TRAVEL
TIPS
| Driving |
TBA |
| Currency |
(IRR)
Iranian Rial |
| Electrical |
230 Volts |
| Telephones |
Country
Code 98, City Code, Tehran 21, Isfahan 31, Tabriz 41 |
Iran
is inexpensive by international standards. A bare minimum budget
for cheap hotels, Iranian food and overland transport is US$10
per day. Unless you thrive on discomfort, however, you should
double this to around US$20 per day. This will provide you with
decent accommodation, better food, transport by first-class bus
and shared taxi, and visits to all the important tourist attractions.
One unfortunate part of travelling to Iran is the dual-pricing
for foreigners. This affects international flights and ferries,
where all tickets must be paid for in US dollars; tourist attractions,
where foreigners pay up to 15 times as much to enter as Iranians
do; and the more expensive hotels, which often charge in US dollars.
There
are three ways to change money (preferably US dollars in cash):
at the official, and unfavourable, exchange rate at a bank; at
the favourable 'street rate' at a legal, though uncommon, money-exchange
office; and on the black market, anywhere. Don't bother taking
travellers cheques of any denomination or currency unless you
absolutely must: you can only exchange them at the Bank Melli
branches at the international airport in Tehran and in central
Tehran. An increasing number of mid-range hotels (and all top-end
places) accept Visa or MasterCard - but certainly not American
Express. However, if your Visa or MasterCard has been issued in
the US, it may be useless because of the US trade embargo. Bottom
line: bring plenty of greenbacks.
In
most cases, tipping is an optional reward for good service. Although
there are many circumstances where a small tip is expected, you
are unlikely to have a waiter hovering expectantly near your table
after delivering the bill. On the other hand, it's worth remembering
that helpful Iranians probably deserve some extra appreciation
to supplement their meagre wages. As for bargaining, in the bazaar
virtually all prices are negotiable; in shops, it's a complete
waste of time. Fares in private taxis are always negotiable, but
not in any other form of transport because these prices are set
by the government. Hotel rates are open to negotiation except
in top-end places.
