Car & motorcycle
The usual documentation is required for border crossings and must be valid for all countries you intend to visit. Crossing borders can be time-consuming (procedures can take between one and two hours). A ‘road tax’ of around US$55 is usually charged when crossing the Yemeni–Oman border in your own vehicle. Petrol stations are plentiful around the borders, and spare parts can normally be found. Note that unleaded petrol is unavailable in Yemen.
Entering the destination
Entering Yemen
Immigration is an uncomplicated procedure, but slow. If arriving by land, you’ll be required to do all paperwork at the border crossing. Proceedings can take hours, particularly if you’re with your own vehicle.
Air
Most international traffic arrives and departs from San’a airport. A few airlines, particularly from Middle Eastern countries, also use Aden. Work is currently under way on a new airport for San’a, which is scheduled to be completed by 2009.
Getting around
Car & motorcycle
Hire
Most car-hire companies are based in San’a. Drivers must be over 21 (sometimes 25 years old), and have a valid driving license from their own country. There’s a US$200 deposit payable on all cars as a guarantee. Nowhere in Yemen rents motorbikes.
There are real advantages to hiring a car with a driver. It’s safer, cheaper, more comfortable and more convenient. Additionally, a driver acts as navigator, mechanic, and interpreter and sometimes guide.
Insurance
Third-party insurance is mandatory and is usually included in car-hire prices – but always check. Rented vehicles cannot be taken out of the country.
Bus & tram
Bus
Buses travel to almost all the larger towns (sometimes several a day), and services are pretty punctual and safe.
The longest-established bus company is Yemitco (Yemen International Transport Company; 01-275088; 5am-8pm, in the south 9am-1pm & 3-8pm Sat-Thu, 4-8pm Fri), which offers comfortable seats in air-conditioned buses. In the last couple of years it seems to be losing out to a multitude of newer companies and now generally only runs a reliable service in the most-populated central areas. The biggest of the rival companies is General Land Transport (01-281318), which also has smooth, comfortable buses that are often a little cheaper than Yemitco.
Yemitco has just one class, but some of the other private companies (such as General Land Transport) offer 1st- and 2nd-class on some services (though the difference in price is usually marginal). Yemitco services work out to be YR3 to YR3.50 per kilometer. Examples of fares include San’a to Aden (YR1400, six hours) and San’a to Al-Hudayda (YR1100, five hours).
You can usually buy tickets in advance, and on Friday and other public holidays this is highly recommended, particularly for longer journeys (when three days in advance is not too soon).