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Transport in Antananarivo
- From/to the Ivato International Airport
Most
people visiting
There
is a new shuttle service from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. connecting Ivato and
The
cheapest option to the city centre are the white minibuses (taxi-be).
They are
always pretty full but the transfer only costs around 400 Ar.
Chartered
taxis into the city should cost around 30,000 Ar; something
more if
your flight arrives at night (up to 40,000 Ar).
Buses
do run from near the airport into the city and at a fraction of the
cost of a
taxi, but they are crowded, slow and confusing to someone uninitiated
in the
ways of the Malagasy bus service.
Expect to be badgered by a large number of porters who offer to carry your bags. The official porters are easily identified by their uniform and are mostly honest. Be aware that if you have several bags then it is more than likely that several porters will attempt to carry one bag each. This means payment must be made to each porter individually.
- Around
Antananarivo
Although
a bit chaotic, there are four main bus stations (gares routieres) with
minibuses, cars and coaches galore. These are Eastern (in Ampasampito),
Northern (in Amodivona), Southern (in Lalana Pastora Rahajason) and
Western
(just 400m west of the southern taxi-brousse station) where a float of
taxi
brousses and crowded buses leave from all the directions of the
country. There
are many different companies, some of them not reliable. We recommend
Kofimanga
or Kofifi.
If
you are not staying at a very centrally located hotel, getting around
For moving around Tana it is possible to take a bus or minibus which
leave at
the Avenue de L´Independence. Buses and mini buses will be
fully packed, so
watch you pockets for thieves and avoid the rush times from 7 am to 9
am and 5
to 7 am.
An inexpensive way of getting around
Moving around with a taxi is generally an easy thing. Taxis are almost
everywhere and fares are cheap. Official and registered taxis must be
of beige
colour and have to bear this signal. If it's not beige, it is likely to
be a
clandestine taxi. Better skip it! Taxis do not have meters, so agree
price
before getting in. Fares range between 800 and 3,000 Ar depending where
you are
going and if your ride is downhill or uphill! Night fares are more
expensive.
Sedans are generally more expensive too.
If
you are an experienced driver and you fell courageous enough, you can
also rent
a car. The big international companies such as Hertz or Budget do
operate in
Other
local companies renting cars are:
Hantacar www.hantacar.com
Aventour
Madagascar
Don't
wait for pousse-pousse in Tana, as they only carry goods here.