Meet halfway in Addis Ababa
For a group meeting in Addis Ababa, where most trips are made by car, the fairest points are usually Meskel Square, Bole Road, Megenagna or Piassa, depending on where everyone starts. togather times each person door to door, driving included, and finds the spots where nobody is stuck with a much longer trip across the city.
- Car
- Walking
- Addis Ababa Light Rail
- Cycling
- Walking
Where groups actually meet in Addis Ababa
Interchanges that work as a fair midpoint for most groups. togather will not always land on one of these - it answers for your actual starting points - but they are the ones that come up again and again.
Meskel Square
Light rail, plus car via Bole Road and the city centre roads
The city's great public square, at the eastern end of the section shared by both light-rail lines, and the default fair answer for a group spread across the whole of Addis.
Bole Road
Car via Bole Road (Africa Avenue) towards the airport
The city's main strip of restaurants, cafes and malls between Meskel Square and the airport, and the fair pick for a group living in Bole and the south-east.
Megenagna
Light rail east-west line, plus car via the Ring Road
A major roundabout and transport junction in the north-east, and fairer than the centre for a group with people coming from CMC, Ayat and the eastern suburbs.
Piassa
Light rail north-south line at Menelik II Square, plus car
The old city centre around Menelik II Square, walkable and full of historic cafes, and the fair answer for a group weighted towards the north and Arat Kilo.
Stadium
Light rail, on the section shared by both lines
Next to the national stadium in the city centre, served by both light-rail lines, and a good middle for a group split between the north-south and east-west corridors.
Mexico Square
Light rail, plus car via the roads west of the centre
A busy junction south-west of the centre, and fairer than Meskel Square when part of the group starts in the west, towards Tor Hailoch and Lideta.
How to pick a fair meeting point in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is a highland city of hills, ring roads and big roundabouts, and its travel times depend on which of those each person has to cross. The Ring Road moves traffic around the edge, while central junctions like Meskel Square and Megenagna can slow everything down. A friend a short distance away can face a longer drive than one further out who joins the ring road early. The hills add to it, since a route that looks direct on the map often winds around a valley.
The Addis Ababa Light Rail runs two lines, east-west and north-south, sharing a central section that ends at Meskel Square. It is useful along those corridors, but service has been cut back in recent years and most neighbourhoods are not near a stop. The map midpoint ignores both problems.
Stadium has the advantage of both light-rail lines
For a group spread across the city, Meskel Square or Stadium keep things central, and Stadium has the advantage of sitting on both light-rail lines. Bole Road is the natural pick when most people live in Bole or near the airport, Megenagna suits the north-east, and Piassa the older north of the city. When part of the group is coming from the west, Mexico Square is a fairer middle.
Minibus taxis and ride-hailing carry many trips, but the fair answer still depends on whose journey is longest. Enter where each person is starting and whether they drive, take the light rail or walk, and togather compares the full trip times to find the spots where they come out close.
Meeting halfway in Addis Ababa - questions
- Where is a fair place to meet halfway in Addis Ababa?
- For a mixed group, usually Meskel Square or Stadium in the centre, Bole Road for the south-east, Megenagna for the north-east and Piassa for the north. togather works out which from everyone's real travel times.
- Can I rely on the light rail for a group meet-up?
- Only if everyone lives near a line. The two lines cover limited corridors and service has been reduced in recent years, so most groups set each person to car or walking and let togather find the fair spot.
- Does togather include minibus taxis?
- No. The blue-and-white minibus taxis run informal routes that are not timed. Each person can choose car, walking or light rail, and the result is built from those journeys.
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