Vehicles

1. Fiara

   Car

   Usage

   The general word for a car

2. Taxi-ville

   Taxi-ville (city taxi)

   Usage

   The white city taxis of Antananarivo, many still old Renault 4s and 2CVs — no meters, so agree the fare first

3. Taxi-be

   Taxi-be (city minibus)

   Usage

   Literally "big taxi" — the numbered city minibus, with a conductor shouting the destination

4. Taxi-brousse

   Taxi-brousse (bush taxi)

   Usage

   The intercity shared van — it leaves when full, so there is no fixed departure time. The mainstay for long trips

5. Bus

   Usage

   A full-size coach, used on long intercity runs

6. Pousse-pousse

   Pousse-pousse (rickshaw)

   Usage

   The two-wheeled hand-pulled cart — a fixture of Antsirabe and a main way to get around. Agree the price first

7. Cyclo-pousse

   Cyclo-pousse (cycle rickshaw)

   Usage

   The pedal-powered rickshaw, running alongside the hand-pulled pousse-pousse in Antsirabe and Toamasina

8. Tuk-tuk

   Tuk-tuk (three-wheeler)

   Usage

   The three-wheeled taxi that took over the coastal towns — the mainstay in Toamasina and Nosy Be, usually a flat fare for short hops

9. Moto

   Motorcycle

   Usage

   Used in the regions — bring your own helmet

10. Bisikileta

    Bicycle

    Usage

    The highlands are steep — better on the flat coast

11. Sarety

    Sarety (zebu cart)

    Usage

    From French "charrette" — the zebu-drawn cart still working in farming areas

12. Kamiao

    Truck

    Usage

    From French "camion" — they fill the mountain roads

13. Lamasinina

    Train

    Usage

    From French "la machine" — the Fianarantsoa-East Coast line is famous, but services are very rare

14. Fiaramanidina

    Airplane

    Usage

    Literally "flying vehicle" — with the roads as they are, domestic flights earn their keep

15. Sambo

    Ship

    Usage

    A larger vessel — the ferries to Nosy Be and elsewhere

16. Lakana

    Pirogue (dugout canoe)

    Usage

    The outrigger dugout, sailed and paddled along the west coast and the canals

17. Ambulansy

    Ambulance

    Usage

    From French "ambulance" — response is slow outside cities

Browse all TravelPhrases languages