Beirut Transport
Beirut does not have a wide variety of transport choices and most people chose to take a taxi or a service taxi, which is a shared taxi. There is also a reasonably extensive public bus service, and two different types of bus are offered. Car hire is an option and many people chose to hire the services of a driver as well.
By bus
There are two types of bus in Beirut, ordinary public buses and mini-buses. The ordinary buses cover quite an extensive area of the city and have traditional bus stops. The mini-buses ply certain routes and can be flagged down at any point along this route. Both these types of bus are relatively cheap, with the mini-buses costing a fraction more.
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Taxis
One of the most common ways of travelling around Beirut is by service taxi. These are effectively shared taxis, with up to four passengers, usually headed for the same area, but different destinations. It’s easy to hail one in the street; tell the driver where you are heading, so he can decide if it is convenient to take you. It doesn’t usually take long to find one going your way. It is possible to let the driver know you are happy to pay more than the ordinary fare, to try and convince him to take you!
The same vehicles often act as ordinary taxis, and if you tell the driver you want a taxi (as opposed to service), he will understand that you don’t want to pick up other passengers on the journey, and the fare will obviously be slightly more. Service taxis must have red license plates.
There are also plenty of ordinary taxis in Beirut, and it is often easy and convenient to negotiate with the driver to take you to a number of sights during one day.
From the airport
At the moment, there are no public transport options from the airport, but since the airport is so close to the city, transport is not a major issue. There are plenty of taxis available here, and the InterContinental Hotel provides a shuttle bus service whatever time your flight arrives, as do a number of other hotels in the city. For those who hire a car, the airport is just a short drive from the city.