Car hire and driving in Addis Ababa
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In Ethiopia traffic drives on the right. Picking up at ADD means 8 km (5 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648865 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648866 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648868.
Drives from Addis Ababa
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Addis Ababa to Bishoftu | Ethiopia | 40 km (25 mi) | about 36 min |
| Addis Ababa to Nazrēt | Ethiopia | 78 km (48 mi) | about 1 h 11 min |
| Addis Ababa to Debre Birhan | Ethiopia | 113 km (70 mi) | about 1 h 43 min |
| Addis Ababa to Āsela | Ethiopia | 127 km (79 mi) | about 1 h 56 min |
| Addis Ababa to Debre Mark’os | Ethiopia | 185 km (115 mi) | about 2 h 49 min |
| Addis Ababa to Hosa’ina | Ethiopia | 191 km (119 mi) | about 2 h 55 min |
| Addis Ababa to Shashamane | Ethiopia | 204 km (126 mi) | about 3 h 6 min |
| Addis Ababa to Awasa | Ethiopia | 220 km (137 mi) | about 3 h 22 min |
| Addis Ababa to Nek’emtē | Ethiopia | 241 km (150 mi) | about 3 h 41 min |
| Addis Ababa to Kombolcha | Ethiopia | 253 km (157 mi) | about 3 h 52 min |
| Addis Ababa to Dessie | Ethiopia | 254 km (158 mi) | about 3 h 52 min |
| Addis Ababa to Jimma | Ethiopia | 259 km (161 mi) | about 3 h 57 min |
| Addis Ababa to Jijiga | Ethiopia | 446 km (277 mi) | about 6 h 48 min |
| Addis Ababa to Gonder | Ethiopia | 421 km (262 mi) | about 6 h 26 min |
| Addis Ababa to Mek'ele | Ethiopia | 504 km (313 mi) | about 7 h 41 min |
| Addis Ababa to Warder | Ethiopia | 761 km (473 mi) | about 11 h 36 min |
| Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar | Ethiopia | 322 km (200 mi) | about 4 h 54 min |
| Addis Ababa to Dire Dawa | Ethiopia | 348 km (216 mi) | about 5 h 18 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Addis Ababa?
The right, as everywhere in Ethiopia.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.