Transportation from Addis Ababa Airport to Addis Ababa City Center
There are many vehicles available to reach the city from Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, and Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, which is the country's largest and most developed airport. First of all, the airport, which has two different terminals for domestic and international flights, has a free shuttle service between these two terminals.
Since vehicles have been forbidden to enter the terminal for a long time, the only vehicle you can take right in front of the terminal is the official airport taxis. Taxis run 24 hours a day. Two types of taxis are waiting for you here, one is blue-white private taxis, and the other is yellow taxis affiliated with NTO (National Tour Operation and Travel Agency).
Both companies are licensed by the state and considered reliable. Since the distance between them is only 6 km, these taxis that take you to the city center quickly are waiting at the stops just outside the Arrivals Floor.
There are no taximeters in taxis, while the yellow taxis connected to NTO have a fixed price for certain points in the city, in blue-white private taxis, you may have to pay ten times the price of yellow taxis, especially if you do not negotiate ahead of time, as you are at the mercy of the driver.
If you say you want to use the minibuses, which is a more economical way, you need to walk to the stops opposite the airport. The journey takes 10-15 minutes depending on your destination and the ticket price is paid in cash to the bus driver.
Another way to transfer is to use Bajajs, a type of tricycle very similar to Thai Tuk-tuks. For this, you have to leave the airport and take the main road. These vehicles, which can easily fit two passengers and their suitcases, will take you to the city center after a not so safe journey. It is recommended that you agree the cost of the trip before boarding.
Of course, the fastest and surest solution to reach Addis Ababa city center is to book a private airport transfer prior to your arrival. For this, you can use sites such as GetYourGuide and Viator with peace of mind.