Middle East - Anthony Ham [550]
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TOURS
International tour companies offer a host of tour possibilities for visiting the Middle East – everything from a package tour by the beach to a more gruelling six-week overland expedition. These can usually be booked directly through the tour company, but you’ll also have plenty of choice if you visit any travel agent in your home country.
For tour companies specialising in individual countries, see the Transport section of the relevant country chapter.
Australia
In Australia, most of the companies that offer tours to the Middle East do so as agents for the UK packages; check out the websites that are listed under the UK companies for the local affiliate closest to you.
There are also a few interesting home-grown outfits:
Adventure Associates ( 1800 222 141; www.adventureassociates.com)
Intrepid ( 1300 364 512; www.intrepidtravel.com)
Passport Travel ( 03-9500 0444; www.travelcentre.com.au)
Tempo Holidays ( 1300 362 844; www.tempoholidays.com)
France
Ailleurs.com ( 08 92 16 11 92; www.ailleurs.com)
Atalante ( 04 72 53 24 80; www.atalante.fr)
Hommes et Montagnes ( 04 38 86 69 19; www.hommes-et-montagnes.fr)
Voyageurs du Monde ( 01 40 15 11 15; www.vdm.com)
Voyailes ( 01 34 70 40 89; www.voyailes.fr)
Zig-Zag Randonnées ( 01 42 85 13 93; www.zigzag-randonnees.com)
Germany
Dabuka Expeditions ( 0605-987 9896; www.dabuka.de)
Djoser ( 0221-920 1580; www.djoser.de)
Italy
Antichi Splendori Viaggi ( 011 812 67 15; www.antichisplendori.it in Italian)
NBTS Viaggi ( 011 051 95 75; www.nbts.it)
Shiraz Travel Tours ( 065 115 708; www.shiraztravel.com)
Spain
Oriente Medio (www.orientemedio.eu)
Viajes Tuareg ( 932 652 391; www.viajestuareg.com)
UK
Adventure Company ( 0845 450 5316; www.adventurecompany.co.uk)
Ancient World Tours ( 020-7917 9494; www.ancient.co.uk)
Andante Travels ( 01722 713800; www.andantetravels.co.uk)
Cox & Kings ( 020-7873 5000; www.coxandkings.co.uk)
Crusader Travel ( 020-8744 0474; www.crusadertravel.com)
Dragoman ( 01728 861133; www.dragoman.com)
Exodus ( 020-8675 5550; www.exodus.co.uk)
Explore Worldwide ( 0845 013 1537; www.explore.co.uk)
Imaginative Traveller ( 0800 316 2717; www.imaginative-traveller.com)
Kumuka ( 0800 068 8855; www.kumuka.com)
Oasis Overland ( 01963 363400; www.oasisoverland.co.uk)
On the Go ( 020-7371 1113; www.onthegotours.com)
Peregrine ( 0844 736 0170; www.peregrineadventures.com)
Silk Road and Beyond ( 020-7371 3131; www.silkroadandbeyond.co.uk)
USA
Bestway Tours & Safaris ( 1-800-663-0844; www.bestway.com)
Yalla Tours ( 1-800-644-1595; www.yallatours.com)
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GETTING AROUND
This chapter should be used for general planning only. If you want to travel, for instance, between Turkey and Israel and the Palestinian Territories, it will give you a broad overview of the options: air, land or sea, train versus bus, and so on. Then, if you decide to go by bus from İstanbul to Damascus, from Damascus to Amman, and Amman to Jerusalem, you should begin by going to the Getting There & Away section at the back of the Turkey chapter (Click here) for further details on buses to Syria. The destination-specific sections will tell you where the border crossing points are. Once in Syria, consult Click here for the best way to continue to Amman in Jordan. Simple.
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AIR
With no regional rail network to speak of, and distances that make the bus a discomforting test of endurance, flying is certainly the most user-friendly method of transport in the Middle East if your time is tight. Tickets are more flexible than buses or trains, schedules more rigidly adhered to, refunds easier to get and information more readily available.
Flying isn’t a safe option for getting to or from Iraq, nor is flying possible between Israel and the Palestinian Territories and other Middle Eastern countries, except for Egypt,