Travel to Libya

Flying to Libya

There are no direct flights to Tripoli from the UK or the USA. You can fly to Istanbul, from where Afriqiyah Airways (www.afriqiyah.aero) flies to Tripoli or fly to Tunis and catch a connecting flight with Libyan Airlines (libyanairlines.aero). Tripoli International Airport is located about 26km (16 miles) from the city centre.

Airport Guides

Flight times

From London - 7 to 11 hours (including stopovers); New York - 15 hours (including stopover).

Departure tax

There is currently no departure tax.

Travelling to Libya by Rail

There are currently no international rail links.

Driving to Libya

Due to the dangerous security situation and ongoing fighting in Libya, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against all travel to Libya. The following information was accurate at the time of writing, but may no longer reflect the situation on the ground.

You can cross into Libya by road from Cairo (12-hour drive to Benghazi) and from Tunis (11-hour drive to Tripoli) although visa formalities mean that travelling by air is simpler. Neither border post is particularly likely to be closed to foreign travellers, but if you have been granted a visa, it's wise to check if the means of travel is stipulated, before embarking on a journey by land (if your visa says you are travelling by air, you must.) Libya's land borders with Algeria, Niger, Sudan and Chad are closed to non-Africans.

From Cairo, you need to drive west, crossing the border into Libya near Al Burdi. This was the entry point for the majority of international journalists covering the conflict in the eastern part of Libya. The border post still houses some of the people displaced by the Libyan conflict, and can be chaotic. Expect to spend about three hours crossing the border. You need to get your passport stamped on the Egyptian side and again on the Libyan side, and you may need to show a yellow fever certificate if you have recently travelled to an affected area. There is a short distance to walk between the two border posts; if you have lots of luggage you might wish to pay a porter to help carry your things. Once on the Libyan side, it's about a further six-hour drive to reach Benghazi.

From Tunis, you can take minibuses all the way to the Ras Ajdir border crossing, which lies about 11 hours' east of Tunis. If you're travelling with your own car, the border guards may charge you a fee. Reports from travellers who have crossed the border since the end of the conflict suggest that it is still possible, but that transiting through Ras Ajdir can be slow due to increased formalities. You can also enter via the Dehiba/Waziin border crossing, further south.

Getting to Libya by boat

The main ports are Benghazi, Darna, Brega, Misrata and Tripoli.

Water note

There were once passenger boats from Benghazi to Malta. General passenger services along the coast or to Egypt and Tunisia have been suspended for years. During Libya's conflict, you could also travel by fishing boat along the coast, and from Benghazi to Malta, but now doing so is harder without flouting rules. Still, if this is something that interests you, it's worth asking around at the main port in Benghazi. It's wise to pay attention to the state of the vessel and the safety situation.

Cruise ships

Cruise ships used to call at the ports of Benghazi, Darna and Tripoli, but the security situation is now considered too dangerous.