Travel to Kuwait City

Flying to Kuwait City

British Airways and Kuwait Airways operate direct flights to Kuwait International Airport from the UK. Kuwait Airways also offers direct flights from the USA. The cheapest flights are often available during the hot summer months (between May and September).

Flight times

From London - 6 hours 15 minutes; New York - 12 hours; Los Angeles - 18 hours 30 minutes (including stopover); Toronto - 15 hours 30 minutes (including stopover); Sydney - 18 hours 15 minutes (including stopover).

Travel by road

Kuwait has borders with Iraq and Saudi Arabia, neither of which are currently open for casual tourism. For those who have a visa for Saudi Arabia, it is possible to use the Al-Nuwaisib crossing (for Damman) and Al-Salmy crossing (for Riyadh).

The road system in Kuwait is generally good but the standard of driving is very poor and road traffic accidents are a major problem. Traffic drives on the right, seat belts are compulsory and the minimum driving age is 18. An International Driving Permit, or a licence and resident permit from another Gulf country, is required.

Speed limits are 45kph (28mph) in residential areas, 60kph (37mph) on main roads in urban areas, 80-100kph (50-62mph) on ring roads, and 120kph (75mph) on expressways and outer roads.

Emergency breakdown services

Road Traffic Police (tel: 101).

Routes

The main routes into Kuwait City are Highway 70 from the west (from Saudi Arabia), Highway 40 from the south (from Saudi Arabia) and Highway 80 from the north (from Iraq).

Coaches

Kuwait Public Transport Company (tel: +965 2232 8501; www.kptc.com.kw) operates long-distance buses between Kuwait City and other destinations within Kuwait and the Gulf region. The main bus station is near the intersection of Al-Hilali and Abdullah al-Mubarak Streets in the Safat district.

Time to city

From Riyadh - 6 hours 30 minutes; Bahrain - 5 hours 15 minutes.

Travel by Rail

Services

Kuwait has no rail track, although there are proposals to build a rail network connecting other countries in the Gulf, and a metro system is under construction within Kuwait City.

Travel by boat

Shuwaikh Port is Kuwait's main commercial port. 

Ferry operators

The Combined Shipping Company (tel: +965 2483 0130; www.cscq8.com) operates passenger ferries from Kuwait's Shuwaikh Port to the Iranian ports of Khoramshar and Bushehr.