Photo Credit: David Brossard

Zimbabwe Taxis and Car Rental

There are several metered taxi companies which can be contacted whenever transportation is needed for inner city travel including A1 Taxi Services (+263-4-700-148) and Rixi (+263-4-720-460), which operate in Harare, and Rubicon Taxis (+263-77-490-6123) in Bulawayo. Minibuses are nifty for regional travel and are quite cheap, but the journey can be stuffy as drivers tend to cram in as many people as possible before departure.

All major car rental companies, including Europcar, Hertz, Avis, and Budget, have a presence at international and regional airports. The roads between large cities like Harare, Bulawayo, Masvingo, and Mutare are in good condition, making renting a car a good option for overland travel. The availability of fuel, however, is often a problem, with frequent shortages countrywide. Most gas stations do not accept credit cards so be sure to carry enough cash to fill up the tank.

Zimbabwe Trains and Buses

The National Railways of Zimbabwe manages lines between the major destinations of Bulawayo, Victoria Falls, Labatse, Harare Chiredzi, Mutare, and Plumtree. Fares are very cheap, with fist class, second class, and economy class available. Most of the trains are sleepers which travel during the night-time and provide passengers with clean sheets, pillows and blankets. It must be noted that these are not luxury trains, however, as facilities are quite rudimentary. In some areas, passengers can expect monkeys to climb on the roof so train travel is an excellent way to see the real Zimbabwe countryside.

There are two main types of buses in the country, namely express and local. Express services are run according to a set timetable and tickets need to be purchased before departure. Local buses have no schedule and generally wait until they’re full to leave. These local buses can be found at markets and in the center of major towns.

Click here to learn about visas and vaccinations in Zimbabwe.