This years moroccan dash is going to Istanbul

Steptoe

Steptoe

What a waste.
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Departing on Thursday 20th march - Reaching Istanbul saturday 22nd March.

Friday night Ferry from Ancona , land Igoumenitsa ( greece) early saturday morning.
One hit all the way to Istanbul, arriving evening time.

There were 14 of us. Were now down to 12.

Anyone have any relevent information we may not have thought about, please feel free to post.

It's gonna be a good one.

So good we haven't a clue which way were coming back :D:D

No plans, so nothing to go wrong. :thumb

The riders ;

Whatton -
Shep -
Popeye -
Novice -
Wapping -
Dark Horse -
Shapeshifter
Blowzorn -
Sir James Burton -
Floyd -
Steptoe -
BSOGRI -

The two who've had to drop out for personal reasons - Woody and Mutley. Lightwieghts.
 
I forgot to mention - it's not a "Dash". it's a "Trot"

Tour name is the "Turkey trot 08" :blast
 
Steptoe said:
Anyone have any relevent information we may not have thought about, please feel free to post.
Click to expand...


Every gal in Constantinople
Lives in Istanbul, not Constantinople
So if you've a date in Constantinople
She'll be waiting in Istanbul
 
Ferry from Greece - lightweights ;)

The traffic is bonkers and, if it rains, the roads have less grip than black ice (seriously).

IMG_1007.jpg


There are a lot of cheap, basic hotels just a gobs throw from here

DSCF0805.jpg


just ride around the side steets to find one (to the right as you look at it).You can then be in the thick of it all and pretty much walk to all the main bits :thumb2

Very jealous, have fun :thumb2

Andres
 
Outtomunch said:
There are a lot of cheap, basic hotels just a gobs throw from here


just ride around the side steets to find one (to the right as you look at it).You can then be in the thick of it all and pretty much walk to all the main bits :thumb2
Click to expand...

We've had a tip about a good family run hotel :thumb 200 meters from Sultanahmet Square.
 
Steptoe said:
Friday night Ferry from Ancona , land Igoumenitsa ( greece) early saturday morning.
One hit all the way to Istanbul, arriving evening time.
Click to expand...

1037km's according to Via Michelin - Greek driving takes the biscuit for me, worst i've ever seen. Single carriageway roads used as dual carriageways. Motorways used as racetracks, they'll undertake you using the hard shoulder at well over the ton. Only the roads in the Olympic area (Athens) have a decent surface and signage, everywhere else is crap. The ability to spin the rear wheel in the dry can be a novelty aswell. Should be a nice easy day for you :aidan. Have Giros for lunch, best fast food you can buy.:thumb
 
Got a rough idea of where we're going, but it's very flexible :D
 

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st247 said:
1037km's according to Via Michelin - Greek driving takes the biscuit for me, worst i've ever seen. Single carriageway roads used as dual carriageways. Motorways used as racetracks, they'll undertake you using the hard shoulder at well over the ton. Only the roads in the Olympic area (Athens) have a decent surface and signage, everywhere else is crap. The ability to spin the rear wheel in the dry can be a novelty aswell. Should be a nice easy day for you :aidan. Have Giros for lunch, best fast food you can buy.:thumb
Click to expand...

When did you ride it ?

We'll be taking the new roads thorough greece. :thumb2
 
This sounds fecking crazy:bounce1:D:bounce1, can I come next year then as I'm booked for this easter weekend:blast, if ewe survive the CAGES in Istanbul that is:augie( the grand Bazaar is a must and so is buying a fake designer T-shirt:eek:) Wish I was coming, mind ewe I will be sat in Sunny Swanage in a caravan with a preggers wife:blast, which will no doubt keep my feet on the ground
Enjoy yourselves now won't ewe.
 
Steptoe said:
When did you ride it ?

We'll be taking the new roads thorough greece. :thumb2
Click to expand...

Was in Greece in 2005. You may or may not be ok with the new roads, i dunno. When we arrived I hired a car at Athens airport and drove about 30 minutes north. The Good tarmac ran out about twenty minutes outside Athens. The driving was a free for all from the start though, people would use ANY gap available to get through, regardless of size. They weren't scared of the loud pedal either. If ever there was a place that deserved the 'God is my co-pilot' label, Greece is it. Spent a week there and then drove across to kefalonia about 230 miles ish. The road started as a motorway, which was quieter than the Athens area, later on though it changed to single carriageway. It was the Major route to that area, and it certainly had the traffic for it aswell. Problem was it was constructed as a single lane road with narrow hard shoulders. Lets just say the greek's ( grecians?) weren't slow to overtake, space or not. I only rode for a day whilst in each area, and i stuck to the minor roads. At the time Garmin didn't do coverage outside of Athens and the locals don't appear to do signposts. Plenty of wrong turns ensued, and a couple of places weren't even reached. The surfaces were about the standard of Irish roads, except that they were slippy as Fcuk, even in the dry.

The good thing though, was that, outside of the tourist areas the locals were bloody friendly, to the point of translating an entire menu for my tribe one evening (didn't have English translations when i was there). The scenerys pretty good too. In fact i may request a place for next year.
 
I was in northern Greece in 2006. Rode from Igouminetsa to Meteora (well worth a visit) and then up to the Albanian border and back to Igouminetsa. Road surfaces were really slippery (they looked like glass) though the motorway must be finished by now.
The scenery in the mountains is great and the locals really welcoming. Wild camping was fine in remote areas. Only problem I had was losing my Switch card and being reduced to getting cash on an Amex. Only a few banks will take it and had to spend hours queueing get my €'s.
Have fun.
 
Steptoe said:
Departing on Thursday 20th march - Reaching Istanbul saturday 22nd March.

Friday night Ferry from Ancona , land Igoumenitsa ( greece) early saturday morning.
One hit all the way to Istanbul, arriving evening time.

There were 14 of us. Were now down to 12.

Anyone have any relevent information we may not have thought about, please feel free to post.

It's gonna be a good one.

So good we haven't a clue which way were coming back :D:D

No plans, so nothing to go wrong. :thumb

The riders ;

Whatton -
Shep -
Popeye -
Novice -
Wapping -
Dark Horse -
Shapeshifter
Blowzorn -
Sir James Burton -
Floyd -
Steptoe -
BSOGRI -

The two who've had to drop out for personal reasons - Woody and Mutley. Lightwieghts.
Click to expand...

Steptoe, if you have any questions about that trip please ask. I came back from a 5 week trip doing the route you talked about. The road from Igoumenitsa to Turkey is mostly immaculate and i was able to cruise at 100+mph. It's the Ignatia Highway, not fully complete yet but you'll see what i mean. I'm VERY envious:rolleyes:
 
Barnzee said:
Steptoe, if you have any questions about that trip please ask. I came back from a 5 week trip doing the route you talked about. The road from Igoumenitsa to Turkey is mostly immaculate and i was able to cruise at 100+mph. It's the Ignatia Highway, not fully complete yet but you'll see what i mean. I'm VERY envious:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

:bounce1

was shitting myself about these slippery black ice roads .. :eek:
 
Novice said:
:bounce1

was shitting myself about these slippery black ice roads .. :eek:
Click to expand...

Its not the roads that are the problem, its the albainian bandits that cross international borders to act like highway pirates, they always pick on the tailend charlie:augie

Shep:D
 
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