How to get on the Baku Ferry to Aktau.
Baku ferry.
First, you need to fill your empty tank of patience. Forget all the shit you went through with police and traffic trying to get to Baku. Take a deep breath. Ok now you are ready to start.
There are 2 ports in Baku, the “new port” and the “old port”. The ferry to Aktau can leave from either. There is no schedule. The ferry will leave when it is full of transport. If it is a rail ferry, you will not be able to go on it if there are petroleum cars or chemical cars. No passengers will. I am not sure about the ferry to Turkmenbashi and how to buy a ticket.
The link to Baku Port
.::Baku Sea Port::.
(It won't be much help)
You need to find the lady named Vika. She is Russian looking in her 30s. Sandy blond/brown hair. Speaks some English and she is the ONLY person who can sell you a ticket. There are 2 ticket offices and its a crap shoot where she will be. Email me and I will send you her number. The old port ticket office is located near the Boulevard area of Baku. After you enter the main road from the Boulevard, you will drive between a wall on the right and a building on the left. You will cross railroad tracks and see a gate. The first building on the right after the gate is the ticket office. The door with moto stickers on it is the one you want.
Coordinates
40.376178277, 49.8650832704 (Old Port Entrance from Boulevard)
Coordinates
40.3744878209, 49.865611321 (Ticket office)
Ticket office on the right just past the gate.
The New Port (RoRo Port) is about 8 km east.
Coordinates
40.3691628766, 49.9352689035 (Ro Ro Port Entrence)
Coordinates
40.3628328103, 49.9344234767 (New port ticket office)
Left door is ticket office. Middle is passport control. right is customs.
The ticket office is the white building on the right side of the gate. There are 3 doors on the west wall. Left door is Ticket, middle door is passport control, right door is police/customs.
Call Vika every morning at 10:00 and ask if a ferry is leaving. She will probably say call back around 2 or no, there isn't one. When you call back around 2, the ferry will probably have chemical rail cars in which case you can't go. So you wait till the next day and call again.
Customs office.
When your 3 day transit import for your vehicle is up, you need to leave you vehicle or car at the customs office. Theoretically it is a “secure place” I had no problem with my motorcycle being messed with. I removed all luggage and locked my spare tires to the frame. You don't need to pay any money when you put your bike into custom. You will be able to remove your bike from customs when you have a ticket to the boat. They will let you ride to the new port if that is where the ship is leaving from. You should not have to pay any money to customs when you are leaving. You can leave your vehicle at customs in the new port also I think. But it will not be in a gated area.
Coordinates
40.3719194538, 49.865193405 (Old Port Customs office)
The ticket cost $200. I paid in USD.
Here are a few pictures from on the boat.
Beer was 2 manat. Most meals were 2 or 3 Manat.
Here is what you have to do for customs in Aktau.