Transportation in Bahrain

When you are thinking of Bahrain and how to get there, you should note that there are three airports in Bahrain. Bahrain International Airport near Manama, the capital, is the leading hub airport in the Middle East and the only one of relevance to tourists. Bahrain International Airport also acts as a Gulf base for several international airlines including some cargo carriers and charter flight operators.

Taxis / Rental Car transport

Official taxis are recognisable by their orange / white or orange / gold colour. While it is the law that taxi drivers use a meter, you will find this does not happen in practice. Visitors are often over-charged, and one should insist on the driver using the meter or take an alternative cab. There are many international and car rental companies, reputed ones like Hertz and Avis are represented and there are good local ones too. Haggling is the name of the game and please get quotes from a few local companies before you finalize on on any one. Foreigners must be in possession of an international driving license or a Gulf Cooperation Council country driving license. Bahrain changed from left to right hand traffic in 1968. There are a total of 3,498 kilometers of highways with 2,433 kilometers paved and 731 kilometers unpaved.

Bus transport

Visitors can reach Bahrain by bus from Saudi Arabia via the King Fahd Causeway. The frequent bus service is inexpensive and the border crossing is convenient. Bus services in Bahrain are limited. Saudi Bahraini Transport Company ( Sabatco ) operates a regular bus route from Dahran to Manama. Information on routes and schedules is limited.

Sea and rail transport

There are two main ports in Bahrain: Mina' Salman and Sitrah. There are passenger ferries which take 16 hours and link Iran and Bahrain. There is no rail transport in Bahrain. There are presently no railways in Bahrain.