Iran - Andrew Burke [340]
Of the others, Iran Aseman and Mahan Air fly the most routes, while Caspian Airlines, Kish Air and Taban Air have fewer. For website details, Click here. Generally speaking, Iran Air is the most reliable, but whichever airline you choose you stand a good chance of being delayed. On this trip all three domestic flights we took were delayed by more than an hour. Despite this, it’s worth trying to get to the airport a good hour ahead of domestic departures (just in case it leaves on time).
Except for Iran Air, which has unnecessarily large offices across the country, airline offices can be hard to find. It’s much easier to visit one of Iran’s thousands of travel agencies, which can book you onto any airline. When making a booking, check the aircraft type and avoid, wherever possible, the clunking old Tupolevs still struggling through Iran’s skies.
Booking domestic flights from outside Iran can be difficult in some places and nigh-on impossible if the flight is on a smaller airline. None of the airlines yet do online bookings. However, some readers report it’s possible to book domestic flights by calling an Iran Air office outside Iran. They give you a booking reference which you take to an Iran Air office in Iran or to Tehran domestic terminal…you pay for it then.
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BICYCLE
Excellent roads, friendly people and a relatively small risk of theft mean Iran sounds like an ideal cycling destination. And indeed, there are usually one or two travellers pedalling across the country and reporting a fantastic experience full of selfless hospitality. It’s not, however, all easy. Vast distances, dodgy traffic and hot, tedious stretches of desert road – not to mention seasonal winds – can get tiring. You’ll need to carry plenty of water and food to last the long desert stretches, camping equipment if you are not sticking to major towns, a decent map, and a phrasebook.
If you arrive in a village or small town and find either nowhere to stay or only a hotel you can’t afford – and if you can’t persuade the caretaker at the local mosque to take you in – you might have to load your bike on a bus or truck and head for the next big town.
The biggest drawback with cycling, as with most other activities in Iran, is the need to stay covered up. We have received varying reports from travellers: some say that it’s fine to wear cycling gear when actually on the road, as long as you have clothes at hand to cover up as soon as you stop; others say that women in particular must be covered at all times.
Spare parts can be hard to find and there is nowhere to rent bicycles for long distances, so bring your own.
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BOAT
The only places you’re likely to use a boat are between the mainland and some islands in the Persian Gulf (Click here).
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BUS
In Iran, if you can’t get somewhere by bus (or minibus), the chances are no-one wants to go there. More than 20 taavonis (bus companies) offer hundreds of services all over the country, so business is highly competitive, fares cheap and, on busier routes, departures are frequent. Most buses are comfortable, with your own cushioned seat and, except on very short trips, standing is not allowed. Fares don’t vary much between companies, but they do vary between classes of bus – see One Habitat, Two Species: Mahmooly or Volvo? Click here.
Don’t be confused by the names of the destinations on a bus. It’s common for a bus travelling between, for example, Khorramabad and Ahvaz, to have ‘Tehran–İstanbul’ written on the front or side in English. Similarly, phrases like ‘Lovely bus’ are not always a fair reflection of reality. There are no bus passes.
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CHECKPOINTS
If you’re travelling to or from the Pakistan or Afghan borders, or from Bandar Abbas, you’re likely to have to stop at checkpoints designed