Antsirabe is best accessed from Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. You can take either a bus or a taxi brousse from here to get to Antsirabe. There is a train between Antananarivo and Antsirabe, but the route may not be operational now. Do check on it.
Mountain biking is a great way to explore Antsirabe! Not only is it cheap but also a great way to reduce your carbon footprint!
Want to know the best way to get to, from and around Antsirabe, simply check out our Antsirabe Transportation Guide below. It's full of useful tips and hints to help your easily get around the region. Take a look at our Antsirabe tours and Antsirabe Destination Guide for some great activities and suggestions to help you get the most out of your holiday in Antsirabe. Our Madagascar Tranportation Guide will tell you all you need to know about Madagascar travel.
Antsirabe Transportation Guide
Getting to Antsirabe
By Air
The airport closest to Antsirabe is the Ivato Airport which is located at Antananarivo. Both domestic and international flights operate from here.
Air Madagascar is the national airline of the island of Madagascar. It operates flights between Antananarivo and Singapore, France, Munich and Rome, Johannesburg (South Africa) and Nairobi (Kenya). Milan is linked to Ile Sainte Marie and Nosy Be.
Corsair and Air France also operate direct flights between France and Madagascar.
Air Austral, in collaboration with Air Mauritius and Air France, is the regional airline of Madagascar. It links the Comoros and Madagascar with the other islands in the Indian Ocean. Flights from the Comoros, Mauritius and Reunion use the airports at Mahajanga and Toamasina as well.
Air Madagascar flights are more or less regular and on schedule. Occasional disruptions go with the territory but they do not set you back very much!
For transport from the airport to the city (or from the city to the airport), we recommend Green Path Transfers, who offer eco-friendly airport transfers in hundreds of destinations around the world.
Visit our partner Air Valid for Airline Reviews and Information about Madagascar.
Flights to Madagascar
By Ship
Travelling to Antsirabe by sea is exciting if you like to rough it out. There are no regular passenger services and you may have to travel by cargo ship or as a crew member on a yacht. So armed with sea sickness tablets to tackle a turbulent sea, stamina to hold out under diverse eating and sleeping conditions, and plenty of time, you can set sail to Madagascar!
Look out for cargo ships travelling from Tanzania (Zanzibar) and Kenya (Mombasa) to the Comoros or Madagascar. Alternately, hop on to a yacht coming in from Mauritius, Reunion, and South Africa. There are also yachts from France heading towards Mayotte or Nosy Be.
By taxi-brousse
Antsirabe can be accessed by taxi-brousse or bush taxis, which run from three major stations in Antsirabe.
The station at the northern end plies taxi to Antananarivo and other towns in the northern region. This journey takes about four hours and costs around AR7000.
The taxi station in the south operates routes towards Ambositra, Fianarantsoa, Miandrivazo and Morondava.
The travel time and fares are as follows:
- Ambositra: 2 hours at AR 5000
- Fianarantsoa: 5 hours at AR 10000
- Miandrivazo: 5 hours at AR 10000
- Morondava: 15 hours at AR 15000
The taxi station at the western end of Antsirabe services the nearby villages.
Getting around Antsirabe
Antsirabe is small and easily explored on foot. Or you can take a bus. If you would rather travel in comfort, then hire a taxi or a car that can take you both around town and to the neighbouring areas.
By pousse-pousse
Pousse-pousse is the Malagasy adaptation of the Asian rickshaw. It resembles a huge pram, is vividly painted and carries anything from the local belles who lounge in it like royalty, to freight of all kinds, including freshly slaughtered cattle!
You can find a pousse-pousse anywhere in the city. Pousse-pousse drivers are most well informed and resourceful. Most of them take their vehicles on hire and need to make a stipulated number of sorties a day to cover this rental cost. They therefore entice tourists with information and well-planned schedules about the various places to see. When this fails, they hoot, hiss, whistle and heckle the tourist with shouts of pousse! pousse!
Normally pousse-pousse rides cost around AR 4000 per head. But when it rains, you pay double this fare for a plastic sheet that covers the hood of the rickshaw.
By Bicycle
You can even use a mountain bike to get around Antsirabe. Sometimes, the bicycle is even quicker than the taxi-brousse, though the terrain may be rough, rocky, muddy or sandy!
Make sure that you use only a mountain bike in Antsirabe. You can hire one in Ile Sainte Marie, Ambodifotatra, Antsirabe, Toamasina and Toliara. Bikes can be used within the town but not for longer trips. You could of course travel from one town to another by taxi-brousse or train and carry the bicycle with you. Also remember to carry spare parts and tubes. You may get them in bigger towns but you cannot bank on this.
By Air
Air Madagascar, the national airline, has an extensive domestic network and links all major towns of the island. There has been a quantum leap in the fares in the recent past but even so 'Air Mad' is relatively cheap. It is a very comfortable way to cover sizeable distances and avoid arduous road travel.
Flights do get delayed, cancelled or rescheduled if the weather is stormy or the number of passengers is low (especially in the off season period) and the destination is remote, but by and large, Air Madagascar is adequate.
By bus of taxi-brousse
Major cities in Madagascar like Toamasina and Antananarivo are serviced by an efficient and economical bus network which generally uses the same stations as the taxi-brousses. Madabus runs inter-city coaches which are comfortable and cost less than flights and hired cabs.
However, taxi-brousses still remain the chief mode of public transport in Antsirabe.
By Car
You can drive yourself around the island. Just remember that you need an International Driving Permit and you must wear a seat belt while driving!
