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Lake Saif-al-Maluk, Pakistan

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Travel to Pakistan

Flying to Pakistan

Flights to Pakistan are served by the national airline, Pakistan International Airlines (PK) (www.piac.com.pk). PIA fly direct from London, Manchester and Leeds to Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi. While Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad are home to the major international airports, there are also seven other international airports - in Quetta, Gwadar, Peshawar, Sialkot, Multan, Rahim Yar Khan and Faisalabad. Etihad (www.etihadairways.com) have flights from London and Manchester to several Pakistani cities, including Lahore and Karachi all via Abu Dhabi.

Emirates, Gulf Air, Oman Air and Kuwait Airways all have reasonably priced tickets from the UK to Islamabad and Karachi via their regional hubs in the Middle East. Qatar Airways have flights from London to Peshawar via Doha.

Flights tend to be cheaper outside of school holidays when many British Pakistanis visit family. They’re also cheaper during the cooler months, rather than peak season, which runs from November to March.

Air notes:

The low-cost airline, RAK Airways (www.rakairways.com) in the UAE have just launched new flights into Pakistan. The airline now offers flights to Peshawar and Lahore.

Flight times:

From London to Karachi is 8 hours 40 minutes, London to Islamabad is 8 hours and from New York to Islamabad is 21 hours 40 minutes.

Air passes:

The only air pass available for Pakistan is a general Visit Asia air pass with oneworld (www.oneworld.com), the alliance of 12 airlines including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, JAL Japan Airlines, LAN, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Mexicana, Qantas, Royal Jordanian Airlines and S7 Airlines. With the Asia Air Pass, travellers can combine an air pass to include the Pakistani cities of Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi as well as cities within Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Guam, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Prices vary depending on countries and cities.

Departure tax:

Rs 700-1,400 depending on class of travel. Transit passengers and children under two years of age are exempt. These fees are nearly always factored into the price of the ticket.

Travel by rail

A rail link extends from Quetta (via the border crossing at Taftan) to Zahedan, Iran; the express train (journey time - 27 hours) runs weekly from Quetta, as does the passenger train, which only travels as far as Taftan. For more information contact Pakistan Railways (tel: (42) 920 1642; www.pakrail.com). Always double check that the government of Pakistan is allowing foreigners to travel on the railways. In 2009 it was reported that westerners were banned from surface travel as there were security/terrorism concerns.

By rail note:

Note the international Quetta to Zahedan (Iran) train will travel at night through the unstable and conservative Balochistan region which can present some security concerns. Unaccompanied female travellers should think twice before travelling on this route.

Driving to Pakistan

Visitors exiting Pakistan by land routes are subject to a road toll. Travel to the federally administered tribal areas and the border areas with Afghanistan is not recommended. For further information, visitors should seek official advice.

Getting to Pakistan by boat

Main port: Karachi (also known as Kemari) . It is both Afghanistan's and Pakistan's port for goods, together with Port Qasim. No passenger boats or ships for the general public sail to or from Pakistan at present.

Cruise ships:

None at present. There was an attempt to begin a luxury cruise between Karachi to Dubai and back, however the ‘Gulf Dream Cruise’ was denied boarding by the UAE Authorities. It has not sailed that route since.

Ferry operators:

No international passenger ferries, except the Hajj ferries to Mecca.

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