Hello,
my name is marcin filas and i am polish and i am 31. Last year i have successfully finished my first big adventure. I rode my bike from Edinburgh in Scotland to Kathmandu in Nepal. It took me 3.5 months and it was a great experience and a beautiful journey. Now, after 4 months of boring existence i started to plan another trip. I want to do a circle edinburgh to edinburgh via europe, Tunisia, libya, egypt, jordan, israel, lebanon, syria and so on. I would appreciate your help. Needing info on border crossing. Do israeli stamp your passport knowing that Syria won't let you in once you have a stamp? can you cross to Egypt from israel and to israel from Jordan??What about crossing from syria to lebanon and then to israel and then to egypt?
any problems with petrol on route? any unusual things i have to know?
thank you in advance and ride safe!
regards

I just did this trip in reverse order. There is a lot of information on each specific border crossing already on the HUBB, so I'll be brief:

Tunisia is easy.

Libya is hard. It's exceedingly difficult (while on the road already) for a westerner to get a transit visa for the country unless you hire a guide. For Polish Citizens, it might work better, but don't hold your breath. If I were you, I would make sure I had the visa in my passport before embarking! Guides are expensive, but perhaps you can split the cost with other travelers.

Egypt is a horrible country... but you will remember it forever! At the major crossing points they have special tourist police who guide you through the painful process of getting your visa and temporary import permit. A carnet is required.

Jordan is easy. Take the ferry from Neweiba, Egypt, to Aqaba, Jordan (to avoid Israel... see the next point.)

There is no way (that I've heard of) to visit Israel with your motorcycle and then continue into Syria. In fact, there is only one land crossing point that allows you to enter and exit the country without a stamp in your passport. The King Hussein Bridge (most direct route between Amman and Jerusalem) is the key to visiting Israel stamp free... but you must leave your bike in Jordan while you visit. And you must leave Israel before your Jordanian visa expires. (Again, there have been many posts on this topic. Search for King Hussein Bridge.)

Syria is no problem. Though they say you must apply for your visa at your home embassy, they will issue it at the border... if there is no evidence of you having visited Israel (including the sticky patch on the back of your passport left behind from an Israeli sticker... peel it off and clean it well!)

Lebanon. Ditto. They are more relaxed than Syria, but they are in a bit of distress at the moment. I'm not sure if or how border crossings have changed there in the past month. (But I am certain that there is no way humanly possible that you can cross from Lebanon to Israel.)

And then you have Turkey. Bingo. QED.

NO problems with Petrol.

Again, avoid Israel unless you can visit it LAST! (It's worth it, but you will not get into Syria if they suspect you've been to Israel! Same with Lebanon, I believe.)

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Jeremy Kroeker
www.MotorcycleTherapy.com

thank you very much. I do not really mind which way round i will go? Israel definately is on my hot list. I have to go there.
will also do a research on Hussein bridge.

Hi Marcin,

What time you plan to do this trip?So,we leave Bulgaria heading Israel,through Turkey,Syria and Jordan three bikes at 20th of September.Plan is to get into Israel abouth 5th 6th October.
If your first leg is the same way and time,we can travel together,or meet up for a /coffee?!

Cheers,

Simon

i did the israel run a month ago...wil explain it in more detail within a week.

Joe in Pak

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Thanks
Joe

Libya, on the other side of IL, is the same problem as Syria if you have visited Palestine.

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