Tehran Transportation

It is more convenient to travel by taxi and the cost is about 20,000 to 30,000 riyals. Take the ride and walk to avoid traffic. Best on foot especially in the morning before 9.00am, between 12.00 pm to 2.00pm and 5.00pm onward - Those are peak hours and the traffic is really chaotic. Always remember to bring your hotel address card - much easier to direct the taxi driver back to your hotel. Majority don't speak english.

My first intension was to apply for the Azeri visa at the Azeri embassy in Tehran, but arriving to Tehran on a Friday and knowing it took about three days to get the visa issued (and not knowing if the embassy was open every day except weekends) I decided to buy a plane ticket from Tehran to Baku, as you can get the visa at the airport, but not at the land border.

I went to a travel agent in Nejatollahi Street where I bought a ticket with Iran Air for IR 1390000 (about 150 dollars).
The plane left from the new Imam Khomeini Airport at 13.45. I think it took about 1,5 hours to fly to Baku (or less). Not until I went off the plane in Baku did I take off the scarf, as only one woman had done so in the plane.
Getting the visa and going through the passport control was easy. I had already filled in two application forms, which I had downloaded from Internet and I also had two passport photos with me.

To Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran I took a taxi from Qazvin for IR 150 000. Arriving in Baku I shared taxi with two other people and paid 8 Manat to my hotel. Otherwise the fixed price from the airport was 20 Manat (July 2006).

When old Cliffie was a boy, one of his ambitions was to drive a truck from Europe to India. Subsequent wars have ended most of the really long-distance traffic - who would dare drive through Iraq or Afghanistan nowadays? - although only a couple of years ago old Cliffie did spot a trio of Iranian trucks in Luxembourg. And the Willi Betz firm, founded in Bavaria after World War II, still drives its distinctive trucks on the long, long drive to Iran.

The recently opened Imam Khomeini International Airport is like new airports all over the world: lots of glass and steel and miles from anywhere. When you leave the airport, you drive for nearly an hour before you even reach the traffic jams. Immigration and customs checks are swift and courteous, and there is a small but efficient exchange counter. But do not expect much in the way of facilities: better to bring a good book to pass the time when waiting for departure.

The IKIA (Imam Khomeini International Airport) has been in the works for a long long time. IT is located around 35km from the city center and for such a large city the airport is a comfortable and easy to navigate place. Customs should only take about 20 minutes and a taxi to the city center should cost around 60 to 80,000 rials ( $8 US) which is not too bad considering it is quite a journey. The fare is standard and enjoy the ride in past the Khomeini Mosque and countless murals.

There is a bus station in Zanjan, about 2 km from the city centre. But most buses arrive at, or leave, from the corner of Beheshti Street (Khayyam Street) and Ferdosi Street. That’s where I went when I was going to Tehran. There was a bus standing there, not the best one, but it was okay. I didn’t have to wait long and the bus left at 8.30. It didn’t take the highway but a smaller road. During the trip the bus only stopped to pick up passengers or let passengers off. There was no food brake during the 4 - 5 hours the journey took. In Tehran the bus stopped at the Western bus station (Terminal-e gharb). From there you can take a taxi or walk towards the Azadi Monument for a local bus or shared taxi..
The price between Zanjan - Tehran was IR 25 000 (June 2006).

From Tehran it takes 1,5 hours to fly to Kish. Both Iran Air and Kish Airlines are flying every day from Mehrabad Airport. I flew with Kish Airlines, which left 6.30 in the morning. You should be at the airport one hour before departure, to check in and go through security. There are different lines through security for men and women. The line with men is much longer than the women line.
On the plane they served breakfast.
I bought my ticket only two days before, for 50 dollars. The plane was almost full.

In Tehran I took a taxi from the hotel to Mehrabad at 5am (they had called for it the day before) and I paid IR 40000. From the airport on Kish to my hotel I paid IR 20000.

Taxis fares in Tehran are obviously more expensive than other places but really easy to use. Do not tell them a specific place you want to go as they only navigate using major landmarkers such as Ferdosi square. It takes some practice to properly use them because you need to know the direction you are heading, it is best to practise outside Tehran before entering the big city. Overall, have patience and the trip through the city in a taxi may be a great highlight of seeing the buzz of Tehran.