Whilst your car hire options in Madagascar are rather limited when compared to more developed countries there are a few large car hire companies with locations in Madagascar including Hertz, Avis, Sixt and Europcar. There are also a number of small tour operators that provide rental cars.

The two primary locations for car hire in Madagascar are Antananarivo Ivato Airport and Antananarivo downtown. Due to the Local Road Conditions you are often required to have a chauffeur as condition of the rental contract. This normally involves paying an additional fee of $25 or so per day.

Due to the size of the country and the poor road networks travelling between cities can take longer than you would think.

The table below shows the distances between Antananarivo and major cities and should prove to be useful if you are considering hiring a rental car to tour Madagascar tour Madagascar.

City	Distance form Antananarivo in Kilometres	Distance from Antananarivo in Miles
Ambanja	790	491
Ambositra	259	161
Antsirabe	170	106
Antsohihy	597	371
Diego Suarez	1,208	751
Farafangana	697	433
Fianarantsoa	410	255
Fort Dauphin	1,240	770
Majunga	570	355
Mananjary	553	344
Morondava	768	477
Tamatave	365	227
Tulear	950	590

Map of Madagascar

In Madagascar whilst one drives on the right side of the road you will find that most vehicles tend to stay in the middle of the road, moving to the side only when an oncoming vehicle is present. Major intersections and traffic circles may have police directing traffic.  You are required to stop if a policeman has his back to you at an intersection.

Malagese laws state seatbelt use is mandatory and prohibit cell/mobile phone use whilst driving, even when using a hands-free kit.  Whilst child safety seats and motorcycle helmets are not required by Malagese law due to the local road conditions it is strongly recommended that you take use them.

Driving in the capital Antananarivo can be challenging with a lack of road signs and streets that are congested not only with cars but with pedestrians, bicycles and carts. Accidents tend to involve pedestrians due to the lack of pavements on many streets.  Due to the lack of road signs even for cities it is advised that travellers obtain clear directions before starting out.

Road conditions in Madagascar vary greatly.  Outside of Antananarivo streetlights are rare, and you may find that other than the main roads to nearby cities the majority of roads are in such a state of disrepair that they are unusable. You will find that roads in Madagascar tend to be narrow and winding with many single lane bridges and sharp bends. Standard practice is to sound your horn when approaching a bend to warn oncoming traffic. In the wet season (December through to April), most secondary roads are waterlogged and impassable without four wheel drive vehicles. 

Malagasy regulations state that foreigners driving in Madagascar are required to carry an international driving licence.

Visitors to Madagascar should be aware of the recent political unrest and be particularly careful if visiting Antananarivo where much of the violence has been centred. See the links below for up to date travel advice and warnings.

Foreign & Commonwealth Office Travel Advice for Madagascar

US State Department Travel Information for Madagascar

Cheap Car Hire - Compare car hire prices

Rent a car in Israel - Enjoy the sites without complications using the best car rental agency in Israel online.