Getting to Syria
Where to enquire information
Formalities
By air
Damascus International Airport is becoming a
major junction for the Near East. The national airline Syrian Arab (still widely
known as Syrian Arab lines) has extended its network in Europe to Paris and London.
It is also possible to stop off en route on the Damascus - Aleppo - Berlin - Stockholm
flight, the Damascus - Paris flight via Frankfurt, the Damascus - London flight via
Munich, or on the Damascus - Tunis - Paris flight. Syrian Air also operates flights to
Africa and Asia. Its fleet consists of Boeings 747 (6), T4 154 (2), T4 134 (2), in other
words, ten planes. International airlines of all three continents fly to Damascus and have
representatives there.
The flying time from Paris to Damascus, by 747, is 4hrs 35 mins.
Damascus time is three hours ahead of G.M.T.
Tourist excursion fares (the YE tariff) are available for visit of more
than ten days but less than a month.
The E.5 international highway, starting from London, cross
ex-Yugoslavia, forks at Nis for Sofia (but an alternative route via Thessaloniki avoids
the need for a Bulgarian visa) and reaches Asia via the Bosphorus Bridge at Istanbul. It
then crosses Turkey via Ankara, Adana and Iskenderun. Syria can be entered either by Bab
al-Hawa, for Aleppo; or at Kassab, for Latakia.
It is a long, often monotonous, journey; but the roads are good and
quite fast. From London, Paris, Amsterdam or Frankfurt it takes five or six days - even
with good driving. But it is so important to have one’s own transport in Syria itself
that this double journey is more or less inevitable - providing one has the time. By
combining road and seam the journey can be made much pleasanter, if not much shorter.
For Western Europeans no visa is necessary for any country entered on
the journey, except for Bulgaria, where a three-day transit visa can be obtained at the
frontier. Green Card motor insurance is similarly valid for the journey, but it is not yet
accepted in Syria.
To enter Syria with a car a Customs Certificate must be
produced; it is obtainable from Automobile Clubs and Touring Clubs against a deposit of
quarter of the current market value of the vehicle. The same organizations issue an International
Driving License (on production of a national license) which is technically obligatory
in all countries where the Latin alphabet is not used - Greece, ex-Yugoslavia, Arab
countries.
Approaching from the East, the Tehran-Baghdad-Damascus highway is
excellent; the road up through Jordan, from Akaba on the Red Sea (the terminus of the
E.5), is good, with stretches of motorway.
This is a somewhat lengthy trip but one that will appeal to railway
enthusiasts. The Orient Express (the term alas is no longer technically correct) links
Paris and Tehran. By changing at Ankara, Kayseri, or Adana, in Turkey, Aleppo can be
reached by the "Taurus Express".
There are as yet no car ferries to Latakia. Beirut, however, is served
- from Greece, Cyprus and Alexandria - and Damascus can then be reached in a couple of
hours by road.
An attractive alternative is to take a ferry either in Italy (Venicem,
Ancona or Brindisi) or in Greece (Piraeus) and go as far as Turkey (Izmir, Kusadasi or
Bodrum). From any of these ports it is easy to join the main road south via Aydin (after
at least a glance at Ephesus and Pamukale), Dinar, Antalya, and the steep rugged coast
through Alanya, Anamur, Mersin, Tarsus (home of St. Paul whom we will meet again at
Damascus ….), Iskenderun, Antakya, to Aleppo or Latakia. Three days should be allowed
for the sea crossing and another three for the drive.
Certain lines offer a mixture of cruise and car ferry; the return
journey could be made via Bodrum, Rhodes, Heraklion, Santorin and Piraeus.
These cruise ferries are organized by Italian, Greek, Turkish and
Cypriot companies and their programs vary year by year. A good travel agent should be able
to supply details.
Where to
enquire information:
At Consulates and Embassies of the Syrian Arab
Republic.
In London, 8 Belgrave Square, SW1, tel. (071) 245.90.12, office
open from 9.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m.
In Syria:
Tourist Information Bureaux are open every day, including Fridays
and holidays, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- in Damascus: at the International Airport and in the town centre, rue
du 29-Mai, tel. 22.22.388;
- in Aleppo, rue Baron, opposite the Museum;
- in Latakia, in the town centre, place Cheikh-Daher;
- in Homs, in the town centre, place du Serail;
- in Hama, in the town centre, route d’Alep, behind the public
gardens.
The offices of the Ministry of Tourism in Damascus are situated
at Shari Chukri Quwatli, tel. 22.10.122/22.14.915.
At all the tourist sites there are official guides who come under the
Ministry of Tourism; their tariff is regulated.
Nationals of Arab countries must have identity
card or a valid passport without visa.
Police: Nationals of other countries must have a valid passport and a visa
obtainable (usually at 48 hours’ notice) at the Consulate or the Embassy of the S.A.R.
in the country of origin (do not forget passport photos). Passports must not contain visa
for Israel. For group travel (at least ten persons) a collective visa suffices, but each
member of the group must be in possession of a valid passport.
If he is staying longer than two weeks the visitor must register
with the passport division of the Sûreté authorities. Three passport photos are needed.
An airport tax of Syrian £ 200 is payable on leaving the
country, before passing through passport control; this is payable in special stamps
obtainable from a desk in the airport.
Customs: At Damascus Airport the normal system of red and green gates
is in force. If the visitor has "nothing to declare" he walks through the green
gate, if he has goods to declare he walks through the red one.
Goods admitted free of duty are virtually the same as in most western
countries - personal effects, 200 cigarettes, a quarter of a litre of spirits, a camera, a
transistor radio for personal use, etc. In order to avoid complication later on it is
advisable to have the customs officer enter on the last page of one’s passport, in
Arabic, a list of any objects that could prove contentious - a second camera, jewellery,
etc.
Motor vehicles. An international driving license and triptych or
customs certificate are required. Once thus admitted the vehicle may remain in the country
for a total of 180 days. Non-Arab nationals without such documents can obtain an
"Entry Card" (valid for two weeks and renewable at the frontier posts). In order
to avoid any complications, or time wasting, it is wise to carry all the documents
mentioned above.
Arab nationals are exempt from the preceding conditions; they are
issued with a "Special Passage Permit" at the frontier.
Insurance is not compulsory for visitor’s vehicles. The Green Card is
not recognized. A policy can be taken out the frontier post. All the same, it is a good
idea to contact your own insurance company before travelling.
Currency and cash. Foreign currency and traveller’s cheques
may be taken into Syria. Non-residents may take foreign currency out of Syria, but only up
to the amount brought in and declared. Travellers are therefore required to fill a
declaration of currency at the customs post on arrival (this will be given to you by the
Syrian authorities when you collect your visa); this permits them to take out part or the
whole of the sum when they leave. Credit cards are recognized in Syria and accepted by
hotels and car hire companies, but they are not yet widely used in shops.
Health: There are no obligatory vaccinations, but it is nonetheless
wise to carry medication just in case. It is advisable to carry remedies for upset
stomachs, as this is a common affliction when travelling in all hot countries.
Syria by road, rail and air
Roads and motorways
Of Syria’s 33,956 or so kilometres of roads,
24, 375km are surfaced, and 800km of this are fourlane motorways.
The north-south access Aleppo-Damascus-Deraa is all motorway (termed
"autostrades" in Syria: "authoroutes" are highways, wide but with
two-way traffic). The motorway network (autostrades) now links Homs-Beirut,
Latakia-Tartous-Homs, Latakia-Aleppo (in part), Damascus and the Lebanese border, and
Damascus and the Jordanian border.
One of the last "trails" has been replaced by a modern
highway from Palmyra to Deir ez-Zor and from Palmyra to Damascus via the desert.
The most comprehensive map of Syria is the one published by the
Ministry of Tourism. The scale is 1/1,250,000 (10cm = 125km). It is available from the
Ministry of Tourism and in the towns’ tourist information bureaus. Road maps published
in Europe and covering Syria are usually sketchy, vague and inaccurate.
Road signs on the main roads are bilingual (Arabic-French), but
they are too few and many tourist sites off the main roads are not signposted at all.
Fortunately the helpfulness of the local inhabitants makes up for this.
Speeds are restricted only where there are signs to that effect.
Petrol stations are to be found mainly in the environs of the
larger towns. Two qualities of petrol are sold, normal and premium; the later is about 80
octane.
Thus the basic facilities are good and travel by road, even to the most
distant and inaccessible areas, would present no problems if the liberties that Syrian
drivers take with their Highway Code did not oblige motorists to be doubly on the alert.
Excessive speed, acrobatic overtaking, overtaking on corners, are all too common. And one
mustn’t forget the hazards of carts, sheep, goats, camels and wondering donkeys. Victory
goes to the driver with the loudest horn!
Traffic police do exist, and they are well-equipped and competent, but
they cannot be everywhere at once.
Limousines and collective cars
For some time now, companies hiring limousines (Chauffeur-driven if
required) are flourishing in Damascus, Aleppo and Latakia. Visitors not disposing of their
own car may wish to contact one of the following companies: Chamcar, or Europcar - all of
which are reliable - or opt for taxis and public transport. Regular bus services link many
parts of the country but they are difficult to use without some knowledge of written or
spoken Arabic. The "Karnak" and "Pullman" buses are fast, comfortable
are equipped with air conditioning.
Comfortable and fast taxis
Long distance taxis, which one can hire individually or by
joining a group are common. They are comfortable fast cars and can be used to travel from
one large town to another. Rather than attempting to negotiate directly with the driver it
is better to arrange them through one’s hotel or one of the many travel agencies
(Chamtour, Karnak, etc.).
In the towns, taxis are the only practical and cheap form of
transport.
The railways
As trains were slow and connections often poor in the past, the
railways were not the best means for travelling around Syria. Nowadays, however, the train
service has improved enormously. The prices are very accessible, the trains now run on
time and are well-equipped (the air conditioned first class carriages have aircraft-style
seats). There is no inconvenience, however: the railway stations are often far from town
centres. The railway network - currently 2 200km - is constantly expanding, and now covers
practically the whole of the country. The main line runs from Damascus to Kamechli via
Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, and Hassakeh. A second route links Aleppo, Latakia, Banias, Tartous,
Homs, Damascus and Deraa. The line is currently being extended from Deir ez-Zor to Abou
Kamal.
Special mention must be made of the little "folksy" railway
from Damascus to Zabadani via the wonderful Barada valley. This makes for a most
picturesque excursion.
Air travel
Domestic flights operate between Damascus, Aleppo, Latakia, Deir
ez-Zor.
Entry and Exit procedures:
Foreigners entering Syria must be in possession of:
1- A valid passport.
2- A valid entry visas granted by the Syrian Embassy or Consulate in the visitor's
country of origin or residence.
3- where there is no Syrian mission in the passport holder's country, an entry visa may
be issued by any other Syrian mission aboard or at the point of entry to Syria.
4- Groups of tourists of ten or more are granted a group visa gratis (free of charge)
provided each member of the group is in possession of a valid passport.
5- Visitors planning to spend more than 15 days in the country are required to apply to
the security to apply to the security authorities for an extension of stay.
6- every tourist must pay 200 S. P. as a departure airport tax.
7- Bills at all hotels are paid in hard Currency.
8- Passports of visitors to Syria must not carry an Israeli visa.
9- Fees charged for entry visas are subject to the principle of reciprocity with the
country concerned.
10- Visitors are not required to obtain an exit visa if their stay does not exceed a
period of 15 days. | 
