Traveling in the city

The two main way of getting around in Iran's cities are by taxi and by bus. Tehran does have a Metro but its routes and stations are aimed more at people going to work rather than tourists. The easiest way for a tourist is to get around by Taxi.

If you wish to get a taxi and you don't wish the taxi driver to pick up any other passengers then you have to specify that you wish to travel 'DARBAST'. In this way he will drive you directly to your destination. Otherwise many taxis simply drive along a fixed route carrying up to five passengers at a time. Taxi prices are very low in Iran, and if traveling 'DARBAST' you can haggle over the price if you feel you're being charged too much. You can also call '133' which is the Tehran taxi telephone service and wherever you are in Tehran, they will send a taxi to you within usually 10 minutes. There also many telephone mini-cab services available.

Buses in the city carry male passengers in the front and female passengers at the back. Typically you will need to purchase a bus ticket before you board. Bus tickets are very cheap.

Traveling from city to city

There are 4 basic options for traveling between Iran's cities, by rail, coach, air and hiring a car. The best way to travel is probably a combination of coach and air.

Traveling by air inside Iran is certainly cheap, the only problem can be availability. The routes to some of the main cities can sometimes be booked up. You can always try your luck by going to the airport and going on the standby list or better still you can plan your itinerary well in advance and book your airline tickets accordingly. To confirm your international ticket for your departure from Tehran, call the appropriate airline office in Tehran. A list of telephone number for airline offices in Tehran is provided on the left column.

Coach services are plentiful between cities. One of the most well-known companies is 'Seir-o-Safar'. You can pretty much travel to any area by coach and the tickets are pretty cheap. Most coaches between the main routes have air-conditioning or heating, and some also show videos on the way.

The rail network in Iran is still quite basic. Routes are limited to the major cities, and most of the lines only have 1 track, slowing the journey for the trains considerably. Unlike Europe and the US, a rail journey will take you longer than traveling by coach. Hence rail tickets are cheaper. The trains themselves are fairly comfortable and during the evening sleeper wagons are available.

Hiring a car can work out expensive in Iran and rental car companies may require a hefty deposit. Driving in Iran can also be daunting if you are used to European and US highways. It is not recommended unless you absolutely require the freedom of having your own transportation. An alternative is to hire a car and driver together and to enjoy the ride while someone else does the driving.