Search Flights from Addis Ababa to Abidjan

The airport, which is approximately 6 kilometers of the city center, is located on Bole Road. In the city where public transportation is not very developed, you can use minibuses to reach the airport. Taxi is another transportation alternative that is frequently preferred by visitors. In addition to these, you can get to the airport from the city center by renting a car or by benefitting from the airport shuttle service in case your hotel offers this service.

Minibus

You can reach the airport by getting on a minibus from the minibus stops located in the city center. Minibuses generally carry passengers to the airport from 5:30 am to 09:00 pm. Although it is relatively cheaper compared to taxi, you should remember that drivers may demand higher amounts from tourists. The fare is about 5 Birr. They may also charge extra amount for each baggage.

Hotel Shuttle

Hotel shuttle service is the most comfortable alternative for your travel to the airport. In Addis Ababa city center, there are both small hotels and accommodation centers of chain hotels such as Hilton, Radisson and Sheraton. Some of these hotels offer airport shuttle service. If your hotel offers this service and you want to benefit from this service for your travel to the airport, you should definitely make a reservation in advance.

Taxi

There are two types of taxis that you can get on to reach the airport. Mercedes taxis of the National Tour Operator (NTO) operate under a company and offer service with more comfortable vehicles. With their predetermined tariffs, they create a more reliable image in terms of the fares. You can ask your hotel to call a NTO taxi for you.

There is no taximeter in the taxis operating in Addis Ababa, so it is advised to agree on the fare before getting on. These yellow taxis are approximately 10 times more expensive than blue-white taxis. You can also reach the airport in a short time with a blue-white taxi which you can find in the city center or waiting in front of hotels. The average fare is between 80 and 100 Birr. The owners of these taxis aren’t companies but individuals. Since there is also no taximeter in blue-white taxis and fares are not standardized by a company, they are more flexible in terms of fares and you should definitely bargain.

Car Rental

You can rent a car from one of the car rental companies that you can find in the city center or from the offices of tour operators. You can also get help from your hotel about renting a car.

Since some roads in Addis Ababa have no name, there isn’t sufficient number of traffic signs throughout the city and there is no traffic light on many roundabouts, traffic flow isn’t in order. For this reason, renting a car during your visit may not be a good option. If you want to rent a car only for travelling to the airport from the city center, you should prefer a company which has an office at the airport.

In order to get to the airport with the car you have rented, connect to Bole Road in the city center, drive southeastward and follow the airport signs.

Airport Information

There are 2 terminals at the airport. Terminal 1, which offers service for domestic flights, is located in the old building. Terminal 2 offers service for international passenger transportation in the new building.

At Bole International Airport, there are many restaurants and cafes in addition to stores and a duty-free shop where you can do some shopping before your flight.

At the airport, there is also a lounge for passengers looking for a comfortable environment and a much larger lounge is now being constructed. Although there is no left luggage service at the airport, you can find other standard airport services such as pharmacy, currency exchange office and ATM.

Abidjan is the commercial and administrative center of the Ivory Coast, which is located in the western part of the Africa Continent. The Abidjan city, which is close to the Atlantic Ocean, is also the most important port city of the country. Abidjan is described as “the Paris of the West Africa”. The majority of the locals speak French. The currency of the country is the West African Franc.

If you want to visit Abidjan, you will have to get a visa. Diplomatic, service or special (green) passport holders are exempt from visa on their touristic journeys that do not exceed 90 days. However, the ordinary passport holders are asked to get visa. There are many military control points in Abidjan city; at these control points, you might be asked to show your passport from time to time. For this reason, you are recommended to keep your passport or its color photocopy with you in any case.

Abidjan is connected to the neighboring countries by land routes and railroads, but it also provides transportation to more than 30 African and European cities by air. Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport is located 16 kilometers southeast of Abidjan city. Turkish Airlines (THY), Air Algérie, Air Burkia, Air Cote d’Ivoire, AIR France, Asky Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Camair-Co, CEIBA Intercontinental, Corsair, Egyptair, Emirates Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, Middle East Airlines – Air Lebanon, Royal Air Maroc, Senegal Airlines, South African Airways and Tunisair arrange flights to Abidjan Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport.

Turkish Airlines flies to Abidjan from Istanbul. With the reciprocal flights arranged four days a week, you can reach Abidjan after a 7-hour and 21-minute flight. Abidjan’s local time is 3 hours behind Turkey.

You can reach the city center from Abidjan Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport by bus, taxi or rental car. The buses operated by SOTRA run between the city center and the airport and they take airport passengers to Abidjan city center. If you don’t want to go on your journey by public transportation, you can take a taxi to reach the city center. You can also rent a car you prefer from the car rental offices as long as you want if you want your car to be ready for the city use.

Bus

The bus number 6 operated by SOTRA picks up the airport passengers from Abidjan Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport and takes them to Abidjan city center. The bus ride, which costs about 220 West African Francs, takes 25-30 minutes.

Taxi

One of the vehicles the airport passengers can prefer in order to reach the city center after landing is the orange taxi. You should be willing to pay 1600 West African Francs for the taxi ride to reach the city center in about half an hour.

Rent a car

There are many car rental companies outside the terminal building of Abidjan Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport. The visitors who want to easily travel within Abidjan can rent a car from this point.

Motorcycle

In Abidjan, the locals usually travel with motorcycles and mopeds. You can complete your journey by bargaining with a motorcycle user and ask him/her to take you to the city center.

Metro

It will soon be possible to reach the city from the airport by metro in Abidjan which has been a developing city. The metro construction has been started in 2015 and under development since then. The metro is scheduled to start serving its passengers in 2020.