Travelling in Syria
In order to discover Syria in detail and at one’s leisure, the ideal solution would be to come with one’s own car. But such a thing is not handy for everyone. You could of course hire a car but it is compulsory to take a local driver. The only solution left is public transport, or the scheduled air service to ( and from ) Damascus, Lattakia, Aleppo and Dier-Ezzor.
Coach service is available in all Syrian cities, either directly or with connections. It would be picturesque, but perhaps requiring patience, if you take the local buses, but you will find it quicker, easier and more efficient to take the scheduled coaches of the major companies in the country. And there are the taxis. A particular type exists in Syria where many passengers may take same cab, each one paying this seat only. Such taxis obviously depart when they are full and serve only the most common routes. They go almost everywhere, including Lebanon and Jordan. Special stations are reserved for such taxi cabs in the various cities. Information may be obtained from tourist information offices or from your hotel’s reception counter. The Syrian railway network has just been modernized and extended from 556 Kms to 1450 Kms between 1963 and 1983. This extension is of great use for the transportation of goods and passengers. It would be very practical, for example, to go by train from Damascus to Homs (198 Kms), Hama (256 Kms) and Aleppo (371 Kms, the line was inaugurated in June 1984 ), from Homs to Tartous (102 Kms) and soon to Lattakia (182 Kms), from Aleppo to Lattakia (201 Kms), from Aleppo to Raqqa (204 Kms) and Deir-Ezzor (340 Kms), etc