Travel Information >> Lebanon
>> Practical information for Lebanon
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Practical information for Lebanon
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MONEY
The official currency is the Lebanese Pound. The everyday currencies are the Lebanese Pound and the US Dollar, equally used.
Credit cards : Many shops, hotels, restaurants, bars, etc. accept international payment cards (such as Visa or American Express)
Automatic bank tellers : Numerous in the capital and big cities. Withdrawal in Lebanese Pound or US Dollar currencies.
Travellers’ cheques : You can use your travellers’ cheques in Lebanon. Banks exchange them very easily.
CURRENCY CONVERTOR >>>
HEALTH
Vaccination : No particular vaccine is required to go to Lebanon.
Care : Lebanon is known for the quality of its medical care. In towns, clinics, hospitals and pharmacies are present everywhere. In villages, doctors are usually nearby.
Drugstores are numerous and supplied like western ones.
SECURITY
Security is a constant worry for those going to Lebanon for the first time. They come back reassured. The war has been over for ten years (1991) now. It is safe to visit the whole region. In Beirut as in other towns or villages, the streets are particularly secure, night and day.
BARGAINING
If it exists, the practice of bargaining cannot be regulated and is limited to precise domains. Indeed, it is, for example, common to bargain the fare with taxi drivers, with street sellers or for a wholesale purchase (number of persons, time, and products). On the other hand, bargaining for some products (like food) is considered ill-mannered.
TIPS
You usually tip porters, waiters, hotel staffs, guides, doormen, etc.
WEATHER
Lebanon gets 300 days of sunshine a year. On the coast, temperatures rarely fall below 15°C daily (average temperature in December). Winter is usually rainy. In the mountains, major snowfalls allow one to ski from December to April. Intermediate seasons (spring and fall) are short (1 to 2 months) and the average temperature is then 21°C. During summer, temperatures are very high. On the coast, the heat is humid (usually about 80% of humidity in the air) and temperatures are about 31°C on average. In mountains, the air is drier out and fresher. In the Beqaa Valley, whether is hot and dry.
WEATHER FORECAST >>>
LANGUAGES
Arabic is Lebanon's national language. However, many Lebanese speak either French or / and English, (especially among the youth). In everyday life, the spoken language is a dialectic called Lebanese Arabic (close to literary Arabic), often mixed with English or French words.
WATER AND ELECTRICITY
Most Lebanese homes have two water taps, one for domestic use, and one with drinking water. If you feel uncertain, you ought to drink spring water.
The electrical voltage is 220 V. Power cuts still occur, but very rarely. However, most buildings and areas have electrical relayed generators.
CLOTHING
Usually, there are no particular cultural rules for this matter. Lebanese variety shows also in clothing. In the streets, mini-skirts are seen beside the Islamic veil. However, wearing short clothing (short pants, ...) is to be avoided for certain places (souqs in Tripoli or Sidon, etc.). To visit worship places (any religion), modest clothing is necessary. Women will need a headscarf when visiting mosques. Lebanon in general, and particularly Beirut, has an active nightlife. Put on your evening dress and party!
PHOTO AND VIDEO
The whole photo and video equipment is available in Lebanon, a little cheaper than prices in Europe and North America. Concerning photo works (developments, printings, etc.), they may be completed in Lebanon, they are cheaper and of good quality.
TELEPHONE IN LEBANON
The first two figures of Lebanese telephone numbers show the region of the domiciliary telephone line as following
01 : Beirut
03 : Cellular phones
04 : Metn (ex : Broummana)
05 : Shouf (ex: Deir el Qamar, Beiteddine)
06 : North (ex: Tripoli, the Cedars)
07 : South (ex: Tyre, Sidon)
08 : Beqaa (ex : Zahle, Baalbeck)
09 : Keserwan (ex: Jbeil, Jounieh)
International calls: 100
Cellular telephones are very popular in Lebanon and supplanted traditional telephones. However, most of homes and businesses have traditional telephones.
Telephone access
Telephone kiosks are rare, but specific workshops and grocery stores have 'phones. Post offices also have public telephones.
Get a personal cellular telephone in Lebanon
To have a personal cellular telephone, two options:
- Use the international option of your current operator: make sure it offers this possibility for Lebanon.
- Via Lebanese operators: to use your cellular telephone via Lebanese operators, you should be sure that your telephone is closed off from your current operator. Once there, pre-paid cards are on sale. To benefit from the telephone line the first payment (1-month duration) costs from $59 to $74 and starts immediately. To renew the payment, prepaid cards ($35 to $40 a month) are on sale, especially in particular stores and in most grocery stores.
Emergency numbers
Civil protection: 112
Red Cross: 140
Fire department: 175
Police: 160
INTERNET
Web connections are available in number of hotels. You can also make web connections in cyber-cafes in Beirut and other regions (generally from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM)
CAR DRIVING
Driving in Lebanon, if you do not have a Lebanese driver's license, requires an international license. You must drive on the right.
MAIL
There are few letterboxes in Lebanese streets. You may go directly to the post office for all your postal needs.
The forwarding of mail is fairly short (about one to 2 weeks for Europe or North America) International express parcels services are represented.
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