Getting there & Getting around

Getting there

At the time of writing, none of the overland routes to Iraq from Jordan, Syria and Iran were open to foreigners.

The train from Îstanbul to Baghdad re-opened in May 2001 as part of a new free-zone agreement. However, there have been no passenger ships operating to or from Iraq since the start of the Gulf War.

Getting around

Iraq has a good road network and there are buses between towns and cities, plus a rail line that connects Baghdad to Mosul and Basra. Shared taxis are used between towns and cities in the north of Iraq.

Visa information

At the time of writing, Iraqi embassies overseas were still not issuing visas to visitors. Some adventurous travellers have applied for visas at the Iraqi embassy in Jordan. We are not aware of anyone being granted a visa, other than journalists and aid workers.