Road travel in Madagascar is an adventure in itself. Despite the communication difficulties imposed by the terrain, road transport is dense. The Malagasy people love to travel, and the sight of a bus station, no matter the locality, is proof of this. Real markets are set up there or stand side by side with small eateries: poultry, piles of potatoes, sacks of bananas, and so on.
Bush taxis are the most popular form of public transport. Driven by skilled drivers and mechanics, they criss-cross the country, except on hard-to-reach roads where you’ll need to transfer to another vehicle to continue your journey. Madagascar’s road network consists of national and regional roads as well as tracks, allowing you to travel from every major city. National roads, while often in good condition, can be subject to variable weather conditions, such as rain, which can make them muddy and difficult to cross. Regional roads and tracks, on the other hand, provide access to more remote areas and are sometimes less well maintained, requiring robust, adapted vehicles. The busiest roads are the RN1 (Antananarivo – Itasy – Tsiroanomandidy), the RN7 (Antananarivo – Antsirabe – Fianarantsoa – Tulear), and the RN4 (Antananarivo – Majunga). They are also the best maintained.
In the cities, transport is provided by buses, taxis, and rickshaws. Buses operate on a flat-rate basis; the price is the same regardless of the distance covered on the same route. Taxis also operate on a flat-rate basis, except in multi-storey cities such as Antananarivo and Fianarantsoa, where prices vary depending on whether the journey is limited to the lower town or continues to the upper town. With the exception of the central districts of Antananarivo and Fianarantsoa, rickshaws are also a very practical means of transport in the major cities, given the heavy traffic and differences in altitude. Fares are negotiable with the pullers and generally vary according to distance.
Car rental is not yet widely available here, as specialist agencies are only represented in towns with high tourist traffic. You’ll find agencies in towns like Nosy Be, Mahajunga, Antananarivo, and Tulear. In each major city, vehicles can also be rented from private individuals legally engaged in this activity or from taxi owners, with rates varying from city to city and from customer to customer. It should be noted that most rentals come with a chauffeur. However, for rentals without a driver, driving in Madagascar can be a challenge for those unaccustomed to navigating sometimes narrow and winding roads. Traffic rules are not always strictly enforced, and it’s common to encounter stray animals or traffic jams due to local markets.
In all cases, we recommend that you find out in advance about the existence or nature of the insurance policy for a leased vehicle.
