotels have their own transfer service, free of charge in Bole (remember this when booking). A cash dispenser (birr) is available at the airport.

Adika is a major cab company. Reservations can be made by phone or app, directly on your smartphone. Ride is another popular smartphone app for booking Uber-style cabs (with tracking of driver, car and estimated fare). You'll need to buy a local SIM card to use these location-based applications. Be aware that traffic jams are heavy in the center of Addis, and you'll need to allow for long journey times.

Direct flights to Addis Ababa from Paris. Foreign tourists with an international Ethiopian Airlines flight benefit from the resident fare for domestic flights, which is a really good deal. The airline serves twenty local destinations, including Lalibela, Gondar, Bahar Dar, Dire Dawa, Arba Minch and Djinka, to name but a few of the most popular. There are several Ethiopan Airlines offices in town: at the bottom of Churchill Road, on De Gaulle Square in Piazza, at the Hilton Hotel and at the Radisson Blu. Book in advance during the holiday season.

The 728 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway line takes 12.5 hours to cover its route. It departs from Lebu, 12 km southwest of the capital, and opened to passengers in January 2018. You buy your ticket for red benches or blue berths in two comfort categories (4 or 6 people per compartment). Dining car. Stops currently available at four stations: Adama Debre Zeit, Awash Saba and Dire Dawa towards the east of the country, before Ali Sabieh and Djibouti stations on the other side of the border.

The streetcar network inaugurated in 2015 has two lines: No. 1 east-west from Tor Hailoch to Ayat and No. 2 north-south from Menelik II Square to Kaliti (via Merkato, Lideta and Meskel Square). In theory, the route is convenient if you want to get to the center without taking a cab. In practice, the line is ultra-busy, with almost 120,000 passengers a day for a capacity of 60,000. If you want to give it a try, just avoid rush hour and watch your pockets!

Ethio Bus is the most recommended company for touring the country in luxury buses. We appreciate the comfort and safety of the vehicles. It has three branches in town. From Addis Ababa, remember that everything is a long way by road. Gondar, Bahar Dar, Dessie (but not Lalibela, you'll have to take a local bus to Dessie) and even further afield, Mekele, can be reached in ten to twelve hours. To the south, Ethio Bus serves Hawassa and Arba Minch, both tourist stops, and to the east Dire Dawa, not far from beautiful Harar. For Jinka, the easiest way is by plane.