Getting Around Beirut: By service

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The more common form of transport, especially with daily commuters, as they are cheaper than the taxis, but ironically, are in fact the same. Service [ser-vee-s] are shared-taxis, the same taxis as above but shared between four people. The biggest advantage with these are that the fare is split between all other passengers, and thus, a typical journey will only cost around 2,000 L.L (€1). They come with drawbacks of course, and apart from having to share a small car with three other complete strangers (great for meeting new people actually), the service only travels a specific route (usually up and down a street), which means you'll have to get out and take another service at the end of the route. Hailing a service or taxi usually entails yelling your destination to the driver if he slows down, then chasing the name of your destination with either 'taxi' or 'service'.

It is important that you specify what type of ride you want (when hailing a taxi or service), if you fail to do so, the driver will assume you asked for taxi, and will overcharge you at taxi-rate.

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