How much should I budget for my Madagascar road trip?
How to withdraw money in Madagascar
Bring your Mastercard and Visa. You can only withdraw money with your debit card ( Maestro) at branches of Mauritius Bank, which has ATM's in Antananarivo and Tamatave only. Visa is the most widely accepted and can be used to withdrawn money from most ATMs. Mastercard is accepted at ATM's of BFY-sg. In rural areas, cash rules. We strongly recommend that you bring additional Euros with you in cash, for unforeseen things. These can easily be changed to Ariary at any Forex Bureau in most provincial towns.
Travel budget
To travel to Madagascar is for most a costly affair, but when you're here you live in clover or ''als god in Frankrijk''. A daily budget of € 100 per couple on top of your Roadtrip Madagascar rental car will be sufficient for most people to cover fuel, park entrance fees, double room and food & drinks. A tasty French meal at a restaurant / lodge costs between € 6 and € 12. Accommodation is a fraction of what it costs in the rest of East Africa, let alone Europe or the USA. There are many small-scale, owner managed lodges and quality standards are high.
- Budget: up to € 15 for a double room
- Mid-range: up to € 50
- Deluxe: unlikely to costs more than € 125 per room.
A 10% tip is considered high, yet received with great gratitude. If you're happy with the service, please be generous. Tips at most places are equally shared among all staff.