Iran - Andrew Burke [345]
However, take comfort in the knowledge that Iranian drivers are almost unfeasibly adept at avoiding accidents, and most foreign drivers make it across Iran without too much trouble.
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HITCHING
Hitching is never entirely safe in any country, and we don’t recommend it. Travellers who decide to hitch should understand that they are taking a small but potentially serious risk. However, many people do choose to hitch, and the advice that follows should help to make their journeys as fast and safe as possible. Women, however, should never hitch in Iran.
Hitching, as understood in the West, is a novel concept in Iran. Although you will often see people standing by the roadside waiting for a lift, they are actually waiting for space in a bus, minibus or shared taxi, for which they expect to pay. Occasionally drivers will offer foreigners a free ride in return for English practice or out of simple hospitality. Like anywhere, you’re most likely to find rides in more remote areas. We heard of one traveller who hitched the Howraman valley with his 12-year-old son, and loved it. And as we found hitching through the Dasht-e Lut, host drivers will be typically generous; ours bought us food, shared their smoke, even tracked down some rocket fuel in a tiny desert town because they thought we wanted it, and refused all attempts to pay them. In such a case it’s nice to have something small to thank them with.
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LOCAL TRANSPORT
Bus
Most Iranian towns and cities have local bus services. Because local buses are often crowded and can be difficult to use unless you know exactly where you’re going, most travellers use the ubiquitous shared and private taxis instead.
Bus numbers and destinations are usually only marked in Farsi, so you need to do a lot of asking around – most people will be happy to help (even if you don’t entirely understand their reply). Except in Shiraz and on one new private operator in Tehran, tickets must be bought at little booths along main streets, or at local bus terminals, before you get on the bus. Tickets on state-run buses cost between IR100 and IR500. Private companies cost a bit more.
Small children of both genders and all women have to sit at the back of the bus. This segregation can be complicated if you are travelling as a mixed couple and need to discuss when to get off. You must give your ticket to the driver either before you get on or after you get off, depending on the local system. Women must pass their tickets to the driver while leaning through the front door of the bus and then board the bus using the back door.
Metro
Metros are the great hope for Iranian cities slowly being strangled by traffic. The Tehran Metro is growing and similar systems are being built in Mashhad, Shiraz and Esfahan; the first two of which should, insh’Allah (god willing), be operational during the life of this book.
Minibus
If you think using local buses is a hassle, don’t even bother trying to use the infrequent and desperately crowded minibuses. Quite often they are so crammed with passengers that you can’t see out to tell where you’re going. You normally pay in cash when you get on – about IR1000 a ticket depending on the distance. Men and women get a seat anywhere they can; there is no room for segregation. Minibuses stop at normal bus stops or wherever you ask them.
Taxi
A shared or private taxi is the quickest and most hassle-free