Transport in Lebanon

=Intracity Transportation=

Buses

Beirut has frequent bus connections to other cities in Lebanon and major cities in Syria. The Lebanese Commuting Company, or LCC in short, is just one of a handful brands of public transportations all over Lebanon. [http://www.lccworld.com/profile.asp Company Profile] , [http://www.lccworld.com LCC] ] On the other hand, the publicly owned buses are managed by le Office des Chemins de Fer et des Transports en Commun (OCFTC), or the "Railway and Public Transportation Authority" in English. [ [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCFTC] ] Buses for northern destinations and Syria leave from Charles Helou Station. [ [http://www.travel-to-lebanon.com/tourism/transportation-in-lebanon/public-transportation-in-beirut.html Public transportation in Beirut] , Travel-to-Lebanon.com] [ [http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/middle-east/lebanon/beirut/transport Beirut Transport] , [http://www.lonelyplanet.com Lonely Planet] ]

Ferries

Apart from the international airport, the Port of Beirut is another port of entry. As a final destination, anyone can also reach Lebanon by ferry from Cyprus or by road from Damascus. [http://www.ikamalebanon.com/info/transportation.htm Transportation & Communication] , [http://www.ikamalebanon.com Ikama] ]

Taxis and Services

Apart from buses, the latter are served by either service or taxis. Service is a lot cheaper than taxis however, to avoid misunderstanding, agreement over the pricing need to be made before setting off.

Trains

The Lebanese rail system is not currently in use, with services having ceased due to the country's political difficulties.

Port Infrastructure

Airport

The main national airport is the Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport and is located in the southern suburbs. [ [http://www.beirutairport.gov.lb/historical.html History] Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport] [ [http://www.airport-technology.com/projects/beirut_expansion/ Rafic Hariri International Airport (BEY/OLBA), Beirut, Lebanon] , Airport Technology] [ [http://www.wordtravels.com/Airports/Lebanon/Beirut+International+Airport Lebanon - Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport (BEY)] , [http://www.wordtravels.com worldtravels] ]

Endnotes

References

This is the link to the web page for the airport in Beirut.

http://www.beirutairport.gov.lb/home.html

Bus service in Lebanon is as follows:They are popular and inexpensive and can be stopped anywhere along the way simply by hailing. Never take a bus without verifying the destination with the driver. The fare is LP500 ($0.35). There are Public Buses (are not regular) and Private Buses (are in general better organized than Public buses). Taxi Servicein Lebanon;They are probably the best and most popular means of transportation in Lebanon and recognizable by their red plate and most of them are old white Mercedes. You can take a taxi just by hailing in the street. Watch out, there are no passengers, specify if you would like it as a “taxi” or as a “service-taxi”. Ride To Service-Taxi Taxi Local LP1.000 ($0.70) LP5.000 ($3.50) Long Distance LP5.000 ($3.50) LP30.000 ($20) i. Service-taxisYou have to specify your destination and enter the taxi only if your destination correspond to the itinerary of the Service-taxi. The driver stops to pick up additional passengers anywhere on the streets and drop you in generally in main squares and main streets. It remains advantageous with very low fares.

ii. Traditional TaxisThe driver must not pick up additional passengers. Most of these taxis are not equipped with meters, so negotiate the fare before embarking. The estimation of the fare is therefore often an approximate.

iii. On-call taxisPick up people who have pre-booked by phone. They don’t respond to hails in the street. They don’t have a meter so passengers should agree a price before starting a journey. If you require such a service, call one of the listed agencies.Brummana Taxi Tel: [phone]Royal Services Tel: [phone](03) 247.400 – 247.445