TRIP TO TURKEY

[D6]

bulgarian roads are bad on the back roads, otherwise pretty good

 

[beachman]

turkey

Hi, i travelled a bit of turkey in the euro summer, bloody hot!!, im from down under and when i took off to travel around europe i went to my local NRMA and bought an international driving permit. 10 euro. I then organised insurance for my bike to cover accidents ( which covered me everywhere except serbia) i got my bike through customs as personal luggage and did not need a carnet. The roads are crap in turkey and the people are very friendly.
There is a guy on adv or horizons who can help you with your insurance.
Regards
mike

 

[Archie Adv]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the gen. I have everything covered now and am looking forward to departure sometime next week. I guess I have been spoilt over the years I've been visiting Turkey 10 now but first on the bike. The roads have always been like they are so I guess I am kind of used to the crap that they call roads. That said on a GSPD I'm sure they will be fine. I'm more concerned about the friggin radar traps, as I had never been aware until the last few days that the speed limit was so low for any bike. I'll just have to adapt.

Thanks again

Archie

 

[Ghostrider]

Archie

I am leaving for Turkey on 1st June from Dover. I am going the Ancona to Greece, Athens to Chios then Cesme and onwards to Istanbul. Some interesting points have been raised in your thread which helps me for my trip.

Keeps your eyes open for a British F800GS bumblebee.

I have a bog running on the GS Travellers page (Round the Bloc tour 2009).

Good luck

Ghostrider

 

[ExpatinIstanbul]

Archie

I am leaving for Turkey on 1st June from Dover. I am going the Ancona to Greece, Athens to Chios then Cesme and onwards to Istanbul. Some interesting points have been raised in your thread which helps me for my trip.

Keeps your eyes open for a British F800GS bumblebee.

I have a bog running on the GS Travellers page (Round the Bloc tour 2009).

Good luck

Ghostrider

Let me know if you need anything for when you are in Istanbul.

I'll PM you with contact details.

 

[Archie Adv]

Glad to be of service.... I am seriously considering the Anconq Igoumentisa route now having done some research on it. Much as I may still visit the Balkans on my way back I don't want to be rushing because I'm running out of time. I have a bad habit of going from A-B and miss everything in between. So I am going to try and slow myself down a little to enjoy some of th sights and scenerey on the way. I will ride from Igou to Turkey and then down to Dalaman.

There has been a wealth of info come out as a result of my wee starter and I think everyone for there support and information.

Expat I look forward to receiving your details although I'm sure I've seen them on the site somewhere before but I will welcome them directly anyway. Thanks again.

Archie

 

[Archie Adv]

Geoff,

Had a look on your blog, your going to be busy and will need a rest on your return....!! I'm looking at returning via some of your route when I decide to come back but I suspect you will be long gone. I'm sure you will enjoy......

 

[Archie Adv]

Guys,

Just a quick note of thanks to all who contributed to resolve my concerns with my forthcoming trip. By way of an update final details are now coming together and I have decided to take the somewhat easier option rather than riding all the way down there. I will as outlined in my initial post travel from Belgium to Dusseldorf where I will board an overnight train to Villach in Austria. I will then ride from Villach to Ancona Italy on the beautiful Adriatic, where I worked for a short period in the early 90's. I will take the ferry from Ancona to Igoumenista Greece and then ride across northern Greece to the Turkish border. From the border crossing I will then travel south via Eceabat, Canakkale, Izmir, Mugla, Dalaman. Should do for starters..!!

Current thoughts are to return by road through Bulgaria, where I may visit Burgas, then up into Serbia to cross the border into Bosnia to Sarajevo, and on to Croatia, to Split and Zagreb and finally back to Villach where I will try and take the train for the return to Düsseldorf. I will be in no rush on the way home so will look to take it easy.

I am planning on taking my eBook laptop with me so should be able to get on here occasionally and will try to provide updates and pictures, if I can work out how all that works.

Once again thanks again for all the contributions and help offered.

Regards

Archie GSer

 

[ExpatinIstanbul]

Have a good trip.

 

[Ghostrider]

Hope you have as much as I'm planning to have. I will watch you thread when I can.
Geoff

 

[mozencesme]

mehmet

hi guys,

Actually I am from cesme/turkey living in edinburgh.Want to go down to cesme turkey with my 1200 gsa around 10th or 11 th june.is anybody travelling in thoose days?I will follow the uk france swiss --ancona--igoumenitsa---eceabat/canakkale/turkey----cesme..

if anybody riding over those dates you are very welcome to ride together..

 

[Ghostrider]

Sorry
Leaving on the 1st June and should be Istanbul by then.
GR

 

[Riders Rest]

Me and La-Belle-Wendy went in 2006 via UK, France, Germany, Austria, Hungry, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Italy, France, UK
our ride report is here www.whereistonynow.co.uk/tour2cure.htm - Good luck it is a great trip.

 

[Archie Adv]

Thanks for the encouragement. Big day tomorrow...

Archie

 

[celcius]

Just a small heads-up for those coming to Turkey; contrary to the custom in U.K (if i remember correctly, it's been 10 years since i have been to U.K) and other countries; in Turkey flashing your high-beams means ''road is mine, i am going to move, you wait!''. In every other country i have been to it means the exact opposite, motorists flash their high-beams when they intend to ''give road'' rather than take it.
So when in Turkey if you see a moving car/bike flashing their lights at you at a junction or a single-lane road DON'T go into the junction/road otherwise you will have a nasty head-on/broadside. Wait for the other to pass.
Just a small detail, but can be a life saver to those accustomed to the road manners of other countries.

 

[ExpatinIstanbul]

Just a small heads-up for those coming to Turkey; contrary to the custom in U.K (if i remember correctly, it's been 10 years since i have been to U.K) and other countries; in Turkey flashing your high-beams means ''road is mine, i am going to move, you wait!''. In every other country i have been to it means the exact opposite, motorists flash their high-beams when they intend to ''give road'' rather than take it.
So when in Turkey if you see a moving car/bike flashing their lights at you at a junction or a single-lane road DON'T go into the junction/road otherwise you will have a nasty head-on/broadside. Wait for the other to pass.
Just a small detail, but can be a life saver to those accustomed to the road manners of other countries.

A very very very good point.

 

[Archie Adv]

Thanks for that valuable tip.

Archie

 

[Ghostrider]

Good luck

 

[Archie Adv]

Trip to Turkey Update (long)

Hello to all who provided info for the trip.

Just thought I'd give a quick progress report so far.

Day 1

Brussels to Dusseldorf - No problems until 10Km from Dusseldorf when it friggin pissed it down, the weather in that part of the country had been bad for a couple of days and I nearly made it but because it had been bad on Thu I decided to wear wets, just as well it chucked it down. Total distance for the day in kilometers was 226Km.

Cars were loaded first and as I waited I was approached be a German guy asking for help to unload his 4x4 as the Deutsche-Bahn staff would not allow him to leave 6 boxes loaded on his truck on the rear load bed. So firstly he asked me if I spoke German to which I replied a little. He then offered me €50 yo yo’s to help unload and reload his boxes and then do the same in Villach. Not being someone to refuse to help someone in need I said no problem and you don’t need to pay to pay me to help you. Anyway we unloaded the boxes and then loaded them on the train and he forces the said €50 on me to which I refused politely but he insisted, so I was €50 yo yo’s better off than when I left Overijse. I thought to myself he’s got more money than sense. Turned out he was a medical doctor ands he wished me well for my trip. Yes of course I was there in the morning to do what I agreed to do for him in Dusseldorf and yes it did cross my mind to just FO and leave him to it but my conscience would have bothered me if I had not performed the second part of the deed.

The train journey was boring, I was sharing a cabin with an old couple from Rotterdam and young guy from near Brussels, the wrinklies didn’t speak much English but thankfully the young guy did. So after a couple of hours I persuaded him to imbibe in a couple of beers and then we returned to the cabin. Whilst we were in the cabin the next cabin up from us had 6 Belgians bikers who had obviously been let loose on their annual bike trip, dressed in all the gear as Harley Davidson mounted Belgian version of Hells Angels, and wanted to let everyone know how hard they were. Well after an hour of so of their antics and general misbehavior my old self cam to the fore and I joined in their desire to be heard, by shouting to them were they out of the Kindergarten for the weekend and would they please shut the **** up. This raised a few responses but the outcome was what was desired….. Peace and quiet until they went back to the bar. Of course I returned to the bar and restaurant to get something to eat but nothing was said and they continued to be a bunch of twats…. Climbing on the bar and trying to get inside the glass rack that hung from the roof of the coach. To coin the good old Glaswegian phrase ****in Eedjits, the poor barman could do nothing and they continued to perform like school kids until they decided to go to bed. To say they were hung over in the morning would be an understatement and they deserved all they suffered. Turned out the guy I helped was on his way to Sibenik in Croatia to which I informed him that I knew Croatia quite well having lived and worked there for 18 months during the conflict in the Balkans.

Day 2.
Was a quick sort out and get to the bikes to unload from the train but there was no rush the Austrians had all the time in the world and we stood around for about 45 minutes before the cars and bikes were brought alongside for unloading. The GS being a good old beast refuse to start on the first attempt and a few more after that so in fear of flattening the battery as it is apt to do I bit the bullet and started to push the bastard off via four other rail carriages. Fortunately it did fire up on the fourth carriage before it came to the up ramp but by this time I had warmed up just a little. Once off I let it run for a few minutes and went off to assist with the boxes. Deed completed I then returned to the bike got sorted out and hit the road. First stop was a filling station and ten it was 600 plus Kms to Ancona in Italy to board the ferry to Igoumenitsa Greece. The trip down was trouble free with the exception of the GPS telling me it didn’t agree with my route and that my maps needed updating. WTF didn’t it tell me that last week before I left Belgium. However after giving me directions to go it’s way I realized I was not going where I wanted to go and turned around and got beck on the autostrada I had left, local knowledge from when I had worked in the area years ago. Bear in mind I have no maps so it is all down to the GPS and my memory map. Got to the Ancona region of Marche and decided to look up an old friend at the hotel where I stayed when working in the region, unfortunately she was not due on shift until 15:45 and I needed to be in the port by 16:00 so we did not meet but I left a message and was given a nice coffee and water to wash it down for my troubles. I bid the locals farewell and took the cost road for the 25 Kms to the port.

To say the port was a bit of a shambles would be an understatement. I knew I had to check in but sure as eggs is eggs there were no signs that I could see that would enlighten me as to where the check in office was, so I continued following my GPS to the port only to be turned around and told to get ticket from ticket office. Okay where is the ticket office? The reply was go back 1 Km, that I did only to find a closed ticket office with no signs or information as to where to go. So I followed the same road back to the determined 1Km back to the roundabout where lo and behold there is the minutest of signs on the directions board for ferry check in. I followed the obscure signs until there were no more…. However there was a guy standing in the road directing traffic into a compound which turned out to be where the new ticket office was to be found for Fast Ferries. Pulled into the car park alongside a group of other bikers who appeared to have it sorted so I asked them what the score was. They chatted for a bit and asked questions about travelling alone. They were from the Czech Republic on a 10 day round trip of the Balkans. Got myself sorted and returned to the bike to have little sort out of what I would need on the ferry and whilst doing this another couple of Beemer 1100 riders pulled in to the car park. When they returned from checking in I had a chat with them as they were heading the same way as me to Igoumenitsa and then off on a jolly around northern Greece. Both spoke excellent English so I didn’t have to speak much German with them thankfully. They had chosen to camp on the ship deck camping area even after being offered beds as I had a 4 berth cabin and sole occupancy.

The crossing was calm and I slept well after a meal and a beer. Late departure meant a late arrival and it was well after 11:00 when I left the port to hear for the Greek/Turkish border. There have been a few write ups on the site about the northern route and all I will say is that the route was excellent particularly when in the mountains. The pace was quick and easy although with the weight of the bike I took it easier than I might have done. It was cold up in the mountains but after six and half hours riding it was 31 deg C when I arrived in Alexandroupoli where I found a hotel for the night with internet access which was handy. They didn’t have secure parking but assured me the bike would be okay directly in front of the hotel entrance but I locked it up just in case. Sure enough all was in order the following morning.

Day 3

I loaded the bike and hit the road at 07:55 and in keeping with going in my main direction of travel I joined the motorway to Turkey at the eastern entry point but not before having to ride through the main town which was a mistake, returning by the way that I had arrived would have been easier. Say no more other than lesson learned..!!! The border was a short 35Kms away and I was there by 08:30 checked in through the main controlled barrier no problem, I knew I needed to get an entry visa first before any other formalities took place and waited in a short queue only to be to told to return to the barrier which was a good 500 meters away and wandering around fully suited and booted in 20 plus degrees was a little frustrating but I maintained my sense of humour. The problem was that the gate security guard had entered or not entered the registration number wrongly, of course he tried to blame the computer for the problem and sorted the problem and allowed me to return to a much shorter queue. Details noted passport stamped and then sent to the next kiosk not more than 5 meters across the barrier of the obligatory counter signature, bureaucracy at it’s best. Job done or so I thought, one final security check, the exit gate where all documents were once again checked and returned to me. An open road on a major flat plain lay ahead with another 35Kms ahead to the town of Kesan, where I would turn right and head south to Eceabat for the ferry across the Dardanelles’ which was a further 300ish kms distant. I arrived at 11:20 and had time to get a brew (chay) and a bun. Once a gain it tried to rain on me but held off until I was on the outskirts of Canakkale and it chucked it down again. I stopped and donned my wets not thinking that I would have a need for these this far south at this time of year. I guess it has something to do with climate change and this is not the first place I have noticed this phenomena… It was apparent on my holiday last Christmas when visiting Sabah in Borne where it would generally have be very dry but humid.

I kept my wets on for as long as I could suffer which was about an hour and the weather was very unpredictable and no sooner had a warmed up again and started to get wet from sweat I stopped to undress again. I decided at this point that if it rained again I would just get wet as the time, distance, and heat would soon dry me out. It continued to shower occasionally on me but I didn’t get soaked.

I had agreed with my significant other

Hat I would find a pension/B&B but I had made good time and had reached Aydin with about only 360Km to go to Dalaman and about 4 hours of light so I thought I would crack on and did. Suffice to say I had made such good time that I was 11 Km away from my destination and the local town police were out as normal with their radar traps. I completely forgot about the locals. I had been concentrating all the way from crossing into Turkey that on the home straight I took my off the ball as I overtook some typically slow moving traffic and no sooner pulled in to see the copper 200 meters in front of me running out to stop me. What could I say…? Other than Mia Culpa…. After the usual checks I was told my fine would be 265 if I paid in 15 days or on the spot with a 25% reduction, do the math’s…. 198.75YTL about £100. My own fault, I was warned… So the time on my ticket is 20:10 and I would have made it before darkness fell. I took a picture as I pulled up at the local hosteller for some well earned food and refreshment. Honest dear I didn’t ride in the dark……

I had made it safe sound if not a little tired and a few aches in the old knackered knees.

My costs are slightly exaggerated due to the train and ferry costs. On average I was getting 500 Km to 35 Ltrs, approximately 14.28 Km/Ltr. 312mp 7.77 Gals = 40mpg and the bike was quite heavily loaded as you will see from the pictures to follow.

ArchieGSer

 

[Riders Rest]

Nice one - shame about the fine though but well taken on the chin...

looking forward to pictures