Civilian Travel To Iraq

Civilian travel to Iraq and other parts of the Middle East is fairly simple but it takes time, especially around the holidays and during the summer months as these are peak travel times.

Try to arrange your time for civilian travel to Iraq and other parts of the Middle East so that it is not in the summer or near spring break, Thanksgiving, or Christmas and New Year's and you should have a much better experience.

Be sure to take your patience with you, along with a few good books to read.

Have a travel nightmare story, a good experience, or travel tips for those who have not yet been to the Middle East? Let us know what to expect.....

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

Lost Baggage 
You are probably thinking I am going to tell you a story about the airlines losing my luggage. Wrong.

My story of lost baggage begins in Anaconda, Iraq....

Once the war is over, there will be a lot more civilian travel to Iraq and to the rest of the Middle East for business and for pleasure. Why? There is so much to see and learn about. The cultures are ancient. Remember that Iraq is home to the cradle of civilization. Oil is big business. Many people will come teaching English as a second language for a chance to live in a different culture to learn about the people and religions.

The roots of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are all right here in the Middle East so tourism has been a big business and will be once more after Iraq has been stabilized.

Depending on the company you work for, you may fly directly into Baghdad or you may go to Kuwait.

You could also land in Dubai. I have done all three of the above.

With some great civilian travel to Iraq tips from yours truly, you should be able to get through Kuwait and into Iraq by way of Ali al Saleem Airbase or wherever your particular destination is without much trouble. It can take as little as a few days leaving from America or as much as 3 weeks, depending on how quickly your company can get the paperwork ready for your entry into Iraq.

A few tips for travel in the Middle East:

1. Don't go anywhere without your passport and your visa (once you get your Visa if necessary).

2. Don't complain about how long it takes to get your paperwork in order. Everybody goes through it. Nobody wants to hear it. It may work in the United States to moan and complain, but here in the Middle East, it does not.

3. If you are female, you will be stared at. Most middle-eastern females are covered up so any non-covered woman appears to them as a beauty queen, especially if you are blonde and well-endowed. Just prepare yourself for it.

4. Bring good books to read, ones that will keep you entertained for hours, sometimes for days. The American TV shows they play are not good ones.

5. If you venture out of your hotel, do not go out without a cell phone. Make sure you have someone to call. I do not recommend going out without a guide.

6. Try not to drive in Kuwait. The traffic is a nightmare. Believe me, I have had to drive in it many times while living there and it is scary.

7. Find a hobby to pass the time. Maybe now is a good time to start writing that book you have always dreamed of.

8. Find out what the Visa requirements for the countries you will be visiting ahead of time. Some countries do not have them but others do.

***On a sidebar, I have a friend who decided to travel to China--I know that China is not in the Middle East but the story makes a point--My friend did not know that he would need to obtain a Visa prior to arriving in China. So he was stuck at the airport for ten days--he could really relate to the movie Terminal with Tom Hanks!

9. Every airport I have been in both in the Middle East and in Europe has signs in English so it is fairly easy to figure out where to go. Flight announcements are made in English. If time is running out and I cannot figure it out, I just ask for help. I have never missed a connection yet.

10. I like to take American $1 bills with me. All of the vendors at the airports in Europe and in the Middle East will take American money. They will give you change in whatever their currency is. With the dollar bill, you do not lose much money. Chances are you will not have time to get the money changed before your next flight. So at least you have some coins for a souvenir. I also use the $1 bills to tip those who help me along the way.

Civilian travel to Iraq from Kuwait or Dubai is safer than you think. It is also much safer driving around in Dubai and Kuwait than you can imagine except for the scary-looking traffic. Remember, you have not yet entered the war zone until you are in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Once you are in Iraq, you may be doing a lot of helicopter travel.

Travel Tips

I will also stop eating twenty-four hours before my flight just in case...

Once the war is over and you are using commercial flights, no problem as far as using the facilites on planes for civilian travel to Iraq and other parts of the Middle East.

The water helps you not to get dehydrated and not to get headaches. It keeps you feeling fresh, especially during layovers.

First civilian travel to Iraq tip, think winter months. Because of the heat and the time involved, I try to take R&R during the cool months. I have found January is the best month to travel. Nothing is going on and the planes are usually empty. Many times I have been able to have two or three seats or a whole aisle on the plane to myself!

The summer and fall are the worst times to travel. Every seat on the plane is full. When you are on a plane for eight hours at a time, this can get bad. Even worse if you get stuck with a screaming or whining child in the area.

I know you will not be doing any civilian travel to Iraq with a child now but once the war is over, you may.

While we are on the subject of civilian travel to Iraq on an airplane, I have to vent. Some parents will try to save money and hold the child in their laps. My advice? Don't do it. Just buy the seat for the child. The parents fly miserably if they don't. There is no place to put this child even for a few minutes. They can't eat or read a book or even have a place to change diapers. Be smart, folks. Buy the child a seat and you will have a much better time of it, especially if you are flying without a companion who can help you.

Sometimes a passenger will help. I have done this in the past. I even gave up my choice exit aisle seat so the mother beside me with a newborn could have a place to put down the baby or at least have some extra room. But not everyone is like me.

United Airlines offers a flight from the east coast all the way to Kuwait, no stops. This is the way to go if at all possible. I have had to stop in different cities in Europe in the past to change airlines but this non-stop to Kuwait is great.

If you do have to fly to Europe first, try to get a flight on Swiss Air. They have a beautiful airport in Switzerland. This airport has chairs where you can lie down and sleep. The scenery outside the windows is breathtaking, especially in January with all of the snow there. It looks like a quiet village setting. This airport is neat and clean and fairly new compared to Heathrow in London or Charles DuGaulle in Paris.

Layovers--during civilian travel to Iraq, you may have a layover with several hours and think you have all the time in the world to check things out. With the new security in place, you will go through several check stations. Move along through them or you will miss your flight. Once you are close to your gate, then you can relax and see what there is to see at the airport.

My favorite airport place to eat all over the world is McDonald's. It seems that almost every airport I have been in has one. It is always comforting to see those golden arches.

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