15

If you haven't started travelling yet, then get in touch with your nearest Syrian embassy. If necessary, go there in person. If you don't need a visa, a letter from them might help.

16

Just read on, I believe, Yahoo or MSNBC news site that the group Hamas is actually pulling their families out of Syria because they are concerned for their safety. I have not seen a confirmation of this report - sorry.

17

Go_2,
I really don't know what you mean by "I know it is difficult" about checking with the Syrian embassies. Our embassy here has only gotten more friendly and accomodating since the start of the uprising. They have always answered the phone when I called and explained everything to me in detail. In 2010 they confirmed that indeed, there was none, when I expressed my surprise that they did not have a website for their embassy, and also said, they were not sure how long it would take to process my visa application, so advised me to apply a month before departure. The next summer they not only have a proper website, their website also listed exactly how long it would take for every nationality applying for every kind of visa, and moreover had shortened the visa issuing process to a mere 3 days, done exactly on time ("If you come on a Monday, you will receive your visa on Wednesday, if you come on Wednesday you will receive it on Friday.." and so on, it said, and that is how it went.)
I have not spoken to the embassy officials since last August but they have always been very friendly and helpful. The man wore a poker face when he handed me my passport with my visa last summer, in the middle of the uprising, but it was issued, no questions asked. I also got in more easily at the airport than the year before, they did not even want to know where I was going to stay, they just stamped my passport.
Be that as it may, I would not recommend to anyone to go to Syria right now, even if my friends in Damascus and Aleppo still seem to be safe and without major problems exacept electricity and telephone outings. On the contrary, everyone seemed to be leaving, even some of the embassies are pulling out now.

18

@16:
Bluesky, yes, this is correct, I read the same information on Al Jazeera. Hamas is pulling out their people from Damascus and is leaving only three staff members to stay, for now.

19

Yahoo news is reporting that the State Department soon "may have no choice" but to close the US Embassy in Damascus, though it is still open (with a reduced staff) as of 20 January, 2012. Things seem to be happening fast.

20

Can anyone give a honest, non-political travel advice for this moment (would like to drive trough Syria in 1 day within a few weeks)?

21

Unfortunately, I doubt it. Now many Arab countries have advised all their nationals to leave.

22

Anacondor,
I would not advise anyone to drive through Syria at this time. But if you have to I can only tell you that a friend of mine still lives in Aleppo, says, she is ok (though under stress, obviously) and that Aleppo and Damascus are still fine (I have plenty of contradictory reports on it, but it must be partially true, in some areas of the cities) and she posted a photo of herself in Homs the other day. I think, she was on her way to Damascus by bus, and the bus stopped outside the city and they were ok there.
Now what you are going to do once you go south of Damascus (if you manage to get past Hama and Homs safely), I don't know, there is still the Daraa area.
Can't you spend some money on a flight to Amman from Turkey?
I used to say, fly from Aleppo to Damascus but the last thing I heard was that Damascus airport was closed so I don't know whether this is possible any longer.
Or fly to Beirout and go via Israel, if this is possible but ask other people about that, I would not know about this route.
Why does it have to be now and not in a few months when this may be over at last?

23

We cannot take a flight as we are driving (from Europe to South Africa) and there seems to be no possibility to ship the car from Turkey or somewhere else to Egypt. Needless to say that we are not keen to drive through Syria now, to say the very least.

I estimate to be at the Syrian border in about 2,5 weeks.

Our route would be: Reyhanli (Turkey) - Aleppo - Al Raqqah/Resafa - Palmyra - Damascus - Daraa.

We would be very pleased to hear current information from anyone (residents/tourist) and would like to know if there will be other tourists who intend to drive through Syria this month (and if they would be willing to drive together)!

24

sigh. Here is another interactive map of Daraa area:
http://maps.google.com.kw/maps/ms?msid=208467331739333151927.0004b83dd47220a78387f&msa=0&ll=32.924555%2C35.991211&spn=0.331406%2C0.617294
click on the darts to see what is going on there.
Raqqa also does not sound too good, I have seen a declaration of solidarity with the people of Raqqa recently. FRom Palmyra there is very little news but the other day there also somebody got shot during a demonstration.
Mobile phones do not work in Homs right now, only landlines. And there has been continuous shelling.

25

Anacondor, I see, you list Holland as your country? The Dutch ambassador to Syria has just been recalled. Spain, France, UK, US, and Italy have closed their embassies in the recent days.
If you go there and anything happens, there will be almost noone who can bail you out.
Do you absolutely have to drive to Africa now by car via Syria?
If the embassies close, it may be a preparation for war. I hope not but the SNC and the US are both supporting the FSA now.
Also, light, heat, internet, phone lines keep going on and off. When I chat with my friends in Damascus we are interrupted every few minutes by either very slow inteernet connection or a breakdown in connection.
A friend in Aleppo takes days to answer her emails or maybe never. Skype works sometimes but that also keeps breaking down. If you bring a satellite phone you will be suspected of being a journalist.
So, check your options if anything happens.

26

Does anybody know if the airport in Damascus is still open to air traffic. I had heard that it was closed.
Thank you!

27

Indeed I'm living in the Netherlands and there is no realistic alternative for travelling overland to South-Africa (via West-Africa is not a feasible option in these seasons). To make things clear: I would like to drive trough asap, if possible in 1 or 2 days. I do not want to visit the country or leave the highways (and won't get involved in demonstrations). Neither do I want to have an internet or phone connection to chat with family and friends. I just would like to cross the country by car fastly and have been preparing for this trip almost a year and already have left my home etc. I do have a sattphone which may be working (which we obviously need to hide very very well).

The Dutch ambassador was called back as a reaction to the UN-veto of Russia and China, not because it would be too dangerous to stay in Damascus.

My question remains:

Our route would be: Reyhanli (Turkey) - Aleppo - Al Raqqah/Resafa - Palmyra - Damascus - Daraa.

We would be very pleased to hear current information from anyone (residents/tourist) and would like to know if there will be other tourists who intend to drive through Syria this month (and if they would be willing to drive together).

28

Presumably, you have your visas and car documents already sorted out?
Without these I don’t think you’ll be allowed to enter the country.

Sometimes my baggage has been examined, sometimes not, but I’ve never been asked to empty my pockets.
I don’t know much about electronic equipment, but would suggest you remove your sim card from your phone (maybe put it in a sock?) and make sure your phone is completely run down and in a pocket, NOT hidden in the car. The customs people are used to finding hiding places and if they find a concealed one you’ll be in trouble.
A friend in Aleppo put a picture of Bashir al Assad on his opening screen. When the customs people see it they smile and hand it back to him without checking it, but it would be wise not to have any links to journalistic sites in your phone’s memory.

With regard to your route:
1. I’ve heard of border closures at Reyhanli and also at Deraa. These have so far been temporary – no more than a day or two at most - but you should be prepared for them.
2. The quickest and most direct route would be to bypass Aleppo and take the main highway straight to Damascus, no more than 4-5 hours on if there are no police checkpoints. The road by-passes Homs without entering the city or its environs.
3. Take an Arabic dictionary. Few police speak English, and it could be invaluable for getting information should you be stopped along the way.
4.Plan to spend a night in Damascus. Al Haramain hotel is in souk Sarouja, quite near the old city so very central. There’s parking in the square behind the hotel, it’s clean, cheap, friendly, and a good source of information.
5. The route to the border also by-passes Deraa. It’s quite well signposted. But it goes quite near to Deraa so may be a problem.

Should things not be as bad as the news seems to suggest, spend a few nights in Damascus. The old city is amazing and the Syrian people are wonderful.

And please come back here and let us know how your trip went, and what the current situation is.

29

Go_2, thank you very much for your post, it seems to be very helpful. Indeed, all our paperwork should be fine (passports, visa, carnet de passages, etc.). If I understand your post correctly, you are saying that - in case you are able and allowed to enter the country - it will most certainly be possible to safely cross Syria, especially if you do bypass Hama and Homs (via the Eastern/Palmyra route). For us, that's very good news.

What is your source of information (friends, family, yourself) and are you 100% sure about the information provided? Is there a chance of difficulties/problems/danger at the road blocks? Any tips&tricks in this regard?

Please keep me informed the next two weeks if there should be any amendments to the "travel advice".

Needless to say that I will return to this forum as soon as I safely crossed Syria.