Getting There & Away

Syria has two international airports, one 35km (22mi) southeast of Damascus, the other just northeast of Aleppo. Both Damascus (DAM) and Aleppo (ALP) have regular connections to Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. There's a departure tax of about 500.00.

Buses run between Damascus and Istanbul (Turkey), Amman (Jordan), Beirut or Tripoli (Lebanon) and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). Trains go from Aleppo to Istanbul and from Damascus to Amman. Service taxis also run from Damascus to most of the neighboring countries.

Getting Around

There are internal flights between Damascus and Aleppo, Qamishle, Lattakia and Deir ez-Zur. Syria's road network is excellent, and buses are frequent and cheap - most Syrians use the bus, as few of them have their own car. Distances are short and most trips take under five hours. Bus types include the traditional coach, minibuses and Japanese vans known as microbuses. Service taxis operate on the major bus routes but are considerably more expensive than microbuses.

Syria's trains are modern, cheap and punctual. The main line connects Damascus, Aleppo, Deir ez-Zur, Hassake and Qamishle with a secondary line along the coast. There are a few car-rental companies in Syria, remember that Syrians drive on the right.

Warnings:

- you are to be careful when you deal with the worst Syrians who are ? first taxi drivers. ? second: Landlords of rental houses or apartments.

How to be careful and how to deal with them?

• With taxi drivers: Never get on any taxi that is without counter inside it, if you get like this taxi, you are to leave it soon and find different one.
• You are to keep small change in your pocket in order Not to be over charged by those taxi drivers with the pretence of unavailability of changes with them.
• Pay him what counter refers to, with only between (3-7 sp Max) extra. And face his anger with deaf ears and leave him politely.
• Try to use the buses or minibuses which are cheaper and safer.
• When you arrive to Damascus by bus, don?t get any taxi from the bus station, they would over charged you for sure, so you are to walk less than 50m to get the main road and to get any passing taxi with taking in consideration the points I mentioned above. If you get Damascus via airport you are either to use the public buses (which are very cheap) or the airport taxis which have fixed prices. (for more information please email me).
• With landlords : the problem with many of the landlords in Syria is they can?t accept the idea that they a re not responsible of the rented property any more, so they keep annoying

The tenant with their silly questions and their nonsense notices and instructions, however, many of them are nice and helpful, so you are to say yes (as you like) all the time and deal with only what you are satisfied with.

What if I get more serious problems?

In this case you are to call your Embassy in Damascus.

please email me in order to provide you with the details of the embassy that your nationality belongs to), but you can call any Syrian friend in order to help you anyway (since Syrians are very helpful people).

NOTICE:

Some information that mentioned about can be changeable, so I would like to apologize for any inconvenience that you might get if prices or anything change, however I will do my best to keep this website updated.