Kenya Transportation

How to Get There

International Flights
There are 3 international airports in Kenya, which are Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) in Nairobi, Moi International Airport (MBA) in Mombasa, and Eldoret International Airport (EDL) in Eldoret. The main ways to arrive and depart the airport is driving or taking the taxi.

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) is the biggest airport in Kenya. It’s also the biggest airport in eastern Africa. The airport is located in Embakasi, which is located 15 km (9 mi) southeast to Nairobi city center. It operates the international flights to/from London, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Dubai, Doha, Hong Kong, Guangzhou and other main African cities.

Train
The train runs from Uganda to the port of Mombasa with beautiful landscape along the way. If you plan to take it, book a ticket in advance.

How to Get Around

Plane
There are four main airports and more than 300 small and simple airports in Kenya serving domestic flights. The main airlines in Kenya is Kenya Airways (KQ). Apart from Kenya Airways, airways like Mombasa Air Safari and Reginal Air all offer the domestic flights to arrive at and depart from coastal areas, large wildlife refuges and cities in western Kenya. There is a Wilson Airport in Nairobi. You can fly nonstop to the main scenic spots in Kenya from this airport.

Chartered Airplane
There are many companies offering the domestic flight chartered service. And there are aircrafts for one person or one group.

Train
Train is an important mean of transportation to travel around in Kenya. You can go to other main cities from the Nairobi train station. However, built by English colonists in 1920s, the trains are mostly very slow and time-consuming. Among them, the trains between Nairobi and Mombasa are exceptions. They start running in 2017, which takes only around 5 hours. Tickets can be bought in Nairobi train station. It’s better to buy the tickets of the first-class and second-class, which should be reserved at least 2 or 3 days before departure.

Bus/ Coach
Bus is the cheapest transportation toll in Kenya. The rush hour is from 7:00 am to 9:00 am and from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm. The route of the bus covers nearly all transmittable roads. It should be concerned that try to take the coach in daytime. The coaches are always minibuses with settled ticket price and depart with full of people.

Taxi
There is convenient taxi service in Nairobi, Mombasa and other big cities in Kenya. Taxis in Kenya don’t have taximeters, thus you should have agreed upon a price with drivers before getting in. You can ask about the price from the local people or the hotel staff you are living in. There are some companies in Nairobi and Mombasa offer chauffeur services by telephone. You can reserve the taxi through telephone.

Rental Car
Some of car rental companies in Kenya rent the car without International Driving Document. Car rental is a little expensive. Apart from rental fee of the car itself, you also need to pay insurance, additional tax and compensate if the car is broken. If you want to rent a car, the four-wheel jeep car is the first choice, or you can’t enter in some national parks with muddy roads. You should drive in the left side in Kenya. Gasoline or diesel is sold in litre.

Chartered Bus
If you are a group of travelers, chartering a bus is much cheaper and safer. Many car rental companies provide the chauffer service with a driver. A professional driver familiar with those scenic spots will make your travel much easier. It’s really a good choice for you can watch more kinds of animals and avoid the risk of getting lost.

Bicycle
Long-distance bicycling in Kenya can be done. There are many wilderness and mountainous regions for riding the bike. However, when riding on the main road, be cautious in case of traffic accidents