Getting Around Syria

You can get to Syria from Istanbul by plane, train or bus. Trains are long and infrequent. Several buses travel between Istanbul and Syria each day, but the journey is long. And direct flights can be expensive. An alternative may be a plane/bus combination.

Book a flight on Onur Air from Istanbul to Adana, in southern Turkey. I paid $92 for a roundtrip flight. Taking a bus would be slightly cheaper, but you save a day's worth of travel. From Adana's airport, take a taxi to the bus station. There are frequent buses to Antakya/Hatay. This will take three hours. It's a nice ride through the mountains and some stretches offer views of the Mediterranean Sea. I advise staying in Antakya at least one night so you can visit St. Peter's church. The next day, you can either take a bus or a service taxi to Aleppo or Latakia. Aleppo takes about three hours and Latakia should take two hours.

There a lot of bus company in Syria. Kadmous is the best.

But Al Alniah, another company. Cheaper, more frequently. Esspecially if you want to go urbanize area very hard to find Kadmous voyage. Wait for Al Alniah.

Other firms will keep you and never depart on time.

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Although many travelers take an organized group tour to Syria & Lebanon and its wondrous archeological sites, we chose to hire an independent driver for our road trip.
After some research, I contacted Abdul Ibrahim. Although, I had a specific itinerary, Abdul was helpful with information on hotels, etc., etc. Much more than a driver he became a friend. His website is
Enjoying Driving Tourists Happy- http://syriaroad.blogspot.com/
He can drive you in Jordan, lebanon and Syria

Syria has a modern traffic infrastructure and most roads are in good condition. For mid-range distance between cities, the minibuses are great bargains. For example, a minibus-trip from Damascus to Maalula would cost about 50 Syrian Pounds, roughly 1 Euro (one-way). For longer distances, a Pullman bus would be the more comfortable choice. Between the larger cities, busses run very frequently during daytime, so it is not necessary to research departure times - just show up at the bus station. A ticket from Damascus to Palmyra or Aleppo would cost 200 - 250 Syrian Pounds (roughly 5 € for a 3 - 4 hour-trip). Keep your passport ready as it will be checked several times before and while boarding.

For travelling between the larger cities, a taxi might be the better choice if you want to make stops at touristical sights along the way. I would recommend this especially for the route Hama - Aleppo, as it is easy to combine Apameia, Al-Bara, Sdrjilla and the Mosaic Museum of Ma`arrat an Numan in a single daytrip. You can have your hotel organize trips for you or haggle with any taxi driver; usually they charged ca. 40-50,- € for a halfday-trip and between 70-100 € for a full-day-trip.

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You will most probably walk a lot while in Syria.
Walking is the best way exploring the Old City of Damascus, the Souks of Aleppo, the Ancient City of Palmyra etc.
So, do take some comfortable shoes with - you will be happy you done so.

I enjoyed travelling by bus in Syria. There are quite a few bus companies offering very good connections. There is no problem with luggage, the busses are very comfortable and are air-conditioned.
And, they are really cheap.
I would recommend travelling by bus in Syria anytime.
Pullman or Karnak are just two of the many companies. I used both, and were very happy.
It was never needed to book ahead.

I flew from Damascus to Aleppo with Syrian Airlines. It was possible to buy a ticket at the airport for a flight the same day. I tried to book online, but you cannot pay for a ticket on the website at this stage.
A one way ticket from Damascus to Aleppo is only SYP 1700 and the flight takes about 50 minutes.
The only problem I encountered was that I had to go through immigration at Damascus Airport again and again on arrival at Aleppo.

I flew to Damascus with Emirates, via Dubai. Emirates is definitely my favourite airline. The important thing to know is that the airfare includes the departure tax which needs to be paid when leaving Syria. Some airlines do not include departure tax in your ticket, and you will have to pay an amount of 1600 SYP (April 2010). There is a designated desk at departures.

Damascus Airport.
Immigration can take quite a long time, and your passport will be inspected by the officer.