The easiest way to visit the sights in Damascus is on foot, and for most of the old city that is the only way. The white-and-blue public buses and the white microbuses are cheap, but very crowded and difficult to use as the destination and numbers are only written in Arabic. The best place to pick either up is from the city bus and microbus depot, on Sharia Shukri al-Quwatly, underneath the flyover right next to the National Museum, which is also where you can get some information.

After walking, taxis are the best way to get around, as they are plentiful, drive around town at all times of the day and night, and relatively cheap. Insist on using the meter (although fewer drivers are willing to these days) or agree on a price before leaving.

Car hire is readily available and most companies have offices at the airport and/or in the city centre. These include Cham Car (tel: (011) 221 6615; website: www.chamhotels.com/cars.html), Europcar (tel: (011) 543 1536; website: http://car-rental.europcar.com) and Hertz (tel: (011) 223 2300; website: www.hertz.com).

There are no bicycles for hire in Damascus.