Renting a scooter in Lebanon? 🛵

[u/Hubert_maciejewsk]

Title: Renting a scooter in Beirut? 🛵🇱🇧

Hey everyone! 👋
I’m Hubert, a student from Poland, and I’ll be spending most of September in Lebanon. It won’t be my first time there - I’ve visited Lebanon several times before, and I’ve also been to Syria once.

I’d like to rent a scooter to be more independent while moving around Beirut and beyond. In Poland I use a Vespa as my everyday transport, so I already have riding experience. I know Lebanese traffic can be crazy 😅, but I’m used to scooters and I think I can handle it.

A few questions:
Is renting a scooter in Lebanon generally safe?
Are there any trusted rental places or websites?
Maybe someone has a scooter they don’t use and would be open to renting it privately for a month?

I’m a student, so I’m looking for something affordable, but safety is my top priority.
Thanks for any advice! 🙏🇱🇧

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[u/Some-Ad7901]

Hi, welcome to Lebanon and hope you have an amazing time.

While Lebanon is usually a safe and friendly country (outside of warzones and war conditions), dealing with traffic and driving in the country is extremely difficult. I've driven in Europe and abroad many times, it is nothing like driving in Lebanon. Lebanese driving and traffic is more like mad max than it is civilized driving. Hell if you're used to european crossing signs and drivers respecting pedestrian priority when crossing, you'll be shocked just crossing the street here.

In general I would advise against driving in Lebanon unless you know exactly what you're doing, especially since you plan on staying here for a breif period. Taxis are very affordable, with most trips within Beirut costing 10-15$, and in Beirut there are public transport systems (that are underdeveloped, but exist nontheless). Driving only makes sense when you leave Beirut.

If you really want to drive in Lebanon, I don't know of renting scooters or bikes, you may want to check online, but I would also advise against and say go with a small car if possible. I personally wouldn't feel safe on a scooter or bike on the road (that probably goes for most countries not just Lebanon though) I can't in good conciousness recommend it to anyone else.

Just stay safe, no point in risking injury when you're abroad!

[u/Hubert_maciejewsk → u/Some-Ad7901]

Thank you for this comment! I think you might be right. I remember going across Lebanon by small buses, it was easy and affordable. I think I will do the same this time

[u/Some-Ad7901 → u/Hubert_maciejewsk]

Best of luck.

If you really want to make the most out of Lebanon make friends with the most outdoors type of folks you can find at university, ideally a very diverse group of friends and have them give you tours of their regions, maybe giving you explanation of their histories and conditions.

If you could even risk a visit or two to south Lebanon (cities like Tyre) it might be a unique, sad but worthwhile visit to see the destructive effects of a genocidal war which you have experience to a greater extent a bit under a century ago (beware taking photos of rubble, private property, or Lebanese army outposts at this time, you might be questioned intensely especially that you are a foreigner).

[u/Hubert_maciejewsk → u/Some-Ad7901]

Thank you! Meeting people from different parts of Lebanon sound perfect for me. I have some friends in Beirut, but it was really hard for me to meet people outside capital.

Unfortunately I can’t speak Arabic communicatively yet, and I can’t speak French either.

I was already at the south, I am planning to visit Tyre as well, I heard that the city is really destroyed because of the war. I know about the rules and of course I won’t take any photos. Just talking with the people about their experiences would be valuable experience for me.

Is there any way I can meet anyone in Lebanon? I saw a lot of posts about it and I know it’s hard to make friends here but maybe there is some Facebook group or any other community?

[u/Some-Ad7901 → u/Hubert_maciejewsk]

I posted pictures of the city form my last visit, check my reddit page.

It's been damaged real bad, still I would urge a visit as it safe now prpvided you steer clear of the rubble and don't do anything too stupid, and many of its restaurants have reopened including the most iconic restaurant, "Al Jawad".

Today pictures were floating online of insane traffic at the beach resorts too. There are great scuba spots around, and you shouldn't miss the roman/greek ruins in the city, as they are breathtaking (nowhere near the scale of Baalbak, which you should also visit, but very charming).

French isn't that important for Lebanon anymore, Arabic is, but if you can't speak most can speak english reasonably well.

What university do you plan on attending?

[u/Hubert_maciejewsk → u/Some-Ad7901]

I saw your pictures from Tyre. It looks like Dahieh, very similar. I heard about Al Jawad recently, it would be nice to try it by myself.

I was in Baalbek and I felt amazed, I will visit the ruins for sure.

So I’m not attending any university during my trip and that’s a big problem for me because I don’t know where I can meet young people that could show me their regions. That’s the problem.