There is no modern form of public transport serving the airport, so the only viable options are taxis or ride-sharing apps.

Have you had a different experience with taxi fares or public transport from the airport? Share your thoughts with us and travellers from around the world in the comments section below. Thank you!

The 10 best hotels in Addis Ababa

Taxi

There are two types of taxi in Addis Ababa.

Yellow taxis

Only the more modernyellowtaxis are authorised to travel from the airport to the city centre. Leave the arrivals hall and walk about 50 metres to the right to the dispatch booth.

There are no taximeters here, but the dispatcher will show you the fixed fares to major hotels and locations in Addis Ababa.

Fares to the city centre are around 400 etb and it is always a good idea to double-check the agreed price not only with the dispatcher but also with the taxi driver.

Payment is by cash only.

Blue and white taxis

The well-known blue-and-white taxis, which are mainly old Soviet-era Lada cars, are the most common form of transport around the city.

These taxis are not permitted to drive directly to the terminal to pick up passengers from the airport, but they can travel from the city centre to the outskirts of the airport grounds.

When travelling from the city centre, the fare is lower than that of yellow taxis and should not exceed 300 etb; however, as a tourist, you will often have to haggle for a very long time and quite hard.

The RIDE mobile app

Internationally recognised ride-sharing apps such as Bolt, Uber and Grab do not operate in Addis Ababa.

However, their local equivalent, the RIDE app, is available here. You can download it from the official App Store or Google Play.

You can see the fare in advance and there’s no need to haggle. What’s more, the fares are lower than those of yellow taxis and payment is by cash only, so you don’t need to enter your card details into the app.

The usual fare to the centre of Addis Ababa is around 300 etb.

However, to use the app, it’s virtually essential to have a SIM card with a local phone number, not just a data plan.

This is because RIDE drivers almost always call their passengers to find out exactly where they are, and if you don’t answer the phone, they’ll cancel the journey.

Public transport

There is no form of public transport serving the terminal or its immediate vicinity that would be even remotely usable for foreign visitors.

Car hire

There are no car hire companies based at Addis Ababa Airport, and in general it is quite difficult, if not impossible, for tourists to hire a car in Ethiopia.