Transport Info (from
UNDP)
Cargo ships call at the port of Assab, now in Eritre,
on the Red Sea coast, as well as at Djibouti. The bulk
of ocean freight for the interior of the country is
shipped via Assab which is linked to Addis Ababa by an
all-weather road of 861 km. The capacity of the
Djibouti-Addis Ababa railway is limited and erratic,
but road transportation from Djibouti is improving.
unreSome cargo for the north enters via Massawa, also
in Eritrea.
Road crossings to Kenya at Moyale 752 km south of
Addis Ababa, to Djibouti through Sardo southwest of
Assab, to Somalia and to the Sudan are not much used
by private travelers at present.
"Entry visas" are required for all nationalities
except for citizens of Ethiopia and Kenya; they should
be obtained, before departure, from Ethiopia's
diplomatic representations abroad. Exceptionally, if
there is no Ethiopian representation in the traveler's
country of origin or departure, a visa may be issued
on arrival at Addis Ababa to travelers on business for
the United Nations (except to nationals of Somalia and
South Africa); at least ten working days advance
notice must be given to the office in Addis Ababa of
the organization concerned so that arrangements can be
made, otherwise the travelers may be denied entry.
Those arriving on assignment should take particular
care to obtain "Entry Visas", as otherwise
entitlements such as identity cards, bank accounts,
customs clearance of personal effects may be delayed.
Extended delays can occur in converting any other kind
of visa (such as "Business", "Tourist" or "Visitor")
into "Entry Visa". Without this conversion
entitlements cannot be processed.
Entry visas for Ethiopia are valid for 30 days. UN
personnel coming to take up long term assignments in
Ethiopia should apply, as soon as possible after
arrival, for an exit/re-entry visa that entitles them
to remain in the country -and to go abroad and return
- for a period of six months. Newcomers should bring
at least 12 passport-size photographs of each adult
family member to be used for various settling-in
formalities (ID cards, driver's licenses, etc.).
Travel in the Country
EAL operates scheduled flights to some 30 domestic
airports in various parts of the country. There is a
jet service to Dire Dawa, as well as to Asmara in
Eritrea; smaller aircraft serve the lesser
destinations. EAL has a good record of punctuality on
its international routes, but its domestic air
services can vary, particularly during the rainy
season, when smaller airfields may be closed by bad
weather.
The schedule of the Ethio-Djibouti railway provides
for cargo and passenger service three times a week on
the 778 km long route from Addis Ababa to Djibouti,
via Nazareth, Awash and Dire Dawa, which takes, in
theory, 40-42 hours. However, the service is
unreliable and often interrupted by maintenance and
other problems.
The estimated 63,000 commercial vehicles in
Ethiopia operate on a network of about 17,000 km
all-weather roads and about 35,000 km dry-weather
roads. About one-quarter of the all-weather roads is
paved, but the condition has deteriorated due to lack
of maintenance in recent years. Four-wheel drive
vehicles are preferable for travel to most project
sites beyond the proximity of Addis Ababa and one or
two towns nearby; minor roads can be quite
challenging, particularly in the rainy season.
Pedestrians and animal-drawn vehicles make caution
necessary, particularly when approaching villages. An
extensive country bus system exists, but schedules are
irregular, and vehicles are old and very crowded.
