There is no metro, tram or railway. Lebanon’s railways stopped during the civil war.
The service is the shared taxi and it is how Beirut moves. Stand at the roadside, say your destination through the window, and if the driver says service, get in. A fixed low fare per seat, other passengers, cash at the end. Say a district name — Hamra, Achrafieh, Sodeco, Mar Mikhael — not a street address.
If he says taxi he wants the whole car at a much higher fare. Wave him on unless that is what you want.
Private taxis: agree the fare before getting in. There are no meters in practice.
Ride-hailing apps — Uber, Bolt and Allo Taxi — work in Beirut, fix the fare in advance and require no negotiation. This is what most visitors should use.
Buses and vans exist, with no reliable published map. Main hubs are Charles Helou (north, and Syria) and Cola (south and the Bekaa). Fine for Byblos and Batroun; more trouble than a service within the city.
Walking works within districts — Hamra, Gemmayzeh, downtown, Badaro — and not between them. Pavements are narrow, obstructed and often absent, and pedestrian crossings are decorative. The Corniche is the one long good walk.
Driving is unnecessary in the city. A car with a driver for the day is the standard and sensible way to do Baalbek or the mountains; agree price, hours and route in advance.
Roads close at short notice for protests and incidents, including the airport road. Check before setting off across the city.
Do not photograph checkpoints, soldiers, the airport road or government buildings.
The airport is nine kilometres south with no train and no reliable bus — arrange a pickup. See Beirut Airport to the city.
The full version is getting around Beirut.