The negative sides about a trip to Iranian cities are mainly the following:
- They drive cars like madmen. It is something fairly well known, reported in all travel guides. We had been involved in a car accident and also saw many others. The surreal thing is that they solve everything with calm and serenity. You will probably never drive a car in Iran, but be careful whenever you cross the street.
- Smog: it may sounds strange, but Iranian cities are much more polluted than European cities. These are very large cities, about nearly two million Shiraz and Isfahan up to 10 million people in Tehran With few public transport and an incredible amount of cars and motorbikes that certainly do not comply with the European standards on exhaust gases emissions (I had never seen in any place most of the cars I saw on Iranian roads!)
- Food: In restaurants there is a lot of meat… if you are used to other diets, restaurants can be a challenge for you. Another strange thing is the great amount of sugar they put everywhere, making many things virtually inedible and/or undrinkable for my standards
- Credit and debit cards: as long as Iran will be isolated by financial sanctions, travelers will not be able to use payment cards, so you will have to bring with you all the cash you will need. In almost every room we stayed there was a safe And in any case we felt we were in danger walking down the streets, but going around with all the cash in my pocket did not make me feel comfortable.
- Clothing rules: If you go in winter, there are no problems. But in other seasons it is likely that the temperature will reach at least 30 degrees (even much more in summer). In Iran, men can not wear shorts and sleeveless shirts; normal t-shirt are allowed. Women must always have the veil that at least partially covers their hair. They also have to hide in someway their shapes, so they could feel quite hot