Getting there & Getting around

Getting there

There's a vast network of flights between Iran and Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Visitors from the USA or Australasia usually have to fly via Asian or other Middle East hubs. Most flights land in Tehran, either at the older Mehrabad airport, or the new Imam Khomeini International Airport, 35km (22mi) south of the city. You can also fly into Shiraz, Esfahan and Mashhad, usually from other cities in the Middle East. Most tickets have the departure tax built in, though if you buy a ticket inside Iran you might have to pay 30.00 at the airport. Check when you buy.

Regular buses and trains link Iran and Turkey, and less frequent buses run to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. Travelling overland to Pakistan is simple enough, if not that comfortable, either by public transport or in your own vehicle. However, check the security situation in Pakistan before setting off. Overland travel to Iraq is currently both illegal and stupid - don't do it.

Iran has 2410km (1470mi) of coastal boundaries, but there are only a few ways to enter or leave Iran by sea. In the Persian Gulf, there are ferries from Sharjah and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and from Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. It's also possible to travel across the Caspian Sea on an irregular cargo boat between the Azerbaijan capital of Baku and Bandar-é Anzali.

Getting around

Iran has a well developed transport system. All public transport is frequent, reliable, relatively safe and very cheap. But it's worth considering getting airborne for the following reasons: your visa probably won't last long enough for you to use public transport to remote cities; fares are very cheap; the country is vast, and the scenery is often boring; and flights (particularly on Iran Air) are frequent and reliable.

If you can't get somewhere in Iran by bus (or minibus), chances are that no one wants to go there. There are lots of different bus companies offering competitive and mostly comfortable services. Transport can be a problem for about 10 days before, and especially after No Ruz, the chaotic Iranian New Year, which starts on or about 21 March. Road travel can be interrupted by roadblocks at any time of year, most frequently on either side of a main city, but occasionally dotted through remote areas near the Pakistan and Afghanistan borders. Foreigners are rarely hassled at roadblocks - the worst that will happen is that you'll have to show your passport and endure a delay.

Trains are fairly efficient, reasonably fast and certainly cheap, but they're often not as convenient as buses, although they are safer and more comfortable (especially for overnight trips). The most exciting trips are between Tehran and Tabriz (for the scenery and excellent service) and between Tehran and Gorgan (for the number of tunnels and the scenery). The great Trans-Iranian Railway, built in the 1930s to connect the Caspian Sea at Bandar-é Torkaman with the Persian Gulf at Bandar-é Imam Khomeini is one of the great engineering achievements of the 20th century.

Driving your own vehicle is a gutsy call. The distances are long, the traffic is appalling and it's hard to find secure parking. To all appearances, there are no road rules. The upside of driving is that the road surfaces are generally excellent and petrol is ridiculously cheap. Shared taxis are a better option between major towns. A seat costs about three times as much as a deluxe bus, but can be worth it if you want to hurry through a dull stretch of countryside.

Visa information

Everyone needs a visa to visit Iran, and unless you have a Turkish passport, it's going to be a hassle. The regulations are baffling, the costs often high. The best advice is to apply for a tourist visa at least six weeks before you leave home - more if you're British or American. You may want to consider paying an online agent to do it for you. The good news is that once you're in you're in - getting an extension inside Iran is often easier than getting any sort of visa outside the country. Admission is refused to holders of passports containing a visa (valid or expired) for Israel.