Popular Airport | Francisco Bangoy Intl. Airport |
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Popular Airlines | |
Approximate Flight Duration | 11 hour 10 min |
Approximate Travel Distance | 8931 Km |
The airport, which is approximately 6 kilometers of the city center, is located on Bole Road. In the city where public transportation is not very developed, you can use minibuses to reach the airport. Taxi is another transportation alternative that is frequently preferred by visitors. In addition to these, you can get to the airport from the city center by renting a car or by benefitting from the airport shuttle service in case your hotel offers this service.
You can reach the airport by getting on a minibus from the minibus stops located in the city center. Minibuses generally carry passengers to the airport from 5:30 am to 09:00 pm. Although it is relatively cheaper compared to taxi, you should remember that drivers may demand higher amounts from tourists. The fare is about 5 Birr. They may also charge extra amount for each baggage.
Hotel shuttle service is the most comfortable alternative for your travel to the airport. In Addis Ababa city center, there are both small hotels and accommodation centers of chain hotels such as Hilton, Radisson and Sheraton. Some of these hotels offer airport shuttle service. If your hotel offers this service and you want to benefit from this service for your travel to the airport, you should definitely make a reservation in advance.
There are two types of taxis that you can get on to reach the airport. Mercedes taxis of the National Tour Operator (NTO) operate under a company and offer service with more comfortable vehicles. With their predetermined tariffs, they create a more reliable image in terms of the fares. You can ask your hotel to call a NTO taxi for you.
There is no taximeter in the taxis operating in Addis Ababa, so it is advised to agree on the fare before getting on. These yellow taxis are approximately 10 times more expensive than blue-white taxis. You can also reach the airport in a short time with a blue-white taxi which you can find in the city center or waiting in front of hotels. The average fare is between 80 and 100 Birr. The owners of these taxis aren’t companies but individuals. Since there is also no taximeter in blue-white taxis and fares are not standardized by a company, they are more flexible in terms of fares and you should definitely bargain.
You can rent a car from one of the car rental companies that you can find in the city center or from the offices of tour operators. You can also get help from your hotel about renting a car.
Since some roads in Addis Ababa have no name, there isn’t sufficient number of traffic signs throughout the city and there is no traffic light on many roundabouts, traffic flow isn’t in order. For this reason, renting a car during your visit may not be a good option. If you want to rent a car only for travelling to the airport from the city center, you should prefer a company which has an office at the airport.
In order to get to the airport with the car you have rented, connect to Bole Road in the city center, drive southeastward and follow the airport signs.
There are 2 terminals at the airport. Terminal 1, which offers service for domestic flights, is located in the old building. Terminal 2 offers service for international passenger transportation in the new building.
At Bole International Airport, there are many restaurants and cafes in addition to stores and a duty-free shop where you can do some shopping before your flight.
At the airport, there is also a lounge for passengers looking for a comfortable environment and a much larger lounge is now being constructed. Although there is no left luggage service at the airport, you can find other standard airport services such as pharmacy, currency exchange office and ATM.
At Francisco Bangoy Airport, taxis are extensively used by the passengers to go to the city center. Those who want to use the public transportation vehicles can prefer the sympathetic Jeepney minibuses, which are specific to the city with stops outside the airport. Car rental companies at the airport, which are open for 24 hours, help those who would like to go to the city with a private car.
Picking up passengers from the airport all day and helping them arrive at the city center comfortably, taxis are driven by educated and honest drivers. The drivers are not open to bargaining on the fare tariff, but they answer your question honestly when you ask them how much you are going to pay on average for the city center.
You can go to the city center more economically with the Jeepneys, which emerged as a result of the transformation of the old jeeps and the minibuses into public transportation vehicles in Davao. However, you have to come to the main road, which is so close to the airport that you can reach there in 5 minutes by walking, in order to take the Jeepneys.
If you would like to rent a car, you can head for the offices of Avis or Europcar at the airport. You can rent a car of any brand and model you wish from the car rental companies for a certain while, where documentation procedures are significantly practical. You should be careful not to exceed the time limit of delivery when you are renting the car for a long time. You may have to pay an extra amount to the companies, which are sensitive in this matter.