Car hire and driving in Basrah
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In Iraq traffic drives on the right. Picking up at BSR means 12 km (7 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648805 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648812 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648855.
Drives from Basrah
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basrah to Umm Qaşr | Iraq | 54 km (34 mi) | about 50 min |
| Basrah to Al Qurnah | Iraq | 65 km (41 mi) | about 1 h |
| Basrah to Al Madīnah | Iraq | 70 km (44 mi) | about 1 h 4 min |
| Basrah to Al Fāw | Iraq | 89 km (55 mi) | about 1 h 22 min |
| Basrah to Nasiriyah | Iraq | 158 km (98 mi) | about 2 h 24 min |
| Basrah to Al ‘Amārah | Iraq | 159 km (99 mi) | about 2 h 26 min |
| Basrah to Ash Shaţrah | Iraq | 183 km (114 mi) | about 2 h 48 min |
| Basrah to Qal‘at Sukkar | Iraq | 221 km (138 mi) | about 3 h 23 min |
| Basrah to As Samawah | Iraq | 254 km (158 mi) | about 3 h 53 min |
| Basrah to Al-Kut | Iraq | 290 km (180 mi) | about 4 h 26 min |
| Basrah to Al Diwaniyah | Iraq | 318 km (197 mi) | about 4 h 51 min |
| Basrah to An Nu‘mānīyah | Iraq | 320 km (199 mi) | about 4 h 52 min |
| Basrah to Baghdad | Iraq | 448 km (278 mi) | about 6 h 50 min |
| Basrah to Mosul | Iraq | 779 km (484 mi) | about 11 h 53 min |
| Basrah to Erbil | Iraq | 722 km (449 mi) | about 11 h 1 min |
| Basrah to Karbala | Iraq | 426 km (265 mi) | about 6 h 30 min |
| Basrah to Sadr City | Iraq | 448 km (278 mi) | about 6 h 50 min |
| Basrah to Kirkuk | Iraq | 635 km (395 mi) | about 9 h 41 min |
| Basrah to Abū Ghurayb | Iraq | 460 km (286 mi) | about 7 h 1 min |
| Basrah to Sulaymaniyah | Iraq | 603 km (375 mi) | about 9 h 12 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Basrah?
The right, as everywhere in Iraq.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.