Hi, I'm planning to make a motorcycle journey from India to UK sometime in between May - June 2006 on my motorcylce. Have 2 alternative routes in mind viz.
1. via Pakistan - Iran - Turkey...so on
2. via Dubai - Saudi Arabia - Jordan - Syria - Turkey...so on..
Would like to know if anybody has travelled that route. If yes, would like to know the details viz - distances, time taken, problems faced, day wise itinerary etc.

Regards,

padikpanther

Iran is very interesting, cheap & friendly.
Eastern Turkey is lovely but I wouldn't recommend the Black Sea coast route (too many run-down seaside towns). Probably better to take the route through to Ankara and visit Cappadocia if you have time. From Turkey you can take a route across Greece and get into more expensive Europe (Italy, France) or you can keep costs down and go via Bulgaria, Romania et cetera.
Regarding the other route, you don’t mention how you would enter Dubai. If you came via Iran you would have the plus of seeing Shiraz and Persepolis. But personally, I don’t think it’s worth riding to the UAE. There’s not that much to see here that you couldn’t see by flying in on a cheap airline (Air Arabia, for example).
Then you would have the problem of getting a transit visa for Saudi Arabia which might be very difficult for motorcyclists right now. Someone else might be able to tell you if it’s been done recently. Then, if you did get the visa, you would have 1500 kilometres of boring pipeline road through Saudi Arabia to reach Jordan. I think Eastern Turkey is much more interesting.
Jordan and Syria are really interesting (fantastic ancient ruins from various ages) and great for riding but you could also enter them from Turkey if you wanted to take a detour.
Having done Dubai to the UK via both routes I would recommend your first suggestion for the above reasons. But when you reach Turkey you can choose which way you go next.
Stephan


[This message has been edited by Stephano (edited 09 November 2005).]

Hi and welcome to the HUBB.

You do know that you need a Carnet de Passages, don't you? Details are in the menu on the left. To get one issued contact your Automobile Association.

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Cheers,
Peter.

Europe to NZ 2006-10