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Sabratha, Tripoli

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Libya

Travel to Tripoli

Flying to Tripoli

Flights to Tripoli are available from a number of airlines, including Turkish Airlines, Alitalia and Lufthansa.

Travel by road

Summary:

The country's main roads are generally in a good condition, and petrol is relatively cheap.

Routes:

Libya's border with Niger and Algeria in the far south is sometimes open, but the crossing with Chad and Sudan is closed to non-Africans. Check before trying to cross any of these borders as the rules change frequently. Most foreigners entering Libya by road do so at the al-Burdi border crossing from Egypt, or at Ras al-Jadir coming from Tunisia. These two borders are connected by 1,822km (1,132 miles) of National Coast Road, via Tripoli and Benghazi further east.

Coaches:

The bus company al-Ittihad al-Afriqi, Sharia al-Ma'ari (tel: (021) 334 2532), has long distance buses to most capitals in North Africa, including Tunis, Algiers and Cairo, but they need to be booked at least two days in advance. The smaller Mutahedeen Passenger Agency, based at the Tunis Garage which can be found at the western end of Sharia ar-Rachid (tel: (021) 444 3517), has services to Beirut, Damascus, Baghdad and even Istanbul. Al-Ittihad al-Afriqi also has reliable domestic services from the same office to Ghadames, Benghazi, Sebha and al-Kufra.

Timetables and operators change often so check for up-to-date information at the Tunis Garage (see above), the departure point for international services. The other option is to use shared taxis or minibuses to both domestic and international destinations, also from the Tunis Garage.

Travel by rail

Services:

Libya does not have a railway service for the moment, but plans are being made for 3,170km (1,969 miles) of railway track with a line going along the Mediterranean coast from Amsaad in the east to Ras al-Jadir, and a southern line connecting Tripoli to Brak and Sebha.

Travel over water

Summary:

The ferry services between Tripoli and Europe are infrequent and unpredictable.

Ferry services:

A car ferry operated by the Libyan government shipping line, General National Maritime Transport Company (GNMTC) (tel: (021) 333 3155), usually has sailings from Tripoli to Malta and on to several Italian ports.

Italian lines Grimaldi (www.grimaldi-ferries.com) and Grandi Navi Veloci Ferries (tel: 00 39 010 209 4591 (in Italy); www1.gnv.it) run services from several Italian ports to Tunis, and SNCM Ferries (tel: 00 33 891 701 801 (in France); www.sncm.fr) sails from Marseille to Tunis Port. From there drive to the Ras al-Jadir border, before connecting with Libya's National Coast Road.

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