Lebanon Transport

Air
Beirut International Airport or Rafic Hariri International Airport as it is otherwise known, is located 9kms south of the city centre and is a modern facility which provides the chief gateway into the country of Lebanon. The airport is connected to the city centre via a regular bus service (every 30 minutes) which operates from 06:00 to 20:00; there are also taxis available from outside of the airport building.

The airport has a good selection of passenger facilities which includes essentials such as a bank and bureau de change as well as a tourist information desk, post office, shops and restaurants. For passengers requiring access to the internet, there are 15 internet kiosks situated around the terminal and WiFi access in selected areas.

Passengers arriving by car will find a three level car park with spaces for 2350 cars, while those requiring rental vehicles will find the desks of Avis, Budget, City Car, Europcar, Hertz, and Hala located in the arrivals level.

Bus
Buses are available from neighbouring Syria with services operating to all four of the borders between the two countries. It is also possible to get to Syria from Europe by bus then take a connecting service.

Car
From Europe, drivers are best travelling via Turkey then onto Syria before reaching Lebanon. From Syria, there are four borders at which you can cross into Lebanon: Qaa (located at the northern edge of the Békaa Valley); Aabboudiyé (located northeast of the city of Tripoli); Aaridé (located north of Tripoli along the coast) and Masnaa (located along the Beirut to Damascus highway). If you enter Lebanon by private or rental vehicle, you will be expected to pay a large fee at the border which will be refunded to you on departure.

Sea
Lebanon has ports at Beirut, Jounieh, Tripoli, Sidon and Tyre and ferry services are available from Cyprus and are operated by Louis Cruise Lines; visit their website for more information at: http://www.louiscruises.com.

Bus
There are no government run bus services, however private companies operate a fairly extensive network of services which allow visitors to reach most major destinations in the country. Buses are cheap by Lebanese standards and are, generally speaking, safe and efficient.

Car
Car rentals can be expensive in Lebanon so you may need to shop around to find a bargain. Once you’ve got wheels, getting around is relatively easy as Lebanon is a small country and the length of it can be driven in around three hours. Do be warned however, that Lebanese are erratic drivers and conditions on the road, especially in Beirut, can be hazardous at the best of times. Traffic drives on the right-hand side of the road.

Taxi
Service taxis, which can be shared with up to five other passengers (and the fare split accordingly), operate in the big cities and tend to stick to set routes with some room for variation depending on the circumstances. Private taxis meanwhile, are registered vehicles which operate on tariff systems and can be hired to take you wherever you choose; be sure to establish the fare prior to starting your trip so as to avoid any problems on arrival.

Water
Passenger ferry services operate between the ports of Beirut, Jounieh, Tripoli, Sidon and Tyre.