Eritrea Taxis and Car Rental

Yellow taxis serve the main cities in Eritrea. In Asmara they run on fixed routes, plying the main streets for pickups. Rates are not expensive, but expect to share the ride with a couple of other passengers. There are also private cabs known as kuntrat that are easy to spot outside the airport, hotels and popular landmarks, such as the main cathedral in the downtown area. They will take you wherever you wish to go and fares are negotiable.

Renting a car is possible, but very expensive, as is gasoline. Hiring a single cab for the day that would drive you all over the city is just as overpriced, but can be a practical option for longer trips outside the city. If you want to save money, take the bus or hail a fixed route taxi instead. Rental cars are usually offered by tour companies as well as by local providers like Eritrean Tour Service (+291-1-124-999 or 129-239).

Eritrea Water Taxis

Assab and Massawa are the main port towns of Eritrea. While they are mainly used for shipping, they are also used by Muslim Pilgrims to travel from Eritrea to Saudi Arabia and back.

Eritrea Trains and Buses

The Vintage Tourist Line connects Asmara to Massawa city. Outside of this, there are no other rail lines in operation within or outside the country. Bus service is fairly reliable to get around and between towns. Asmara has fixed bus stops that are strategically located for easy access to major landmarks, though they can get very crowded during rush hour. City buses operate at 15 to 30 minute intervals, though they don’t really follow any published or fixed schedule and stop running pretty early in the evening. Several lines serve major destinations in the city including the airport, the zoo (Biet Ghiorghis), downtown, the market, and the surrounding villages.

Minibuses also run on the main streets of Asmara, and they work much like yellow taxis. Unlike regular buses, their stops are not marked, but they do run fixed routes. These minibuses will often use the main bus stops, but they can also drop you off elsewhere.