Beirut Travel Forum

Hello I would like to travel for a day tour to Baalbek from Beirut,
How dependable and safe are the services taxi from the Cola Station and how easy is to return the same way?
If a hire a taxi what will be a reasonable price I should pay for a day tour to go there?
We are 2 guys travelling to Beirut in june 2009
Thank you.

Best Advice would be taking a Mini Bus, fast, affordable , they leave Beirut from ( MSHARAFEH AREA ). You can take a taxi for 3 $ USD for the both of you from COLA STATION and that taxi will drop you off at MSHARAFEH= 5-10 minute ride , just tell the taxi driver in COLA STATION that you want to go to Balbeek in a Mini Bus and want him to drop you off at the mini Bus Station in MSHARAFEH, all the people and taxi drivers know MSHARAFEH so it wouldn't be a problem finding it or getting there.

Once In MSharafeh you will find many many Mini Buses, all of them are going to Balbeek, so 2 guys one way to Balbeck would be 12-14 $ USD.

Once you arrive to Balbeek which would be a 2 hour ride, the Mini Bus will stop in the Mini Bus station, so that is the same spot you need to return to, to get a Mini Bus that will take you back to Beirut, and they Work till late night, so you can still Find a Bus going to Beirut as late 8 pm sometimes.

As for a taxi for the whole day, it would cost you a 100$ USD might be a little less or a little more, it depends how well you bargain, but the benifit is that since you have a local driver and you can find some drivers who speak english, the benifit would be that he would be your tour guide as well and he would make the whole trip easier and you can cover a lot more area's in the Bekaa Valley besides Balbeek, like passing in Zahle on your way back from Balbeck.

Hope this answers your question.

thank you for your help
I will be staying in the Hamra area .would be more easy to take a taxi from Hamra to Msharafeh?
Manuel

Hamra is close, not really that far away, you can take a taxi ride for 2 people from hamra to Msharafeh , it would cost you 6 $ USD for the both of you and it would take about 15 minutes to reach there if there isn't a lot of traffic.