Iran - Andrew Burke [96]
Unless you’re travelling light and know Tehran, however, it’s wise to bite the bullet and pay for a private taxi. Fares are fixed but it’s still best to use the taxi dispatcher, where they can tell you exactly how much you should pay.
A taxi to southern or central Tehran should cost about IR50,000, and up to IR80,000 to northern and eastern Tehran. If it’s peak hour, the price will be higher, which is fair considering the trip will probably take twice as long.
If you want a shuttle taxi (about IR12,000 from the airport to the city centre), ask around or tell a taxi driver na dar baste (no closed door), and he will look for other passengers going the same way; it costs more for door-to-door.
A final option is to take a taxi (about IR15,000) to Azadi Metro station and go underground from there.
Car & Motorcycle
If you’re driving in Tehran, try to put out of your mind everything you’ve ever learned about road rules – none of it applies here. Out of a basic instinct for survival you’ll soon assimilate to the lawless aggression of the locals and be driving with 100% attention – and 180-degree vision – at all times; Click here for details.
One adrenalin-inducing way to get across town in a hurry is on a motorcycle taxi. You’ll see them loitering on corners all over town, though the corner of Jomhuri-ye Eslami Ave and Ferdosi St is a good place to look for one going north. They cost as much as taxis but take half the time. Good luck!
CAR RENTAL
It’s not only difficult to find a car without a driver, but usually unnecessary too. There is little incentive when you can get a car and English-speaking driver for less than a car alone. Any of the travel agencies listed under Tours will be able to lease you a car with driver. If you really must drive yourself, Europcar (5567 8316) at IKIA rents out cars from IR440,000 a day.
For private hire the cost depends on many variables, not least whether you want an English-speaking driver who can double as a guide – but reckon on paying between US$50 and US$80 a day.
One highly recommended driver-cum-translator is Ali Taheri (4443 1105, 0912-134 9345; service_taheri@yahoo.com). Ali speaks English and knows Tehran (and much of its history) well. He and his air-con Peugeot will cost you €50 a day, and he can also arrange tours to other parts of Iran, in his or larger vehicles.
Just about any taxi (indeed, any car) in Tehran is available for hire (known locally as taxi service, agence or dar baste). To charter a newish Peugeot for the day would probably cost about US$40 to $50; to charter a Paykan in worse condition costs from about US$25 to $30 – it all depends on your bargaining skills, and how far you plan to go.
Public Transport
BUS
Buses cover virtually all of Tehran, but as they’re often crowded and slow, most travellers end up using taxis. Buses run from roughly 6am until 10pm or 11pm, finishing earlier on Friday and public holidays. Tickets cost slightly more than nothing – IR200. You buy them from ticket booths near bus stops or at bus terminals, and then give them to the driver when you board the bus; see the boxed text for bus travel etiquette.
Buses normally travel from one local bus terminal to another, so you may need to take more than one. Major bus departure points you might use include Imam Khomeini Sq, from where buses go in all directions; the terminal on the opposite side of Imam Khomeini Ave from the National Museum of Iran, for the west (Map–3); Arzhantin, Vanak and Valiasr Sqs, for the north; Azadi Sq, for further west; and Rah-Ahan Sq, for the far south.
Buses never show their destinations in English and numbering is inconsistent. However, if you ask at the station or bus stop, you’ll be pointed to the right bus. Some handy routes going north–south include Arzhantin Sq to Tajrish Sq; Imam Khomeini Sq to Arzhantin Sq; Imam Khomeini Sq to Tajrish Sq; and Valiasr Sq to Tajrish Sq.
Private bus companies began operating in 2006, with newer, more comfortable