Transports in Zawia
Travelling to Zawia from outside Libya:
The easiest way is to fly in through Tripoli Airport. Zawia doesn't have its own airport because it is so close to Tripoli. You can fly to Tripoli airport from many places in Europe and the rest of the world. Once in Tripoli you'll need to drive to Zawia, which is about 45 minutes to an hour away from Tripoli (depending where you are). There is no railway in Libya.
If you have your own car simply drive along the coast road and it will take you straight to Zawia, besides it is a pleasant drive as the road follow the sea and during the day time it is really beautiful.
If you don't have your own car, you can either rent one, which in Libya means you pay someone to drive you to your destination in their own car or you take a louage. You may need a taxi ride to take you to the louage station, simply mention to the driver you need the louage station to go to Zawia as in big cities there could be more than one station.
What's a louage? you ask. Well it is a semi private means of transport, very popular in Libya. It is basically a 7 or 8 seaters that drives people long distance between cities. You simply buy a ticket for yourself and wait for the other seats to fill up, once the car is full, you hit the road. Don't worry about the wait, louage is very popular and it usually doesn't take long to fill up. If you are in a hurry and not short of cash, simply buy the remaining tickets and the driver will agree to leave straight away.
Going through Zawia
In Zawia, like in the rest of Libya (except Tripoli) there are NO public bus service and NO taxi services either so owning a car is a must if you plan to live here. Walking is not really an option as you wouldn't be able to reach much besides when the heat settles down for most of the year, you don't want to be outdoors too long.
You can also catch a ride with other drivers, who may sometimes asks you to pay for the lift (or not if they are friendly) but this method is not as popular as in Misurata for instance. Plus i wouldn't recommend this option for ladies on their own in Zawia. A woman, especially non Libyan, trying to catch a lift that way could end up in trouble.
Any https://www.expat.coming to Zawia or anywhere else in Libya must plan to own a car, this is absolutely essential.
