Express to Turkey??

[Commuter]

Help needed from Turkey Trotters and any others.

I am now relocated to Turkey and I want to get the bike down here for at least 6 months before making final decisions on permenently relocating it here.

I need to get the bike to Turkey PDQ and was planning to fly into the UK and drive it down over 3/4 days.

Can any of the Turkey trotters or anyone else send any GPS files with routes on it to me from their journeys and also the experiences of ferries from Anconda to Greece and also border crossing into Turkey from Europe.

Many thanks in advance for the help.


Nick.

 

[Deleted Member I]

Waldin's GPS waypoints were pretty excellent.

Here is the Garmin file.

Just join from 1 to 10.

The mapping in Turkey doesn't work. So just follow the signs. Pretty straightforward. Only in Istanbul itself does it get a bit mad

The waypoints includes a detour south, which is worth doing if you have time. Otherwise get to that border, and follow the motorway all the way to istanbul

 

[Deleted Member I]

Ferry from Italy to Greece is great.

You need either to know how to tie down your bike or have people around you that does ... learning how to use your new rachet strap BEFORE setting off can help

See photos that Wapping posted up to get an idea of where your bike will end up. Also not there are no specific tie down points on the ferry. So again being practical would help

Take EUROS with you as bar takes cash only. There is a cash machine on board.
Cabins were nice. Or some people just took inflatable mattresses and sleeping bags and slept around the boat.


Border cross into Turkey involves 4 checkpoints. The first chap just says hello and notes down your reg number and your name from your passport.

Second point is VISA, which you need to buy. 15 Euros(CASH). Goto counter. Man looks you up and down. Tells you goto office to buy VISA. Goto Office building to buy VISA then go back to counter. Counter now has big queue. Wait for counter for the guy to stamp you passport.

Third point is GREEN CARD and REG. Just queue and show docs. More stamps on your passport.

Final point is to check your passport and green card and docs again AND THEN YOU ARE IN!

Pretty painless but nothing like crossing EU countries

 

[Deleted Member I]

BTW .. which hotel will you be GM for?

Maybe we can stay at your posh place for Turkey Trot II .. the return of the "MAN LOVE"

 

[Shep]

The trip to Ancona could have been done in a very long day but IMO would be counter productive, dumping you in Ancona very tired

Milan was a good stage to stop leaving an easy second day through Italy as you need to get to Ancona by 1500 to check in.

First part of Greece was brilliant, we chose the mountains rather than the motorway for the first few miles, and I would do the same again, we stopped in Thessalonika but I wouldn't bother again perhaps I'd push on to the coast a little further on.

Border crossing was OK, a bit of messing about but as long as you have the correct docs you should be OK, there was a list posted giving the proceedure, that was spot on, thanks!

Hope that helps

Shep

 

[Kritou]

.....I need to get the bike to Turkey PDQ and was planning to fly into the UK and drive it down over 3/4 days.....Nick.

There is a ferry from northern Italy to Izmir - not sure of the details but you get an Aegean cruise thrown in and avoid the cities. Ferry leaves late evening first day and arrives early evening on third day

 

[L]

I've done it twice now, so if you want to talk it through, happy to do so... am in Istanbul, so get in touch with me via expatinistanbul (you have his email I think!)

L

 

[Wapping]

The waypoints includes a detour south, which is worth doing if you have time. Otherwise get to that border, and follow the motorway all the way to istanbul

What's happened to your suggestion of flying the bike down, via that place in Leeds?

He could have his bike (and himself) back in Instanbul in a couple of days.....

 

[Deleted Member I]

What's happened to your suggestion of flying the bike down, via that place in Leeds?

He could have his bike (and himself) back in Instanbul in a couple of days.....

Forgot about that

Commuter .. if you like that option, let me know. I will send you the details of the shipping company!

 

[Mountain Ash]

Shipping Details

Gathering info on daft trip via Turkey.

Please can you forward details of the shipping co. in Leeds.

Sounds like a good trip - Turkey Trotters !

 

[Commuter]

Thanks

Thanks for all the suggestions, hatching a plan to get the bike out here ASAP. Will post plan shortly.

Cheers, Nick.

 

[byker_tr]

from Igoumenitsa, follow signs for Ionnina, then Thessaloniki,(after this point you will start seeing signs for Turkey.) then Kavala, then Xhanti, then Alexandroupoli.

Soon after this, it will be the border crossing between Greece and Turkey

Once you are in Turkey, go thru Keşan, then Malkara, then Tekirdağ. After Tekirdag, you will see big signs for Istanbul. Follow green Istanbul signs for motorway ( you will have to pay a few pounds) or follow blue Istanbul signs for normal road with busier traffic.