Questions and answers

We are a local team in Antananarivo, with 20 years of experience renting cars in Madagascar. We meet every client face to face before the trip, go through the route and give tips for the road. During the trip we help you 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, with the car and with anything else: your hotel, your itinerary, or if you fall ill.

At Cinéroutes Car Rental a 4x4 costs from €85 to €120 a day: €85 for a Toyota Land Cruiser LJ70 or a three-door Hyundai Galloper, €90 for a Nissan NP300, a five-door Galloper or a Land Cruiser LJ79, and €120 for a Toyota Hilux Revo (2024) or a Land Cruiser 76 (2022). A classic Renault 4 costs €50 a day and a Renault 4 Sinpar 4x4 €60. The price is the same however long you rent, and includes unlimited mileage, third-party liability insurance and our assistance. Fuel is not included.

For two travellers on the main roads, a three-door Land Cruiser LJ70 or Galloper is enough and the most affordable. For three or four people with luggage, choose a five-door car: the Galloper, the Land Cruiser LJ79 or the Nissan NP300 double cab. For long trips, the Tsingy or the west coast tracks, the newest and most comfortable cars are the Toyota Hilux Revo and the Land Cruiser 76. Tell us your route and we advise you.

Every rental includes unlimited mileage, third-party liability insurance, and our assistance 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.

To confirm your booking you pay 20% of the rental price, by bank transfer or mobile money. This payment is non-refundable under any circumstances. When you collect the car you leave a deposit of €1,000, in cash only. It is returned to you in full when you drop off the car and all is well.

The 20% you paid to confirm the booking is non-refundable under any circumstances. If you cancel at least 3 weeks before the rental, the balance you have already paid is refunded, minus fees.

Third-party liability insurance is included. Damage to the underside of the car is paid by the client; the cost is evaluated by a garage.

No. You receive the car with a full tank and return it with a full tank.

In general you need at least 10 days. Ten days is enough for the RN7 as far as Isalo and back, two weeks for the whole RN7 to the beaches of Ifaty, and three weeks if you also want the Avenue of the Baobabs and the Tsingy. Distances are long and roads slow, so plan short driving days. See our sample itineraries in the road trip guide.

As early as possible. July and August are the busiest months.

To drive yourself you need an international driving licence.

The driver must be at least 23 years old.

All our cars have a manual gearbox.

Yes. Every car can be rented self-drive with an international driving licence. Main roads such as the RN7 are paved but often have potholes, and you share them with pedestrians, zebu carts and taxi-brousses, so you drive slowly: plan on 40 to 50 km an hour on average. Driving in the dark is not allowed. Some tracks, such as the coast between Tuléar and Morondava, are only possible with our driver. Before you leave we go through your route with you, and during the trip we assist you 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Yes, if you drive in daylight, take your time and plan realistic distances. The main risks are road conditions, not people: potholes, animals and people on the road, and tracks that change with the rain. That is why driving in the dark is not allowed with our cars. Keep your licence and the car papers at hand for police checkpoints, which are common. Before you leave we explain all this in person, and if anything happens on the way, we help you.

Yes. Every car can be rented with one of our experienced drivers, for the whole trip or only for the part of the route where a driver is mandatory. Your driver handles the roads and can arrange your accommodation; he informs you and makes suggestions, but you decide. With you for the whole rental period, the driver costs €30 a day, all included. If you only take him for the part of the route where he is mandatory, a fixed fee for his transport and meals is added.

No. For safety reasons, driving in the dark is not allowed.

We assist you 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, in daylight, because driving in the dark is not allowed for safety reasons. Not only for the car: also with your hotel, your itinerary, if you fall ill, or with any other problem.

It is best to have a 4x4. A Renault 4 can drive some main roads, such as the RN7 to Tuléar, but a 4x4 takes you much further.

No. The tracks to the Tsingy National Park need a 4x4. A Renault 4 can go as far as the Avenue of the Baobabs near Morondava.

Yes, there are two traditional river ferries on the way to the Tsingy.

From May to October, in the dry season, and above all from July to September. From November to April it is hotter and wetter, with cyclones on the east coast: a 4x4 is essential, but the country is at its greenest, with far fewer tourists.

You collect the car at our office in Andoharanofotsy, Antananarivo, and normally return it there, or at the airport at an extra cost. A one-way rental, for example leaving the car in Tuléar, is possible at an extra cost.

Yes. Camping gear costs €100 for the whole rental period, and child seats are free.

Yes, if you stay at our B&B. The airport transfer costs €40.

French, English and a little Dutch.