Middle East - Anthony Ham [546]
If travelling overland independently to or from the Middle East – whether hitching, cycling, driving your own car or riding by train or by bus – you can approach the region from Africa, the Caucasus, Iran or Europe.
Africa
For details of ferry services between Aswan (Egypt) and Wadi Halfa (Sudan), Click here. Before setting out, check the security situation in Sudan; many East African overlanders skip Sudan by flying from Egypt to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.
Egypt’s only border crossing with Libya is at Amsaad, on the Mediterranean coast 12km west of Sallum. Service taxis run up the mountain between the town and the Egyptian side of the crossing for E£4. If that sounds suspiciously easy, you’re right to be sceptical. Tourist visas for Libya require an invitation from an accredited Libyan tour company, and you’ll be required to sign up for an escorted tour for the duration of your stay. Such an invitation should be arranged weeks in advance. Never just turn up at the border hoping that visa regulations have been relaxed.
THE CAUCASUS
Armenia
At the time of writing, the Turkish–Armenian border was closed to travellers. The situation could change, so it’s worth checking (the Russian embassy handles Armenian diplomatic interests in Turkey). If you want to travel from Turkey to Armenia (or vice versa), you can fly or travel by bus via Georgia. At least three buses weekly depart from Trabzon’s otogar heading for Yerevan.
Azerbaijan (Nakhichevan)
At least two daily buses depart from Trabzon’s otogar heading for Tbilisi (Georgia), where you can change for Baku. You can cross from Turkey to the Azerbaijani enclave of Nakhichevan via the remote Borualan–Sadarak border post, 105km southeast of Iğdır. From there, you’ll need to fly across Armenian-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh to reach the rest of Azerbaijan and Baku.
Georgia
The main border crossing is at Sarp on the Black Sea coast, between Hopa (Turkey) and Batum (Georgia). You can also cross inland at the Türkgözü border crossing near Posof, north of Kars (Turkey) and southwest of Akhaltsikhe (Georgia). The Sarp border crossing is open 24 hours a day; Türkgözü is open from 8am to 8pm, though in winter you might want to double check it’s open at all. At least two daily buses depart from Trabzon’s otogar heading for Tbilisi (19 hours).
If you’re heading to the Türkgözü border from the Turkish side, a convenient starting point is Kars. You need to get to Posof first, then hire a taxi or minibus to take you to the border post 16km away. From the border, hire another taxi to take you to the Georgian town of Akhaltsikhe, from where regular buses head to Tbilisi (which can take up to seven hours). A more direct option consists of taking a minibus to Ardahan, where you can hop on the daily İstanbul–Tbilisi bus, which leaves from Ardahan at around 10am.
EUROPE
It’s fairly easy to get to İstanbul by direct train or bus from many points in Europe via Bulgaria. Despite the romantic appeal of train journeys, getting to Turkey overland is usually cheaper and faster by bus. Several Turkish bus lines offer reliable and quite comfortable services between İstanbul and Germany, Italy, Austria and Greece.
Bulgaria & Other Eastern European Countries
There are three border crossings between Bulgaria and Turkey. The main border crossing is the busy Kapitan–Andreevo/Kapıkule, 18km west of Edirne on the E5. The closest town on the Bulgarian side is Svilengrad, some 10km from the border. You have to hitch a lift or hire a taxi rather than walk between the Greek–Turkish border posts. This crossing is open 24 hours daily. There’s a second crossing at Lesovo–Hamzabeyli, some 25km north of Edirne; it’s a quieter option during the busy summer months than Kapitan–Andreevo/Kapıkule, but takes a little longer to get to and there’s no public transport. The third crossing is at Malko Târnovo–Kırıkkale, some 70km northeast of Edirne and 92km south of Burgas.
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