BootsnAll Travel Community

Now that Libya is tenatively opening itself to travel, I was wondering just how easy it is to get in and around the country.

I realise that the "easiest" way in is probably across one of the land borders (I was thinking from Tunisa) but does anyone have any experience of this ?

Also regarding the locals, are they still very suspicous of foreigners ? What kind of welcome can I expect ?

I was interested in visiting Tripoli, I'd rather see it now then wait until the flood gates of tourists arrive and make a mess of it (as they have a tendency to do). What other places should be added to my list ?

Any help on this subject will be gratefully received.

i would love to see libya. i posted this awhile ago and people said that you have to be with a tour group.

I did a little investigating back in the spring about traveling to Libya. I had thought about going to Tripoli for a week or so in June.

Since the US government lifted travel restrictions in February for US citizens, you only need a passport and visa in order to visit Libya. There are flights from London and Paris that I found a couple of times a week and I never ran across anything that indicated one had to be part of an organized tour.

I didn't make it last spring, but am considering going next year. I'd love to hear from anyone who's been.

Here's an interesting article about a guy who was one of the first Americans to go to Libya since it's been open: Slate

Libya is a nice place where you can see the archeological sights along the Meditearanian Sea (2000km)and to the desert where the prehostrical rock paintings ,engravings and rock arts of more than 7000y ago are present.

Have a nice trip
www.timshghal.com

wow i just read that article. alright, so having read that.. it makes me pretty skeptical about actually being able to get a visa. would packaged tours take care of all that for you? and is it really that hard to obtain a visa?

Yes, welcome to Libya and really getting Visa is not so hard. Just email me for your all personal details and then your Visa will get it there within the nearest Libyan Embassy.
Thanks
mohamed
m_ahmida@hotmail.com

My mother in law went about 3 years ago on a tour. She didn't have a hard time getting the visa at all, but as far as I know the Libyan government still prefers people to come in organised groups and they prefer senior citizens who are interested in the cultural sites over young people who run around in bikinis or drink alcohol. But my mother in law said it was definitely worth it, just to see the cities and archaelogical sites which - like you said - won't be the same once hordes of tourists arrive.

I might as well reply to this message, because the situation for Libya seems very unclear, but it really isnt.

The libyan authorities only allow tourists in if they are accompanied by a libyan guide. for economical reasons travel by group is better, since the touroperator organizes the visas, the libyan travel guide, and the permissions. If you.re on your own, this would take a whole lot of time, and money. But it is possible, because I met someone in Egypt who toured across Libya. I think he had to pay his guide 100 US a day.

Anyways, I am going there in 2 days with a group of university students so I might know more afterwards.