Syria : Bus Station 101

#1. All the books will tell you 'Mahattat al Baas', but use Garage Bullman (not Pullman Garage, as printed in the Lonley Planet) when referring to the bus station. I don't know if this is a Levantine thing, but seems to earn more kudos from cabbies than the Modern Standard version.

#2. Don't expect to be pointed in the direction of the 'Maquatab al Tazakar' (ticket office) if you bust out the standard phrasebook expression. Each station has several different companies operating buses to different locations and there is no central place to purchase tickets. Ask for your destination, and someone will point you towards the right desk.

#3. Make sure you learn how to say your destination in Arabic- which will be especially necessary for names that in English have a 'p' sound. Why we don't just call it Haleb instead of Aleppo to save confusion beats me.

#4. It also helps to be able to identify the name of your destination in written Arabic. That way you'll know you have a ticket to the right place.

#5. Don't be concerned about the lack of timetables. If there is no timetable it simply means buses depart regularly enough that you won't ever have to wait long. This is very frustrating to German tourists, who want exact schedules, but who soon learn to appreciate the efficient method the Syrians have going.

#6. Buses in Syria are exceptionally good value. For example, a bus from Hama to Aleppo costs SP75 (AU$2.35) for a 2 hour trip, which is less than what you'll pay for a 10 minute cab ride from the station to the centre of town.

#7. Women needn't be afraid of being sat next to touchy-feely Arab men, the ticket officers allocate adjacent seats to women only. You are also unlikely to be seated next to a Hijabed woman, (unless you yourself are wearing one) as they are usually concentrated in one area down the front of the bus.

#8. There's no need to worry about getting hungry or thirsty during your trip, as the ticket collector acts as a maitre d', passing out lollies and water at regular intervals.

#9. You may also get lucky and snag a bus that has tv screens, perhaps showing a techni-coloured Egyptian film

#10. Bags go below, but if you can fit your pack between your knees and the seat in front no one makes any complaints, and there's no need to worry about cracked laptop screens!