Doc goes to Turkiye

[carolyn]

Foreign office this morning now advising against travelling to Turkey (particularly the south) due to ‘heightened tensions’ in the area. Stay safe out there Tam!!

That travel advice is no different to what it’s been for the last few years. The only reason I know is because we went on a tour in 2023 in our van plus Cyprus . I remember contacting our daughter the year before to double check she was happy for us to go. Insider info, she’s in the FCDO. She might want our money of course but more likely she wouldn’t have wanted all the hassle if we’d gone astray for her colleagues

 

[Northernraider]

That travel advice is no different to what it’s been for the last few years. The only reason I know is because we went on a tour in 2023 in our van plus Cyprus . I remember contacting our daughter the year before to double check she was happy for us to go. Insider info, she’s in the FCDO. She might want our money of course but more likely she wouldn’t have wanted all the hassle if we’d gone astray for her colleagues

Yeah they've advised against travel near Syrian border for a good few years as I saw it when I came in 2024.

Wasn't any advice against Iran border etc though, not sure if there is now.

I actually met a couple in a vw t4 camper from Netherlands a while back that were going in to Iran ..Wonder if they'll still go

 

[chaser]

Yeah they've advised against travel near Syrian border for a good few years as I saw it when I came in 2024.

Wasn't any advice against Iran border etc though, not sure if there is now.

I actually met a couple in a vw t4 camper from Netherlands a while back that were going in to Iran ..Wonder if they'll still go

What is in Iran that anyone would risk going for?

 

[carolyn]

Yeah they've advised against travel near Syrian border for a good few years as I saw it when I came in 2024.

Wasn't any advice against Iran border etc though, not sure if there is now.

I actually met a couple in a vw t4 camper from Netherlands a while back that were going in to Iran ..Wonder if they'll still go

Gosh I hope they don’t. I know it looks like such a beautiful country but the risks were too great even before this latest business.

 

[dazandandrea]

Gosh I hope they don’t. I know it looks like such a beautiful country but the risks were too great even before this latest business.

Surely anyone even contemplating visiting Iran at the moment needs their head looking at.

 

[Northernraider]

What is in Iran that anyone would risk going for?

From what I've seen online Iran looks quite good . Lot of old history .

It is of course ancient Persia

 

[Northernraider]

Gosh I hope they don’t. I know it looks like such a beautiful country but the risks were too great even before this latest business.

Surely anyone even contemplating visiting Iran at the moment needs their head looking at.

I was gobsmacked 2 years ago that one of the Belgian couples i was travelling with were continuing from Georgia up through part of Russia and onwards through Mongolia Kazakhstan etc to China..

Id not have contemplated going near Russia but they did it and drove all the way to thialand China etc ...2 year trip all together from when they'd started.



I was also surprised yesterday at the Turkish border to see 2 Ukrainian tour busses heading out of turkiye.

It seems mad when you think a country is at war ....and folk still going on holiday etc like life carries on .


When you watch war films etc on the TV its just so different to what's going on in real life.

I thought that when around Bosnia etc too , like these were all warzones back when I was younger.

 

[corconx]

What is in Iran that anyone would risk going for?

Actually back in 60’s - 80’s there was a lot. Having worked with oil companies and lived out in the Middle East we met quite a few friends who used to work there and what a wonderful place it had been, no doubt that was before the Shah was kicked out in the 79 I think. But it used to be a very good country with quite a few of view wonders of the world there. No doubt these days they’ve been bulldoze down or something.

But considering a pair of adults went in on a motorbike about a year ago and have been picked up and in jail and now accused of spying, it is not the place to go. They thought it would be fun to see, no Visa no nothing. How stupid can people be, and then they expect everyone else to get them out of their predicament? That is why when should always read the foreign and Commonwealth office advice before going anywhere these days.

 

[Lenny HB]

Foreign office this morning now advising against travelling to Turkey (particularly the south) due to ‘heightened tensions’ in the area.

I know Tam ain't got none but if you travel to a country the Foreign office advise against your travel insurance is invalid.

 

[pjay]

Only the southern bit is a no go, been like that since we visited with the van back in 2012....

Pete

 

[Northernraider]

Only the southern bit is a no go, been like that since we visited with the van back in 2012....

View attachment 1176554

Pete

Yeah when I was here 2 years ago I travelled from van all the way up the Iranian and Armenian border and round to the black sea coast before entering Georgia, cant cross from Turkey in to Iran or Armenia ..but you can go Turkey to Georgia then Georgia to armenia and armenia to Iran if you wanted.

I think gaziantep is even to close to Syria for comfort when travelling solo. Id not take the chance personally.


There is a lot of interesting stuff over that side of turkiye though I loved that old town I visited last time right on the Armenian border , was watched by armed guards from Armenian gun towers the whole time .

 

[WESTY66]

Yeah when I was here 2 years ago I travelled from van all the way up the Iranian and Armenian border and round to the black sea coast before entering Georgia, cant cross from Turkey in to Iran or Armenia ..but you can go Turkey to Georgia then Georgia to armenia and armenia to Iran if you wanted.

I think gaziantep is even to close to Syria for comfort when travelling solo. Id not take the chance personally.


There is a lot of interesting stuff over that side of turkiye though I loved that old town I visited last time right on the Armenian border , was watched by armed guards from Armenian gun towers the whole time .

I reckon I’d still go to Gazientep, Antakya and Mardin if I was there, I’m planning to go there next year and up the east to Van and Georgia, but I reckon we’ll have to see what state the world is in at that time

 

[Northernraider]

I reckon I’d still go to Gazientep, Antakya and Mardin if I was there, I’m planning to go there next year and up the east to Van and Georgia, but I reckon we’ll have to see what state the world is in at that time

Dave n marsha followed the border all the way up past Syria last year with no issues other than police paying them a visit a few times in the middle of the night.

I never intended going that far east this time anyway. Its a huge country and you need the full 3 months to do all of it as its a lot of miles.


For comparison last year going from the uk down to Morocco and back i did 6000 miles

The year before going from uk to Georgia and back in was nearly 13000 miles

And this year im on 8000 miles already and still in South Bulgaria.
I reckon I'll be about 10, 11k all in when im back.


Van had 50k km on it when I bought it August 24 ....im just about to turn 80k km in the next day or 2

 

[Sedge5]

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“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

 

[Langtoftlad]

It seems mad when you think a country is at war ....and folk still going on holiday etc like life carries on .

It does, but unlike risking arrest because of the politics, or a 'boots on the ground' war, then a bombing attack leaves huge swathes of the country unaffected...

...and even if you're in a target city, you'd be quite unlucky to be hit [unless visiting buildings of state]

The real danger is from either the authorities or the locals taking against you.

Not a trip for me, but then I like everything neatly packaged and to be shown all the tourist hotspots.

 

[Northernraider]

We're now on the outskirts of Sofia....stayed in plovdiv yesterday. Not really been in the mood for traipsing round towns ...finding Bulgaria a little boring if im honest but maybe its just the time of year , locals are all friendly though and many speak English, and they seem very dog friendly here too which blu has taken full advantage of lol.

Not many photos im afraid

Weather's dry and sunny but cold overnight. Roads are better here than turkiye as are the drivers, been to about 5 scrapyard trying to pick up a servo but had no luck
Diesel is €1.17 per litre
Lpg €0.57 per litre

 

[corconx]

That’s a great photo of you.

 

[Northernraider]

That’s a great photo of you.

I thought i looked rough

 

[chaser]

I thought i looked rough

So did I, I thought you had come across some old hermit

 

[Northernraider]

So did I, I thought you had come across some old hermit

Can always rely on you to lift a mood Charlie

 

[chaser]

Can always rely on you to lift a mood Charlie

Glad to be of service

 

[Gina M]

I thought i looked rough

No way babes, you look gorgeous

 

[Northernraider]

Out of curiosity what price is diesel in the uk just now?

I want to compare what it is in 3 weeks time when im back in uk

 

[f6c]

£1.40

 

[Minxy]

Out of curiosity what price is diesel in the uk just now?

I want to compare what it is in 3 weeks time when im back in uk

Depends where you are but around £1.35-£1.40 ish.

 

[CazPaul]

£1.40 but the way it’s going it will soon be £1.50

 

[Al n Val]

£1.40 but the way it’s going it will soon be £1.50

Or £2.50

 

[corconx]

Was £1.35 last Thursday. Today was £139 at Tesco Wadebridge. It’s wrong that they’re putting up now as the price is I think probably for the August delivery. It’s the one thing that annoys me about petrol stations. They put it up as soon as the price goes up but that’s not when they pay for it!

 

[Riverbankannie]

143p today near Henley (not motorway).

 

[Bonsaiman]

Holding steady in Leeds at the moment £1.38/£1.39 at the supermarkets. £1.41/£1.42 at the petrol stations for diesel