Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Getting around Addis Ababa

How to travel around Addis Ababa — 5 options, what they cost, and which booking apps fix the fare before you go.

Last updated 2026-08-11

1. Ride and Feres

The local hailing apps, and the straightforward way to avoid negotiating every fare.

2. Light rail

Two lines across the city, cheap and crowded, the first metro system in sub-Saharan Africa.

Cost: ETB 2–10

3. Blue and white minibuses

Shared taxis calling their destination out of the window, the backbone of city transport.

4. Bole airport transfer

The airport sits inside the city, so transfers are short but arrivals-hall pressure is high.

Watch outUnofficial drivers quoting in dollars at several times the local fare.

5. Intercity coaches

Selam and Sky Bus run the long routes to Bahir Dar, Gondar and Lalibela, booked ahead.

Booking apps in Ethiopia

Agreeing the fare in an app before you travel removes the argument at the end of the journey, which is where most transport scams happen. Links go to each app's official page — lookalike apps are themselves a scam.

Ride

The established Ethiopian ride-hailing service.

Coverage: Addis Ababa.
Why it helps: Fare is agreed in the app before the trip, and the route is recorded — which removes the refused meter, the tampered meter and the fixed 'foreigner price' in one move.

Feres

Local competitor, widely used in the capital.

Coverage: Addis Ababa.
Why it helps: Fare is agreed in the app before the trip, and the route is recorded — which removes the refused meter, the tampered meter and the fixed 'foreigner price' in one move.