London to Istanbul

[Istanbulian]

Thanks andres at least your being positive about it. ....so what else could go wrong.

Turkish roads are a sea of mud in the winter: visibility will be extremely poor.

If you are really unlucky it will snow and you can be trapped at the Turkish border for days. Typically heavy snow arrives early February but even if it doesn't snow Istanbul will be cold, wet and miserable

 

[woodman]

Nine days!

That doesn't sound enough time.

 

[butcher90]

Turkish roads are a sea of mud in the winter: visibility will be extremely poor.

If you are really unlucky it will snow and you can be trapped at the Turkish border for days. Typically heavy snow arrives early February but even if it doesn't snow Istanbul will be cold, wet and miserable

Cant be worse than the UK

Nine days!

That doesn't sound enough time.

funny

 

[Istanbulian]

Cant be worse than the UK

Oh yes it can; typically when it does snow at the border and around Istanbul you will get deep, deep snow which will block the (untreated) roads. Istanbul itself becomes gridlocked and it will take you 5-6 hrs to cover 30km. The high-ground between Istanbul and the Greek/Bulgarian borders gets deep snowdrifts that will close the entire road-system. Now I know that occasionally this happens in the UK (and clearly more so in Scotland/Wales) but in Istanbul it happens every year.

We had to rescue one intrepid round-the-world type who tried to cross the Greek/Turkish border one January after he got trapped at Ipsala for 5 days

 

[Wapping]

Nine days!

That doesn't sound enough time.

To Istanbul?

We went there and back in that time, on the Easter Turkey Trot.

Easter was in March, about as early as it can be. We left on the Good Friday, with the snow clouds gathering behind us. Had we left 24 hours later we (like hundreds of vehicles) would have been stuck around about Dijon, as the motorway descended into snowbound chaos.

 

[twizzle]

Head south, go to morocco....Pyrenees, Spain will throw just enough of a winter challenge... Then Morocco...

Those central European roads can be deadly in the summer, add in weather, snow, Artics, poor visibility, and very very cold weather... And it will be very unpleasant...

 

[Dave56]

Go for it and bugger the na-doers, we're only here once........

 

[butcher90]

Head south, go to morocco....Pyrenees, Spain will throw just enough of a winter challenge... Then Morocco...

Those central European roads can be deadly in the summer, add in weather, snow, Artics, poor visibility, and very very cold weather... And it will be very unpleasant...

Ok, so i listened to everyone, you all made good points ;p

Im now doing 17 days UK, Spain, Morocco - majority of the trip will be in Morocco (8 days)
Average 202 miles per day.

2 route options

Going through: Route 1
Poole (Ferry), Santander, Pyrenees, Barcelona (Ferry), Tangier, Rabat, Marrakesh, Atlas Mountains, Ouzazate, Fes, Tangier (Ferry) , Barcelona, Santander (Ferry), Poole

Route 2:
Poole (Ferry), Santander, Madrid, Cordoba, Gibralter, Tangier, Rabat, Marrakesh, Atlas Mountains, Ouzazate, Fes, Tangier (Ferry) , Barcelona, Santander (Ferry), Poole

Wild Camping and cheap motels. I have already checked how much ferries will cost (£400 Total) and it all includes cabins, so there is a spare bed if anyone wants it.
I just need to decide if should save the £100 on the ferry from Barca and travel 1000 miles in 3 days :s
Probably will ferry it, and save my energy for Morocco.

 

[maikhoepfel]

Ok, so i listened to everyone, you all made good points ;p

Congrats! You'll have more fun this way.

I just need to decide if should save the £100 on the ferry from Barca and travel 1000 miles in 3 days :s

Well, you'll spend more than 100 quid on food, tires and gas for that distance.

 

[butcher90]

Congrats! You'll have more fun this way.



Well, you'll spend more than 100 quid on food, tires and gas for that distance.

Im working it out to be a saving of about £40 might aswell take the ferry and relax for 2 days.

 

[twizzle]

Enjoy, and don't forget the ride report??

 

[woodman]

glad to hear

So glad to hear you have changed your plans.

I would hate to have heard that it all ended in tears somewhere.

I have camped solo throughout Europe for the last ten years and had some great adventures.

Most of them have been completely unplanned. Things just happen along the way.

Take your time, chat to the locals, and you will have some great tales to tell when you get back.

 

[Greg Masters]

Ok, so i listened to everyone, you all made good points ;p

Im now doing 17 days UK, Spain, Morocco - majority of the trip will be in Morocco (8 days)
Average 202 miles per day.

Good call!



Go to Istanbul in the summer!

 

[butcher90]

Yeh thats what I thought, chase the sun!

I just hope it's ok to wild camp through Spain and Morocco.

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[Greg Masters]

I just hope it's ok to wild camp through Spain and Morocco.

Just watch out for the snakes.

 

[butcher90]

They can't get into tents can they?

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[boatman]

That all looks like a much better spend of your time and money it will still be well cold at bits even in Maroc !
But it it all looks good tae me
All the best with it
These are the things life is made for

 

[Tricky]

Just watch out for the snakes.

They can't get into tents can they?

Carry on like this and I can see this adventure ending at Poole Quay.

Enjoy your trip butcher90.

 

[UKRodYork]

has Butcher90 gone yet...im looking forward to the report!

 

[Bengaz]

Any news on Butcher90?