Eritrea - Transport - Car rental

Intercity buses are reasonably comfortable and certainly affordable. Harat Transport Company provides modern, efficient and fast expanding public transport services throughout Eritrea. Private buses of all ages , sizes and origin provide complementary transport services for an extra fare. But there is no set timetable. You pay for your ticket and just wait until all seats are occupied, and the bus will depart. For some of the long distance buses advance reservations are recommended.

Eritrea has two major ports on the Red Sea, Massawa and Assab. A car/passenger ferry floats once a week between Massawa and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

You can hire a boat in Massawa for a trip to the islands or for diving in the Red Sea. However, you need permission to visit the islands by the Eritrean Shipping Lines representative in Massawa. If you are on an organized tour through an official tour operator, the permits should be arranged for you.

Eritrea has a good network of roads. Asphalt all-weather roads connect the capital city Asmara with one of the principal Eritrean ports, Massawa, and several other provincial towns. In addition, there are hundreds of kilometers of all-weather dirt roads linking other villages of Eritrea. Over long distances in Eritrea, cars can be twice as quick as buses.

Africa Rent Car and Fontana Rent A Car have the largest fleet of cars available for hire starting with $60 per day for a saloon car (only adequate for traveling from Asmara to the coast, to Keren or to the south) up to $200 for a Land Cruiser. Driving is on the right-hand side of the road and a valid international driving license is required. In some areas driving at night is prohibited. Fuel is easily obtainable everywhere.

Africa Rent Car	Nakfa p/day	Free kms	Rate for extra kms
1 Toyota Land Cruiser 4WD 2000-2009 diesel	3,200	100 km	4
2 Pick up 4WD 2003-2009 diesel	2,900	100 km	4
3 Toyota Corolla 2008-2009 gasoline	1,500	50 km	4
4 Toyota Corolla 2004-2007 gasoline	1,300	50 km	4
5 Toyota Corolla 1998-2003 gasoline	1,100	50 km	4
6 Toyota Corolla 1987-1997 gasoline	900	50 km	4


Zighe and her brother Sammy - Africa Car Rental Africa Rent Car Tel +2911 121755, 202597 (office) Tel +2911 161825 (residential) Fax +2911 202597 Mobile (07) 138483 or 113417	All prices include insurance and maintenance services. All 4WD vehicles come with driver (included in price). We provide drivers for other cars at clients request for 300 Nakfa per day/driver. For trips to Southern Red Sea, additional 1000 Nakfa for 4WD vehicles will be charged. The hirer shall refill the tank to correspond the initial page of fuel indicator reading (or fuel will be charged). All small and sedan cars are operated on asphalt rads only 10% sales tax will be added to the final invoice. All cars have passed annual road safety test, given a certificate and a new plate by Road Transport Authorities.
P.O. Box 6660 - Asmara Eritrea 176 Nora Street 29 - Asmara (Near the Red Sea Trade Building) E-mail: afrecar@yahoo.com	All prices quoted in May 2016 when 1 US$ = 15 Nakfa Prices and exchange rates may be subject to change


Fontana Car Rental	Nakfa p/day	Free kms	Rate for extra kms
1 Toyota Land Cruiser 2007	2,800	100 km	4 Nakfa
2 Toyota Hilux Pick up double cab 2010	2,500	100 km	4 Nakfa
3 Toyota Hilux Pick up double cab 2004	2,500	100 km	4 Nakfa
4 Toyota Corolla 2011	1,300	50 km	3 Nakfa
5 Toyota Corolla and Honda 2007	1,100	50 km	3 Nakfa
6 Nissan 2005	900	50 km	3 Nakfa
7 Toyota Corolla 1997	800	50 km	3 Nakfa


	Toyota Land Cruisers are always rented with our driver and driver fee is included. If the Toyota Land Cruisers are needed for the Southern Red Sea Trip, 1000 Nakfa per day is added. If the Toyota Corolla / Corona and Honda / Nissan are ordered with driver, 250 Nakfa per day is added. PIckup or drop off airport: 1,000 NFA Diesel: we deliver with a full tank, and when you return it, you will pay to refuel it to full. Petrol: we deliver with a full tank, and when you return it, you will return it with a full tank. 10% service tax is not included in the prices listed. Fontana Rent A Car Tel +2911 120052 Fax +2911 127905 66 Ras Beyene Beraki Street, Asmara P.O. Box 6050 - Asmara Eritrea e-mail: fontana@gemel.com.er
Entrance of Fontana Rent A Car - Asmara Eritrea	All prices quoted in February 2017 when 1 US$ = 15 Nakfa Prices and exchange rates may be subject to change

		Total fuel station and motel Asmara Eritrea. Diesel 20 Nakfa and petrol 30 Nakfa per liter.
All prices quoted in February 2017 when 1 US$ = 15 Nakfa Prices and exchange rates may be subject to change

Although the bicycle is popular in Eritrea it is not usual to rent them to tourists. The main streets in the center of Asmara are closed for bicycles. Entering them is prohibited and trespassers may be fined. The bicycle will be confiscated. These rules date from the time when the Eritrean resistance harassed Ethiopian targets and collaborators using their bicycles. The Ethiopian authorities then banned these bicycles from the center of Asmara. The rules survived more then ten years of liberation.

If you decide to rent a bike, be prepared to pay the equivalent of two dollar per day (long term rent) or three dollars for one day. Test the bike before renting it. Brakes are important if you are planning the bike in mountainous areas!

The Italians also built a cable-car line. This was the longest cableway in the world and was used to transport supplies direct from the port in Massawa to Asmara city center (75km). It had 1,620 trolleys, each 100m apart and able to carry 300kg and moved at 9km per hour. It could carry 720 ton of goods per day. It did take passengers as well. It suffered extensive damage during World War II and was looted of materials by the British 'caretaker' administration of 1941-52, which sold the metal as scrap to Sudan and Pakistan.

Horse-drawn gharis and camels are also plentiful although they tend to be used functionally rather than as transport for tourists.

There is a rapidly expanding number of places offering Internet access in Asmara, Keren and Massawa. the charge is 20 Nakfa per hour (October 2014). Connections are slow. TSE Cyber Cafe (Telecomunications Office) and TFanus Enterprises offer the best internet connections in Asmara.