Popular Airport | Benin Airport |
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Popular Airlines | |
Approximate Flight Duration | 4 hour 30 min |
Approximate Travel Distance | 3660 Km |
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Traveling to the city center from Benin City Airport is very easy. You can reach the city center, which is located 6 kilometers away, without any difficulty in a very short time. Some of the vehicles that you can use during this travel in the city are taxis and private shuttles. The prices of the vehicles that carry their passengers quickly to the city center, which is not very far away, are generally considered cost-effective.
You can easily find the Benin City taxis, which you can easily realize with their red or yellow colors, after leaving the airport terminal. With Benin City's comfortable taxis, you can reach any part of the city in a short time and enjoy your travel without having any trouble. If you want to travel to a different region around the city or outside the city, you can first contact the taxi driver and learn how much you will pay on average to reach your destination by taxi. Once you arrive at your destination, simply say "stop" or "drop me here" in English to the driver. Night tariffs of the taxis in the city are not much different from the normal tariffs, but some roads can be quite dangerous at nights. For this reason, you should make sure that the taxi that you will get on is a licensed one or you can prefer one of the airport taxis.
For your transportation from the airport to the center of Benin City, you can also use one of the shuttles that are more affordable compared to the taxis. These shuttles carry passengers to certain points in the city center, and after reaching these points, you need to take a different bus or taxi from here. Although it is more economical to travel by shuttle, if you have heavy luggage that you need to carry to your hotel or accommodation center, it may be more appropriate to prefer one of the taxis. As an alternative, after reaching the center of the city by shuttle, you can take a taxi that you can easily find here and take the road to your destination. Shuttles usually carry their passengers for a fixed free. However, you can learn how much to pay before making your preference among the transportation alternatives.
If you are planning to stay in one of the big hotels in the city, you can contact your hotel, get information about shuttle service and travel to your hotel in Benin City by using a shuttle in a comfortable way. If your hotel provides this service for free, you can reach the center without paying any amount for a taxi or private shuttle. Hotel shuttles pick their passengers up from the terminal exit at the landing time of the planes and transport them to the facilities located in the center in a short time.
It cannot be said that Benin City offers many options to its visitors about car rental options. However, before coming to the city, you can search for the local rental companies that provide car rental service in Benin City and contact them to rent a car.