Transportation in Ethiopia

Ethiopia's transport backbone is the long-distance bus network, cheap, ubiquitous, and the only way most Ethiopians move between regions. Blue-and-white minivans called "blue donkeys" fill the gaps inside cities, darting along fixed routes for a fraction of a taxi fare but requiring you to read the Amharic placard in the windshield. For comfort you can hire a private car with driver; it's a splurge but often the only practical choice for national parks or multi-stop itineraries where buses don't run daily. First-timers should download the locally popular ride-hailing apps (Ride and Feres are the two that work in Addis) before landing. They spare you the haggle and display the route in English. Never accept an unmarked "airport taxi" inside the terminal, head to the official rank outside arrivals, confirm the metered option, and keep small notes handy since drivers rarely have change. If you're staying central, the light-rail line that skirts the airport fence is the cheapest exit. But it stops running around dusk. Miss it and the ride-hail apps become your fallback.