Hi everyone,
In two weeks I'll be leaving to Iran with my girlfriend. This might sound like a stupid question, but... do you think we should wear a ring, just to look like we're married? I've heard most hotels have no problems accepting foreign unmarried couples by now, but what about buses, tea houses, everyday life, stuff like that? We're gonna do at least a couple of long bus rides from town to town (Shiraz-Yazd, Yazd-Isfahan) and we wouldn't like to be forced to seat apart.
thank you!
It is a stupid question - Its not wether you wear a ring or not but how you act & react when together - The rings might make it look as if your married but if you don't act as if your married, well you can always tell.
Alright, I'm gonna rephrase my question in order to make it a little bit easier to understand and less stupid, so that hopefully I'll get more polite and helpful replies:
Are unmarried couples allowed to sit together on out-of-town buses, teahouses or other such places?
My partner and I do a lot of traveling in the ME. I have a cheap little silver ring that I always throw on. I don't know if it makes any difference or not but for me it is a rather small thing to do so why not. I would like to hear from an Iranian on this. Do Iranians you meet and chat with actually notice things like this?
If you are concerned about sitting together in the road buses, you don't have to be married, you just buy your tickets and sit together. Only once in a mini bus from Kashan to a remote village I saw men and women were separated (and yet I don't think people will mind you since it will be obvious you are not from around here).
In public buses in cities men and women sits are separated. you have to enter the front door and you gf will enter the door on the back. I don't recommend using city buses anyway.
You will never be separated in a restaurant or a teahouse or any public place except some religious places like the Mashhad shrine.
hi,
No need to panic or anything like that! Just bring 2 cheap rings with you just in case if you know what I mean. But Iranian hotel managers, I have heard, are not tough on foreigners and usually dont ask too many questions from them. Bye.
Dont know about hotels, but I've spent god only knows how much time on Iranian buses and men and women sitting together on them is not a problem. Iranian couples do it too.
Ditto tea-houses, restaurants, parks, and anywhere else you might go. So long as you're not kissing in public you wont have any problems.
There's never a stupid question, asking them is how we learn. There are however stupid answers and unfortunately you got one. At the start.
To reiterate what every one else has been saying. There will be no problems. I shared with rooms with girls in Iran and yes I did get some winks and the odd comment, but the truth is you will be fine. On rural buses there was segregation. On main city to city buses there was none.
I hope you enjoy Iran
Dave
Thank you everyone (well, everyone from #3 to #7) for your answers. I know this is just a small matter but it's one of these little things I like to make sure of before I get there.
Anyway, I think I'll follow Deedee's suggestion of wearing a cheap ring. Can't hurt, right?
thanx again.
Dear Lorenzo
1. many couples in Iran don't use ring and many Singles in Iran use ring ;) then don't worry
2. you are a tourists and you can book hotel, bus, car and ... for yourselves.
3. between Shiraz to Yazd is 8 hours and Yazd to Esfahan is 5 hours. and you can use an itinerary of a Travel Agency to set it for you by special tourist car not bus but if you want to use bus it is no problem because anyone don't ask you about your relationship.
then don't worry man
have a good trip