Africa > Nigeria > Lagos (LOS)
The Car or no Car advice for Lagos can be broken down into three similar questions - do you need a car in Lagos ; is it worth it (based on costs), and ultimately - should you rent one? (a balance of the two).🚆 🚌⛴️ Do we need to rent a car in Lagos ?
These scores are based on the quality of public transport and other travel options. If these are good enough to see the main points of interest, then you don’t need to rent a car.
💰💶💳 Is it worth hiring a car in Lagos?
These scores reflect the practical factors that affect whether renting a car is convenient, good value, and stress-free.
At street level, Lagos is dominated by road transport. The city is vast, spread across the mainland and islands such as Victoria Island and Ikoyi, and distances between places of interest can be significant. Walking is usually limited to short local trips, and cycling is rare outside niche groups. As a result, most daily movement happens by car, taxi, or ride-hailing services such as Uber and Bolt 🚗📱. For visitors, these app-based services are often the easiest and safest way to get around without the stress of driving yourself.
Public Transport
That said, Lagos does have some public transport worth noting. The BRT bus corridors provide relatively fast movement along key routes, particularly between the mainland and the islands. In addition, the Lagos Rail Mass Transit system has begun operating its first lines, including the Blue Line running east–west. However, coverage is still limited, and these systems work best for locals who already know the city well 🚆🚌. For most short-stay visitors, they are useful supplements rather than a complete solution.
Renting a car in Lagos is possible, but it is rarely a simple self-drive experience. Many rentals are offered with a driver, which removes the challenges of navigation, traffic etiquette, and parking. This option can make sense if you have a full itinerary, business meetings, or day trips planned. However, for a city-based visit, ride-hailing often works out cheaper and far less stressful 💼➡️🏨.
Conclusion: should you rent a car in Lagos?
For most visitors, the answer is no, at least not in the traditional sense. Lagos strongly favours taxis and ride-hailing over self-drive car rental. A hired car with a driver can be useful for longer stays or structured travel, but for flexible urban exploration, relying on local drivers is usually the smarter choice.
