Service taxis also run from Damascus to most of the neighbouring countries. You can bring your own vehicle into Syria, but you will need a carnet de passage and local third-party insurance. In summer, the ferry also stops in Cyprus. There are internal flights between Damascus and Aleppo, Qamishle, Lattakia and Deir ez-Zur. Syria's road network is excellent, and buses are frequent and cheap - most Syrians use the bus, as very few have their own car.
Distances are short and most trips take under four hours.
Bus types include the traditional coach, minibuses and Japanese vans known as microbuses. Service taxis operate on the major bus routes but are considerably more expensive than microbuses. Syria's trains are a modern lot, made in Russia. They're cheap and punctual, but the stations are usually a fair way out of town. The main line connects Damascus, Aleppo, Deir ez-Zur, Hassake and Qamishle, with a secondary line along the coast.