Syria Travel Internal

AIR: Syrian Arab Airlines fly to Aleppo, Deir ez Zor, Latakia, Palmyra and Qamishly. 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 poor and there are numerous accidents. Second-class roads are unreliable during the wet season. 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 which started recently all over the Syrian Arab Republic. Taxi: Shared taxis are available to all parts of the country. Service taxis (old limousines) run on major routes and cost 50 to 70 per cent more than Karnak buses. Regulations: Speed limits: 20kph (12mph) in the city; 80kph (50mph) on highways. Documentation: International Driving Permit required. Green Cards are not yet accepted in the Syrian Arab Republic. 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. Most buses outside the capital, however, have no signs in a European script to indicate destination or stops, which can make travelling rather difficult. Taxis are widely available. Fares should be agreed in advance and 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.