Eritrea Driving Advice and Car Hire Info
Driving In Eritrea
Check your Government’s travel advice page before driving abroad in Eritrea. There are usually travel advisories in place covering all the country’s land borders. Since 2006, all foreign nationals must obtain a travel permit from the Government of Eritrea for all travel outside Asmara and Zoba Maeke province. The Department of Protocol of Eritrea, in Asmara, processes applications for travel permits which are likely to take several days to be granted. You’ll need an International Driving permit to rent a car. Paved roads connect the major cities of Asmara, Massawa, Mendefera, Dekemhare, Barentou and Keren, but roads to small villages are unpaved and are generally in poor condition. Even some main roads in Asmara are in bad condition with numerous pot holes. Minor roads will deteriorate quickly after bad weather. Road signs and safety guard rails are often non‑existent. There are risks involved in driving, owing to the presence of animals, and numerous pedestrians and cyclists on the road and you should avoid driving at night when these hazards will be harder to spot. Road rules are generally ignored and speed limits not enforced. One of the highlights of driving in Eritrea is the 113km road between the port town of Massawa and Asmara which winds through spectacular mountain and desert scenery and takes several hours of negotiating hair pin bends as demonstrated by the photos above.
Although I try and keep the information in the site updated as much as possible, in a rapidly moving world, situations can change daily. Therefore please use the site as an approximate guide, and in conjunction with other resources in order to form your view on driving conditions, roads, safety etc.
Eritrea Car Rental
Eritrea is one of the rare countries where none of the big multinationals operate. It appears on car broker sites but don’t waste your time – there are never any rental options available. These are some local possibilities, though none seem to have websites –
Fontana Rent A Car
Tel +2911 120052
Africa Rent Car
Tel +2911 121755, 202597 (office)
We currently have no local car rental partners in Eritrea. If you are a local car rental company who would like to feature on DriverAbroad.com please check details on our Partnering page or contact us on ADriverAbroad@Outlook.com.
