Syria

Travel - Internal

AIR:

Syrian Arab Airlines fly to Aleppo, Palmyra, Deir ez Zor, Qamishly and Latakia. In general, fares are exceedingly cheap.

RAIL:

The railway extends 2200km (1364 miles). A service operates between Damascas-Aleppo-Kamechli. A second line runs between Aleppo-Latakia-Banias-Tartous-Homs-Damascas-Deraa. First class carriages are air-conditioned. There is also a connection from Haleb to the Lebanese border.

ROAD:

There are 25,887km (16,086 miles) of roads. Traffic systems are good. The principal route is Aleppo to Damascus and Dar’a (north–south axis). Traffic drives on the right. Bus: Services run from Damascus and Aleppo to most towns and are cheap, widely used and efficient. There are orange-and-white air-conditioned Karnak (government-operated) buses. Reservations should be made well in advance. Karnak bus routes serve their own terminals, which are usually in or near the city centres. There are also privately-run bus and microbus services all over Syria. Taxi: Shared taxis are available to all parts of the country. Service taxis (limousines) run on major routes and cost 50-70 per cent more than Karnak buses. Regulations: Speed limits in the city; 80kph (50mph) on highways. Documentation: International Driving Permit required.  Insurance is required by law and a customs certificate is needed. These are available from touring and automobile clubs.

URBAN:

Publicly owned bus services operate in all major towns and cities. Taxis are widely available. Fares according to the meter in the cities.

TRAVEL TIMES:

The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Damascus to other major cities/towns in the Syrian Arab Republic.