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Middle East Topics specific to the Middle East countries, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Yemen, Oman and the Emirates
Photo by Alessio Corradini, on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, of two locals

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Alessio Corradini,
on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia,
of two locals



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  #1  
Old 27 Feb 2006
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Overland to the Red Sea

I'm in the very early stages of planning a trip, 6 weeks from Belgium, France, Italy ferry to Greece, Turkey, Syria and Jordan (ONE WAY). I would like to go late next year around September / October.

Will 6 weeks be long enough ? I would like to spend 1 week rest in Greece / Turkey and 1 week rest at the Red Sea, the wife would come out to join me.

I'm budgeting €50 per day including camping / low budget hotels, is this suffice. Any approx idea of the KM's. The plan would be to ship the bike back to Antwerp any advise on the best departure port. Should I go onto Egypt say Alexandria or should I ship it from Israel ?

I was once told of restrictions getting passport stamps into one country and not accessing another, however I don't remember which Israel into Syria maybe...... I've ready Chris Scots book but he doesn't go into ME in any depth, can anyone recommend decent books. I have the relevant Lonely Planets

Should I get visa's before departure or at the boarders?

Sorry, lots of questions........

Kind regards
Matt
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  #2  
Old 27 Feb 2006
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Hi Matt

6 weeks are good. i don't know about visas. but make sure Israel is your last country. an Israeli stamp in your passport, on Syria border can stop you. or when getting to Israel you can ask not to stamp your passport (they will stamp a separet paper not attached to yor passport)
Shipping from Israel can be done from Hifa harbor in the north part of isarel. you can do it with Rosenfeld shippinc co. look for it in google

Yoni
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  #3  
Old 27 Feb 2006
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Hi
I am quite sure you'll get a stamp in your passport when entering israel with a vehicle.
So you can't enter Syria (or Iran or...) after having been in Israel. (get a new PP when back in Belgium if you plan on going to any of these places)
From your intinerary it looks like it's the last country on the list anyhow...
There's a ferry service from haifa to greece, or at least there used to be... One funny thing about it used to be that booking it from germany was cheaper than doing so from israel (I think i used ViaMare for doing so).
by the way - it may be possible to sell your bike with a profit in Israel...
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Old 27 Feb 2006
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do'nt bet on that
"it may be possible to sell your bike with a profit in Israel..."
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My ride from Dead horse to Ushuaia 2009 is at
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It's in hebrew but lots of pics and some translation

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  #5  
Old 27 Feb 2006
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From what I've read today, ferries are suspended to both Egypt and Israel. I’ll check what air cargo would cost but I’m thinking its way out of budget from Jordan. Another idea is get the bike to Cyprus from either Syria or Turkey and then there are options to Italy …
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  #6  
Old 24 May 2007
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Shipping from Turkey or Jordan

Can anyone help with "shipping firm details" (freight forwarder) from Turkey / Jordan to Belgium .....

I'm thinking airfrieght will be expensive but the easiest...

Thanks in advance
Matt

Last edited by goodwoodweirdo; 24 May 2007 at 15:08. Reason: add
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  #7  
Old 7 Jun 2007
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6 weeks will be enough.

I don't think you can have stamp in separate paper. They will stamp directly to your passport. If it is the last country, no problem, you change the pass when back.

Enjoyu it...
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  #8  
Old 7 Jun 2007
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leaving the bike in Cyprus

New plan !!! I have family moving to Cyprus, they have sort of agreed to me leaving the bike there. So I would ride back to Turkey (syria ??) and ferry to Cyprus... shouldn't have any paper work issues I guess ...

Perfect starting point then for the next trip...

cheers
Matt
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  #9  
Old 28 Dec 2007
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Talking Best xmas present ...

Woo hoo .... management approved my holiday request, 30 minutes of me rambling on about motorcycle travels with a 'Grant' style power point presentation.... :-)

September 2008

Anyone made the same route, I would love to hear more do's and dont's ..... accomodation ideas...


Happy new year....


Salut Matt
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  #10  
Old 28 Dec 2007
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I've done it twice. You can check it on my web-page. A lot of reading, maybe even some useful info under "From Maribor to Ljubljana (through Libya)" and "Syria - Jordan 2004/05", as well as the "Country info" tab.

Just some answers:
The sentence "Israeli stamp can stop you on Syrian border" is wrong. It should go like this: "Israeli stamp WILL stop you on Syrian (and Libyan and Iranian etc.) border."
If anybody is interested in the future, it is possible to ship cargo from Aqaba, which by the way is a free-zone which influences the costs.
There are NO ferries from Egypt or Israel to Europe or Turkey. All suspended at the beginning of the millenium.
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  #11  
Old 19 Jan 2008
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I agree with Desert Soul (as I'm prone to do!) about the Israeli stamp. That said, get this... I met a Canadian girl in IRAN that had an Israeli stamp in her passport - and she had it BEFORE getting the Iranian visa! I saw the passport myself! Now, this is outrageously rare, but it just goes to show... traveling is a weird, unpredictable game!
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  #12  
Old 20 Jan 2008
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middle east

Hell goodwoodweirdo,

I guess at the end of september 2008 we will be in Aqaba on our trip from Bulgaria via Turkey and Syria.So our plan is to go through Israel as well,thats why I checked Rosenfeld shipping by phone and they told me they have a ferry twice per week to Pireaus/Athens and cost about 500 euro motorbike+rider.
Let us meet there?!

Cheers,
Simon
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  #13  
Old 20 Jan 2008
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So sorry,
I mean HELLO goodwoodweirdo

Cheers,
Simon
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  #14  
Old 20 Jan 2008
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Israeli stamp

When I was in Sinai, I was speaking to a couple of fellow Kiwi's that had traveled threw the M.East: They said that instead of getting an automatic visa at the border entering into Egypt, with a Israeli stamp, they had to apply for a visa before hand at a consul/embassy. That was in 2004.... Not sure if that stands now or with a vehicle?

Best of luck and enjoy that amazing over-looked and mis-understood part of the world!
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  #15  
Old 23 Jan 2008
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Talking Jordan

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mony 63 View Post
So sorry,
I mean HELLO goodwoodweirdo

Cheers,
Simon
I look forward to meeting up.... I'll be in touch soon..

When I'm back in the office I'll give you my rough route and dates..

Cheers
Matt aka goodwoodweirdo !!!
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