Renting a car in Lebanon
Renting a car in Lebanon just 10 years ago was considered a high risk option, however it's now little different from renting a car in other arab state as many of the class-leading international rental agents have a presence in country such as Avis, Budget and Europcar all who offer rentals from Beirut Airport and other popular locations in the country. The most popular makes and models include the Kia Picanto in the economy class and the Ford Escape for those looking for an SUV or 4x4.
Most popular rental cars in Lebanon;
Rental Agent
Make / Model
Seats
Luggage
Type
Budget
Hyundai i10
5
2
Economy
Avis
Kia Picanto
5
2
Economy
Europcar
Suzuki Swift
5
2
Economy
Budget
Kia Cerato
5
3
Compact
Avis
Toyota Corolla
5
3
Intermediate
Budget
Ford Escape
5
3
SUV
Avis
Honda Accord
5
3
Premium
Avis
Mercedes Vito
7
4
MPV
Lebanon mini guide
Once the jewel of the eastern Mediterranean, the playground of the rich with a distinctly French flavour, this sad little country has been under violent assault for a decade. The Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), a Syrian army, an Israeli occupation force, Western and United Nations peace-keeping forces have all been involved; Lebanese have fought Lebanese, and any stranger entering a town must, for his own safety, find out which local militia is in control.
Lebanon is a spectacularly lovely country whose cosmopolitan people were until recently among the most prosperous in the Arab world. The Lebanese are shrewd businessmen and so adaptable that for many years the country was a kind of middleman in a sea of Middle Eastern trouble. Lebanon's main ports, the capital Beirut and Tripoli, acted as transit centres for the countries of the interior - Syria, Jordan and Iraq. Beirut was the banking centre of the Middle East, and the home of entrepreneurs who could arrange every kind of business deal.
All this has changed. The country is heavily in debt, inflation is rising steeply and at present the people's main aim is just to survive in a land where sniping, bombing, kidnapping and assassination are the daily norm. They have carried on as traders and businessmen in circumstances in which most others would give up in despair. Perhaps they inherited this fortitude from their highly successful trading predecessors, the Phoenicians.
The coast has a warm Mediterranean climate, with dry summers. In the mountains, the snow lies from December to May so that in winter it is possible to swim in a warm sea and then go 10 miles inland to ski. Evergreen forests grow in the mountains. The evergreen oak is a familiar tree in much of the country, and Lebanon is famous for its giant cedars, although now only a small number are left in groves over 900 m (2950 ft) above sea level which are carefully protected.
Facts about Lebanon
- Is ranked No.1 in the Middle East in the World Justice Prejoect's Rule of Law Index 2011
- Tourism to Lebanon was damaged by the war in 2006 with Israel but is recovering now
- Lebanese food is growing in popularity around the world
- Is approximately 100 miles south east of Cyprus in the Mediterranean sea