Iran - Andrew Burke [296]
Arriving in Mashhad by air, the useful hotel reservation counter inside the arrivals hall can book midrange and top-end places. It’s well worth using during high season.
BUS, MINIBUS & TAXI
All of Mashhad’s numerous transport terminals are well out of the centre. However, most long distance bus services can be pre-booked at relatively central Binalood Travel (Map; 852 5580; Imam Reza St).
Main Terminal
Useful services from the bustling main bus terminal (Map; end of Imam Reza St):
For Tabas you’ll get many more options by taking a Yazd bus (probably paying full fare). Likewise, consider taking a Tehran bus for Shahrud, Damghan or Semnan.
Check the security situation before taking Mashhad–Zahedan or Mashhad–Kerman buses, which are subjected to frequent drug searches en-route. For Neishabur (IR6000, two hours), Fariman (IR3500, 1¼ hours), Torbat-e Jam (IR10,000, 2½ hours) and Taybad (IR15,000, 3½ hours), buses leave when full from ‘stations’ five and six within the terminal. Pay on board. Savaris to those destinations usually depart from Hafez Sq.
Other Terminals
For Sarakhs, infrequent buses (IR10,000, three hours) leave from the new Istgah Sarakhs (Map; Sarakhs Blvd), about 700m east of Sarakhs Sq. More regular savaris (IR30,000, two hours) depart from a point somewhat further east. Get to either by bus 64 from Mosallah Blvd.
For Kalat Naderi, savaris (IR25,000, two hours) leave from Bareh Noghari Sq on the northern ring road, reached by bus 35 from Tabarsi St. Very rare buses to Kalat (IR8000, 3½ hours) leave from a hidden yard 300m to the southeast (Map). Savaris to Quchan (back/front IR15,000/20,000, 1½ hours) and Bojnurd (IR30,000/35,0000, three hours) leave from Falakeh Park (Map), a 15-minute ride on buses 12 or 25 from the Haram, or on bus 13 from Falakeh Ab via Charahe Lashkar. Buses to Quchan (IR6000, two hours) and Bojnurd (IR12,000, four hours) start 500m further north up Azadi Hwy (beyond Sajjad Blvd) and also pick up at a spot 6km further northwest along the motorway.
Change in Quchan for Bajgiran (and then Turkmenistan).
Buses for Tus (frequent), Torqabeh (122), Abardeh (122, regular) and Zoshk (124, rare) leave from Falakeh Ferdosi (Map). That’s most conveniently reached by bus 210 from Falakeh Ab or by shuttle taxi (IR1250) from Tohid Blvd at Shohoda Sq. Buses to Kang leave from Kuhestan Park (Map) five times daily.
For Radkan Tower, start by heading to Chenaran. Savaris leave from the west end of Ferdosi Blvd, minibuses from the old TBT garage on Garani Blvd (the western extension of Tohid St).
TRAIN
The train offers a wonderfully comfortable alternative to flying, especially if you pamper yourself with a first class berth (comfortable beds, flat screen TV, full meal service included). Book as far ahead as possible.
Getting Around
TO/FROM THE AIRPORT
A semi regular public bus runs between the airport terminal and Basij Mustazafin Sq. Taxis cost IR35,000.
BUS
Pre-buy shiny IR300 tickets from ticket booths ( 6.30am-8.30pm) to use the excellent but complex network of city buses. Most buses stop running after 9pm. A few (eg bus 10) continue later, requiring two tickets at night. From stops near Falakeh Ab (Map), southbound bus 84 runs to the bus terminal, buses 13, 62 and 94 wiggle towards Park Mellat. Useful bus 210 passes the Nader Shah mausoleum (first stop), Shohoda Sq (second stop) and Falakeh Ferdosi (one stop beyond the big Saba Hotel). For Kuhestan Park, take bus 10 from Shohoda Sq (Map) or Park Mellat.
METRO
The new 19-station metro starts from Ghadir Hwy in the southeast, runs beneath Feda’iyen-e Eslami, Bahar, Enqelab-e-Eslami and Ahmedabad Sts to Park Mellat, then overground down the middle of Vakilabad Blvd rendering that thundering highway almost uncrossable.
TAXI
Shuttle taxis on straight runs usually cost IR1000 (IR1500 for longer hops). However, any deviation requires payment dar baste: IR8000 for a short-ish hop, around IR20,000 to cross a larger chunk of the city.
Return to beginning of chapter
AROUND MASHHAD
Kang