Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
IS THIS SEAT FREE?
Choosing where to sit on Iranian transport can be fraught with difficulty. On city buses, even married couples must
sit separately; men at the front of the bus, women at the back.
In contrast, on intercity buses and minibuses, seating is arranged so that women sit next to women and men next
to men, unless they're couples or family. A woman is not expected to sit next to an unrelated man even if there's
only one spare seat left on the bus, and people will move around until the gender mix is right.
But sometimes the opposite sex is impossible to avoid. In shared taxis people pop in and out of the front and back
like pinballs in an attempt to keep unrelated men and women apart. But when this proves impossible, you'll end up
next to someone of the opposite sex and no one will get too upset. On the Metro women can choose the women's
only carriages or squeeze in with the men. And on sleeper trains you might find yourself in a mixed compartment if
you don't specify that you want a single-sex compartment.
Reservations
You can buy tickets up to a week in advance from bus company ticket offices in town or
at the terminal. Between major cities, such as Esfahan and Tehran, buses leave at least
every hour between about 6am and midnight. In medium-sized towns, such as Hamadan
and Kerman, buses to nearer locations leave every hour or so, but longer trips (and any
cross-desert trip) will often be overnight. In smaller places, where there may be only one
or two buses a day to your destination, it is essential to book ahead.
There are often no-shows for bus trips, so seats can magically appear on otherwise full
buses just before departure. Alternatively, you might be offered the back seat.
Tickets are almost always in Farsi, so learn the Arabic numbers (see
Click here
) to
check the day of departure, time of departure, bus number, seat number, platform number
and fare...or ask a local.
The Journey
Expect to average about 60km/h on most journeys. On most trips of more than three hours
you'll stop at roadside restaurants serving cheap food. Ice-cold water is normally available
on the bus and is safe to drink. Every two hours or so the driver will stop to have his
tachograph checked by the police as a precaution against speeding. If it's summer, try to
get a seat on the side facing away from the sun.
