Renting a Car in Rwanda

Renting a car in Kigali is very informal because there are no rental car companies. This is either a nail biter or a relief for Westerners who are used to signing their lives away at the end of a three page corporate epic.

Asking around at local travel agencies will yield scraps of paper with the names of friends who rent out cars. Keep searching for a better deal and bargain until you are happy with the rate, which should be around 20,000 francs per day for a normal car and 25,000 for a 4WD. Make sure you have the proper car for the roads on your trip. If you will be driving on a dirt road for any length of time, rent a 4WD.

You may have to sign a simple contract. Find a person who speaks your language: it is crucial to sign a contract that you can read. Don't feel pressured to sign anything that sounds unreasonable. We refused to sign a contract with a clause in it that held us responsible for replacing any items stolen from the car - that would have included pricey things like, for example, the engine. Instead, we agreed to file a police report if anything went missing.

Finally, I recommend driving during daylight hours outside of Kigali. Have a map on hand, and plan your routes so you arrive at your destinations before dark.