I am planning to bike part of lebanon and and syria. I am starting from the bekaa Valey to Damascus and from Damascus to Aleppo.
I am not sure if I I should take the costal way via Tartus or take the desert road via palyrma. has any one done this? what are the roads like?
Any advice is appreciated.


I have driven these routes and the roads are good. I do not know what it would be like for biking. Taking the coastal road means crossing low mountains and the desert road means heat.

I don't know for sure but am guessing 1000m and from the coast near Latakia to the valley past Qala' al Salah ad- Din must be over 50km, winding up followed by a steep descent.
The mountain range dividing the Syrian coast and interior is about 1000-1500m high. Not quite as brutal as Mount Lebanon, but not insigificant, either. The Homs Gap, between the Syrian and Lebanese mountain ranges, is pretty flat and leads straight to the agricultural flatlands, and from there Damascus and Aleppo, if you don't feel like facing the Syrian coast. That would be a bit of a shame, though - parts of the Syrian coast/mountains are just as pretty and just as green as Lebanon.
Personally, I'd go from Lebanon and continue up the coast to Lattakia, head to Aleppo, and then go to Damascus via the interior. That way, you're travelling in a big loop, and don't have to double back as you would if you're going Bekka-Damascus, Damascus-Aleppo.

from damascus to Aleppo u have 3 choises.
1 from Palmyra it will be mostly desert but u can visit dyer az sawer ar, Raqqa Fourat river many interesting places but long one
2, u can go from Damas to homes mostly desert from homes through the dead cites to Aleppo it is a beautiful road and u get to see many intresting places.
3 from dams to homes and then to the cost which is mountain and u get to visit many castle on the road.
my advise is: what time are u visiting if it is in the summer i would advise the cost. and mostly what r u interested to see. the cost is more like Lebanon and the desert is different.
good luck