Iran - Andrew Burke [337]
Horizons Unlimited (www.horizonsunlimited.com) Aimed at motorcyclists, but good for anyone with a vehicle. For the most up-to-date detail, search the Middle East thread on its HUBB forum, which has detail on borders, fuel, shipping and repair shops. The overlander’s Bible.
Border Crossings
AFGHANISTAN
The border at Dogharon, 20km east of Taybad, is open and straightforward. Daily buses between Herat and Mashhad make the trip even simpler still. Visas are not issued here. See the boxed text for more information.
ARMENIA
The border between Iran and Armenia is only 35km long, with one crossing point in Iran at Norduz. Armenian visas are issued at the border for US$30, though sometimes the bus leaves before you have your visa – apart from that it’s pretty smooth. See the boxed text for more information.
AZERBAIJAN
The Azeri border has two recognised crossings: between Astara (Azerbaijan) and Astara (Iran; see the boxed text), and Culfa (Azerbaijan) and Jolfa (Iran; see the boxed text), the latter leading to the exclave of Nakhchivan, from where you cannot enter Armenia and must fly to get to Baku. Visas are not issued here. When we crossed the Astara border for this book it was thoroughly straightforward.
Bus
These days direct buses between Tehran and Baku, via Astara, are as rare as rocking-horse shit. Which is a good thing, because if you’re not on a cross-border bus you’ll avoid a three- to seven-hour delay as your conveyance gets a full cavity search, which is considerably less interesting than it sounds. Crossing as a pedestrian is much easier.
Train
A train linking Qazvin to the Azeri border at Astara, via Rasht, will allegedly begin service during the life of this book.
IRAQ
Until there is a dramatic improvement in the security situation, you’d need to have rocks in your head to even consider crossing into southern Iraq. And anyway, the border posts at Mehran and Khosravi – servicing the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala in Iraq – are open for locals only. Further north, the Haj Omran border near Piranshahr is the gateway to Iraqi Kurdistan and opens fitfully; see the boxed text and check Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree (www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree) for the latest information.
PAKISTAN
Along the 830km border with Pakistan, the only recognised crossing for foreigners is between Mirjaveh (Iran) and Taftan (Pakistan). For border details see the boxed text. For bus information, Click here; for train options, Click here.
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TO THE ORIENT BY TRAIN
After decades of frustration for trainspotters and travellers alike, it will soon be possible to climb aboard a train in London, or almost anywhere in Europe, and travel exclusively by rail all the way to India. It will be possible when the missing length of track, across the barren deserts between Bam and Zahedan, is finished – supposedly in late 2008.
The new, standard-gauge track will link Zahedan to the rest of the Iranian network via Bam and Kerman. In Zahedan it will change bogies to connect with the wide-gauge Pakistani railway, though there are plans to standardise the entire Pakistani network to allow trains to run directly through to India and China. If the oft-talked about but much-delayed Trans-Asian Railway comes to fruition, Kunming in China will be linked to Kapikule in Bulgaria via an 11,460km line. And if politicians can get their act together, you’ll be able to continue through to Thailand, Indochina and Singapore by rail…but hang on a minute, now we’re getting way ahead of ourselves.
For now, getting to India shouldn’t be too tough. Sure, we’re not talking about the expensive luxury of the modern-day Orient Express trains, which only run as far as Venice. Indeed, there is little ‘express’ about it. But for scenery, comfort and the chance to meet the locals, it’s hard to beat going across Asia by train. If you fancy it, see www.seat61.com to plan your itinerary.
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TURKEY
There main road crossing to/from Turkey is at Gürbulak (Turkey) and Bazargan (Iran), where there are hotels,