BootsnAll Travel Community

I plan to be going to Syria for a month next year. Now I realize I am planning early but I like to prepare. What is the best way to get there ie: fly to another country close by and take a train/bus , fly directly there. If you have any suggestions that would be great, as well if you have any recommended must see/do that would also be greatly appreciated.

I forgot to add - I will have an opportunity to have a car with diplomatic plates so I want to also visit neighbouring countries - suggestions as to where are most welcome.

I've never been to Syria (one day...) but if you're looking for the CHEAPEST way, I suspect it would be to get a cheap flight to Amsterdam or Frankfurt or somewhere, then a flight on a discount airline to Turkey (given the large Turkish diaspora in Germany and the Netherlands there are regular cheap flights between them and Turkey.)

Once in Turkey you can travel overland to Syria.

This way wouldn't be particularly fast, but as I say, it would be cheap and you'd get to see a bit of Turkey to boot.

I just checked out some prices. You can get a return to Amsterdam for C$550, and when I flew from Netherlands to Turkey my flight was 19 Euros each way. Depending on the route you took the bus trips inside Turkey would be on the order of magnitude of C$60. This would require a Turkish visa. I think it was around $40, available on arrival. Grand total about C$700-750.

This compares to C$934 return to Istanbul, or min. C$1000 to Damascus.

As for things to see/do, I don't know all that much about sights in Syria, but I'd never forgive you if you didn't go to Krak des Chevaliers, a spectacularly preserved Knights Hospitalar castle.

Wow Oswiu,
Those are some great tips - I will definitely keep them in mind thanks!

Cheap flights to Istanbul from LHR (or LGW, more likely), and then get a night bus down to the border. Rest, relax and review Urfa and Harran before crossing the border. Have your visa in advance (especially if you are a US citizen) and don't believe a word about changing money at the border.

Thanks for the advice Static, I'm Canadian but I suspect I will still need a visa.

Definitely avoid a direct flight into Syria. They can be outrageous, and you'll probably transit through somewhere else anyway. Oswiu's idea is a good one.

Depending on *how* cheap you want to go, and how much of a hurry you're in, here's another suggestion:

Once you get to Istanbul, check the prices on flights to Adana. This will save probably 20 hours or so over the bus. They're also fairly cheap ... I think I paid about $50 one way. They run special deals on this.

From Adana, you can catch a bus to Antakya, and from there, they run buses across the border and into Aleppo.

The Adana flight is good if you're in a hurry. You can wake in Istanbul and go to bed that night in Aleppo. The bus will probably be in the neighborhood of 30 hours (with a few of those hours spent sitting at the border, if my experience was anything to go by).

There's also an Istanbul-Aleppo train, but service can be spotty. It was "closed" when I was there. Worth checking out, though.

As for sights to see, search around this forum. Some of the obvious highlights are Damascus, Aleppo, Palmyra, Krak des Chevaliers, Hama, Basra, Qala'at Samaan. Syria is amazing. I'd also get over to Lebanon for Baalbek (at least), and down to Jordan for Petra if you have time.

I actually think Static's suggestion of going through London instead of Germany/Netherlands is probably better.

Flights from the mainland to Turkey can be very very cheap, but I don't think that will quite make up for the particularly good deals you can find on Toronto-London flights.

Anyhow, look at both options, see what works best, and enjoy your trip

what's the word on flights from ankara to syria (any city)? anyone know ballpark prices? convenience?

i'll be studying in ankara this summer, and i've lately been thinking about trying to go to syria one weekend since i'll be in the neighborhood. everything i've been reading about syria makes me really really want to go.

gtrob - do you have suggestions from your on what to see/do in syria?

sorry, i think a typo is confusing me seussin... are you asking me if i have suggestions for things for you to do in syria, or if i know what i want to do if i go to syria?

if former, then sorry i have no idea.

if latter, then sorry i have no idea.

Well that clears that up.

Sorry Gtrob,
What I meant is since you indicated that you have been reading up on it - you may have read some interesting things and if so do you have any suggestions. Thats better

Well, I mainly read this:

http://wikitravel.org/en/Syria

and these...

http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/syria/syria-travel-stories/

the main draw of travel, for me, is trying to experience and understand other cultures and people. the sights and sounds are just a huge added bonus. so, it's not so much specific attractions that make me want to go to syria, but just that it seems to have a very interesting culture... and possibly one more traditionally "middle-eastern" than turkey. i would guess there is someone here more versed in the specific things to do/see in syria that are especially neat, though...

hey there,
i was in syria last summer. (summer is not the time of year i would recommend going by the way, because of the heat, but we survived it). i would second the recommendations above as far as places to see: Hama, Krak de Chevalier, Palmyra, Damascus. And also down to Petra in Jordan if possible. And again as was mentioned above, taking a bus to Syria all the way from Istanbul would be loooong. I thought Syria DEFINITELY felt more middle eastern than Turkey. Eastern Turkey is much more traditional than western Turkey for sure, but once you are down into Syria I think you are really in it.

have fun.

Thanks for all the great advice - I think I can manage this on my budget now. Does anyway have any advice on what definetely NOT to do in Syria?

quote:

Does anyway have any advice on what definetely NOT to do in Syria?

Yes, don't criticize Bashar Assad in public, and don't wear tight or skimpy clothes!

But perhaps you're speaking in terms of sights to see? If that's the case, no, I can't really say there's anything I'd avoid. Then again, I only spent two weeks there. With a month, you might get to more places.

hi guys i live in Toronto Canada and my background is syrian from aleppo . and im looking forward to visite this summer aswell. and the cheapest ticket is like 1800 canadian highe seasonand its almost impossible for me to afford it . so how much would u usually pay to get to Istanbul from canada>

another thing i wana say that im gona b staying there for a while if ther is anyone who wants help or a place to stay or even go arround syria plz let me know im more than glad to help out ..im sure all of you guys will like it ..

hady_banzo@hotmail.com