Beirut Good to know Currency: Lebanese Pounds (LBP) Exchange rates: 1 EUR = 2,236.60 LBP / 1 LBP = 0.000447108 EUR USD = 1,511.65 LBP / 1 LBP = 0.000661529 USD Dialing code country: 00961 Dialing code city: (00961) 1 Time GMT: GMT +2 hours
International and national transports To get there Airport Beirut International Airport (BEY) www.beirutairport.gov.lb Flight info: +961 (0)1 62 80 00 Airline companies Air Algerie (AH) Air France (AF) Alitalia (AZ) Austrian Airlines (OS) British Airways (BA) Cyprus Airways (CY) Czech airlines (OK) Egypt Air (MS) Emirates (EK) Ethiopian airlines (ET) Gulf Air (GF) KLM (KL) Kuwait Airways (KU) Lufthansa (LH) Middle East Airlines (ME) Olympic Airlines (OA) Oman Air (WY) Qatar Airways (QR) Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ) Royal Air Maroc (AT) Saudi Arabian Airlines (SV) Syrian Arab Airlines (RB)
www.airalgerie.dz www.airfrance.com www.alitalia.com www.aua.com www.britishairways.com www.cyprusairways.com www.csa.cz www.egyptair.com.eg www.emirates.com www.ethiopianairlines.com www.gulfair.fr www.klm.com www.kuwait-airways.com www.lufthansa.com www.mea.com.lb www.olympicairlines.com www.omanair.aero www.qatarairways.com www.rja.com.jo www.royalairmaroc.com www.saudiairlines.com www.syriaair.com
Tunisair (TN) Turkish Airlines (TK)
www.tunisair.com www.thy.com
From the airport to Beirut center Taxis Service 24/24h – 30$ Tel: +961 (0)3 63 16 30 / +961 (0)3 80 61 99
Leave Beirut BY BUS Bus stations Charles Helou bus station Av Charles Helou, 3 sections: A, B, C Zone C: International service taxis to Damascus and Amman Zone B: local buses Zone A: service to Syria Departure for Damascus by taxi: every 30min - 1hrs, 22.500LL, takes 3½ hrs Departure for Amman by taxi: every 30mn - 1hrs, 37.000LL, takes 7½ hrs Departure for Damascus by bus: every about 2hrs, 15.000LL, takes 5hrs Cola station To the South of Lebanon, south Beirut, Bekaa valley and Tripoli, about 4000LL Dora station To north of Lebanon & north Beirut, about 3000LL
Getting around By taxi Allo Taxi Tel: +961 1 366661 Caracas Taxi Tel: +961 1 741959 Lebanon Taxi Tel: +961 1 353153 Shared taxi (serveece) LL2000/person (4000LL for longer distance) You can offer the price of a full taxi (LL8000) when you’re in a hurry By bus Lebanese Commuting Company (LCC) private company LL 1000/ride
Public bus LL 750/ride
Visa With a Maghreb/Machrek passport Contact the Lebanese Embassy or consulate in your country for more information With a European/ Canadian/ American passport You can get a visa at the airport on your arrival or from the Lebanese diplomatic mission in your country Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months after your travel You will face a problem if your passport hold on anything related to Israel
Recommended places Hotels High budget Le Meridien www.lemeridien-beirut.com Commodore Street Tel: +961 (0)1 35 04 00 Fax: +961 (0)1 34 58 06/7 Hotel de ville www.lemeridien-beirut.com Sodeco, close to Saint Joseph University Tel: +961 (0)1 63 77 77 Fax: +961 (0)1 63 77 00 Moderate budget Casa d’Or www.casadorhotel.com Hamra, Jeanne d'arc Str. Tel : +961(0)1 34 78 50/74 64 00 Mobile : + 961 (0)3 34 83 00 Fax: +961 (0)1 34 78 40 Bella Riva www.bellarivahotel.com Caracas Str., Manara
Tel: + 961 (0)1 75 43 43 Mobile: +961 (0)3 64 08 94 Fax: +961 (0)1 75 43 49 Mayflower hotel www.mayflowerbeirut.com Yafet st., Hamra Tel: +961 (0)1 34 06 80 Fax: + 961 (0)1 34 20 38
Low Budget Cedarland Hotel www.cedarlandhotel.com Abdel Aziz st. Tel: +961 (0)1 34 02 33/34 Marble Tower www.marbletower.com.lb Makdisi St., Hamra Tel: +961 (0)1 34 62 61/62 Fax: +961 (0)1 34 62 62
Restaurants www.beirutrestaurants.com High budget Au Vieux Quartier (East Beirut) Rue Michel Bustros Tel: +961 (0)1 20 08 70 Open 12:30 - 15:00, 20:30 - 23:30; closed on Sunday French cuisine with a strong emphasis on fish/seafood. Excellent and longstanding reputation. Al Chahrour (Manara) Av du General de Gaulle Tel: +961 (0)1 86 93 00 Arabic and European cuisine (seafood, grills) Moderate budget Abou Hassan Salah Edin el-Ayoubi st., Manara Tel: +961 (0)1 74 17 25
Small traditional Lebanese restaurant serving excellent food 24Hrs taxi company next door Caracas Taxi (Tel: +961 (0)1 74 19 59) Abdel Wahad Abdel Wahad el-Inglizi st., Ashrafieh Tel: +961 (0)1 20 05 52 Open daily 12:00-2300 Rooftop terrace in summer Casper & Gambini’s (central district) Maarad st., down town Open daily 0730-late; Ultra modern and trendy snack bar/café Low Budget Café Al Jamal Av. de Paris, El Corniche Open daily 0530-1300, 1700-late Simple Arabic food Le Chef Gemayze st., Open daily till 19:00 Lebanese Cuisine
Bars & Cafés Cafes and patisseries Café de Paris Hamra st. Café Younes Nehme Yafet st., Hamra Café Mondo Phoenicia InterContinental Hotel, down town City Café Sadat st., Hamra
Bars www.downtownbeirut.com/pubs_night_clubs.htm
Blue Note Makhoul st., Hamra Tel: +961 (0)1 74 38 57 Jazz café often with live music Rai (East Beirut) Rue Monot Open from 21:00, closed on Monday Moroccan style, bar/restaurant Barometre Makhoul st., Hamra Open daily from 19:00 till early morning
Internet cafés in Beirut There are dozens of internet cafés in Beirut, most concentrated in Hamra
Tourist useful links www.timeoutbeirut.com www.beirut-hotel.com www.downtownbeirut.com