Under the Taliban, approximately one third of western applicants would receive tourist visas and those were usually groups of travellers (often Japanese). The process could take more than a month and visas would say "KABUL ONLY" when issued. The new government couldn't be much more different. Visas now take 24 hours and they're easy to get from embassies and consulates in Pakistan, India, Turkey, and the UAE. The price is $30 and it will most likely be necessary to deposit your visa fee in the bank account of the Afghan consulate/embassy and return with the deposit verification slip. It will also be necessary to meet with an embassy/consulate official and get his signature on the application.
As mentioned earlier, this doesn't mean that wartorn Afghanistan has suddenly become safe for westerners (or Afghans for that matter). Current conditions make it completely unsafe for tourism but this information is being provided in the hope that conditions will change. The US State Department webpage at www.state.gov contains a list of travel advisories regarding different countries. You should also contact your local embassy to see if they feel conditions have improved to make travel to Afghanistan safe.
TRANSPORTATION
The Roads
The roads of Afghanistan once benefitted from generous foreign aid from Russia and America. The Kabul to Kandahar road was even referred to as the "Eisenhower Highway" after the US funded major renovations in the 1950s. All that has changed after decades of civil war and now the roads are some of the worst in Asia (a continent with some of the worst roads on the planet).
The main roadways to Afghanistan are:
Peshawar-Jalalabad via Torkham
This beautiful journey through the historic Khyber Pass is probably the busiest gateway in Afghanistan. Pashtuns living in the area have relatives on both sides of the border and 99% of those crossing do so without regard to visa formalities. If you are travelling from Peshawar through the Khyber Pass, it is necessary to obtain a permit to enter the lawless frontier area near the pass and go all the way up to Torkham. These are obtained at the Home Office in Peshawar, where office workers will probably request a little "present" to get the paperwork typed up. Plenty of buses and Hiace vans leave from Peshawar's Smuggler's Market to Torkham for 35 Pakistani rupees but a taxi is a much better option. The Home Office might insist that you bring a guard from the Frontier Corps but this isn't always necessary according to Frontier officers. On the otherside of the border there are buses and taxis to Jalalabad and Kabul. If you're going all the way to Kabul, get there as early as possible. You might also want to load up on Afghanis (the national currency of Afghanistan) in Peshawar where rates are the same as in Afghanistan. A bus from Torkham to Kabul will cost you around 200 Pakistani rupees.
Kandahar-Quetta via Spin Boldak/Chaman
If you are entering Afghanistan from Quetta via the border at Chaman (Spin Boldak on the Afghanistan side), it isn't necessary to get any special permits. Hotels in Quetta can provide transportation information and arrange for a taxi to take you to the border. The immigration office on the Afghanistan side (Spin Boldak) is extremely hard to find. It's on the right near a Red Crescent office after you pass through the no man's land between the two countries. It's a good idea to bring a small gift for the immigration officer (think of it as a local custom).
Mazar-i-Sharif to Uzbekistan
The Friendship Bridge to Uzbekistan opened up soon after the fall of the Taliban. It's 100 kilometers from Mazar-i-Sharif but current conditions in the Mazar region make this journey extremely dangerous. A foreign aid worker was gangraped in the area and general lawlessness continues around Mazar.
Herat to Mashad
One of the reasons I didn't go to Herat was because as an American I wasn't able to get an Iranian visa (tried several times with no luck in India, Pakistan, and Turkey). For those that are able to get Iranian visas, this border is open but I have no information on it. The Iranian embassy in Kabul does not issue visas (not just to Americans) but the consulate in Herat is open and accepting applications.
Other Borders
If you have information on other borders, please let me know at afghantravel@yahoo.com.
Air Transportation
Ariana and other airlines currently fly between Afghanistan and India, Pakistan, and the UAE.
There are internal flights only between Kabul and Herat and foreigners pay an elevated fee.
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