Saudi Arabia » Getting Around

There are many domestic airports and air travel is by far the most convenient way of travelling around the country. Saudi Arabian Airlines (SV) (tel: (3) 871 3000; www.saudiairlines.com) connects all main centres. More recent additions to the mix are budget carriers Air Arabia (www.airarabia.com), Nas (www.flynas.com), and Sama (www.flysama.com), which offer economy class connections to and from Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam. Many carriers offer special flights for pilgrims arriving at or departing from Jeddah during the Hajj.

The rail system is operated by the Saudi Railways Organisation (www.saudirailways.org). The main railway line is the 570-km-Riyadh-Dammam line, which links Dhahran, Abqaiq, Hofuf, Harad and Al Kharj. There is a daily service in air-conditioned trains, which offer first-, second-, and third-class cars, which descend in corresponding levels of seating comfort and food and beverage service. Children under four travel free.

The railway on the west coast made famous by Lawrence of Arabia's raid has long since been abandoned to the desert, though you can still find old railroad ties, bolts, nails, and the ghostly sentry towers that once guarded the Ottoman empire.

Non-Muslims may not enter Mecca or the immediate area; police are stationed to ensure that they turn off onto a specially built ring road, known amongst expatriates as the 'Christian Bypass'.

It is possible to explore Saudi Arabia's urban centres by walking, but travellers who set out on foot from their hotels will be met with quizzical staring from drivers and incessant honking from eager taxis, both of whom rarely see anyone walking in the city. This is true partially because of the often-extreme temperatures but also due to the overwhelming ubiquity of the automobile. Take a bottle of water.

There are also regular and cheap - but prohibitively interminable - international buses between Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates. Flights are so affordable and bus travel so tedious across epic deserts, that it is highly recommended that travellers in Saudi Arabia go by air. The exception is the short trip from Bahrain to Dammam, which takes about an hour and costs five dollars.

The road network is constantly being upgraded and expanded and, on the main routes, much of it is of the highest standard.

The corniche that winds down the escarpment between Taif and Mecca is as spectacular a feat of engineering as may be seen anywhere, as is the King Fahed Gateway that links Saudi Arabia to Bahrain.

However, standards of driving are erratic, particularly in the Eastern Province.

As foreigners are tolerated rather than welcomed in Saudi Arabia, it is best to drive with extreme caution at all times.

A national driving licence is valid for up to three months if accompanied by an officially sanctioned translation into Arabic, though this provision is often waived for anyone with an American or British license. An International Driving Permit (with translation) is recommended, but not required by law. There are restrictions on women travelling by car with men who are not related by blood or marriage, though officials are sometimes more lenient with citizens from western countries. One provision is iron-clad: non-Muslims may not enter the holy sections of Mecca or Medina.

Inter-country bus travel in the Gulf can be daunting, but travel by bus between Saudi Arabia's cities can be quite nice. The national bus company SAPTCO (www.saptco.com) maintains stations in most major cities, routes are plentiful, the tickets, are affordable, and the vehicles themselves are clean and in good condition. A good bet is the Riyadh-Damamm route, a five-hour voyage through deep desert.

The bravest among Saudi Arabian visitors might consider bringing along a bicycle. Be warned: Local drivers are unaccustomed to cyclists, and riding near motor vehicle traffic is a risky proposition.
Women are not allowed to drive vehicles or ride bicycles on public roads.