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8 Sep 2008
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Is it really so difficult to go round the Med
If you travel thru Israel you can't enter Libya.
So how do you travel round the Med without all this red tape, or is it just a matter of luck at the border? Our trip goes thru Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco....but its looking like we must drop some of these places.
Given the conflicting information on entering, crossing and leaving Libya from either direction, would it make sense to just wait until we get to the border at Libya/Egypt to get a Visa...have the cash needed, arabic translated passport and carnet?
Put differently, if we satisfy these conditions, what can we expect at the border.
Help !!
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8 Sep 2008
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Can be done
When entering Israel you can ask in the border not to stamp your passport with the Israeli stamp, they will stamp a separate paper taht will be attached to your passport and when going out they take it away. You can skip Israel by going from Aqaba Jordan on a ferry to Egypt (Sinai), and it will still be called Rownd the Med 
Good riding
Y.
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8 Sep 2008
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In the case of exiting from Jordan to Israel, it is also important to have NO exit stamps in the passport, as the travel route could be reconstructed.
The border Algeria - Morocco is completely closed. To my knowledge, motorbikers are not allowed to enter Algeria if it's not an organized tour.
You should plan very well for Libya (guide needed) and check recent information, things seem to change and back again. Contact a libyan agency, if necessary.
Good luck,
Robert
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9 Sep 2008
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the only place you can cross into israel without a stamp in your passport is the king hussain bridge. that's the good news. the bad news? it's a pedestrian bridge. in other words, you'll have to leave your bike in jordan while you visit israel (for about 1JD per day) at a secure parking lot. i did this a few months ago and got through without problems (although, at the israeli border, they claimed that they no longer stamp a separate piece of paper... this is not true, but it's at the discretion of the border guard.) for libya, you can get a transit visa... but it's very difficult. it's way easier to arrange a guide (which is expensive). don't use Medussa Tours, in my opinion. from libya, you can visit tunisia, and then take a ferry to france or italy.
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10 Sep 2008
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Thankyou
Excellent info thanks. I suppose it comes down to just going and hoping we get into Israel with stamp NOT on the passport and then out again and if that works... Hopefully when arriving at Egyptian / Libyan border they dont guess that we have been in Israel. We would use a guide in Libya, have already contacted a couple of tour guides there.
If they deny us entry then we will have to then change plan and somehow get from Alexandria to ???wherever....
Jules
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10 Sep 2008
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As I see it the problem with going around the Med is that you have to drive with a guide in Libya and Algeria. You will have a long way to go from Algeria to Morocco but beside the problems with guides it’s a nice route. I don’t know how safe the area around Arlit/Agadez is right now but it’s a stunning place.
You will also miss the greatest part of Libya (the south) and the best parts of Algeria.
If there are traces of Israel in your passport or carnet you will not be able to leave Egypt or Jordan overland.
This also goes for entry/exit stamps from Jordan/Egypt to Israel.
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11 Sep 2008
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Thanks Alibaba.. from what we have been told by the Libyan tour operators/fixers as long as you dont have Israeli stamp in passport, they dont care how you exit or enter countries.
But you are now saying that Egypt< Lebanon and Jordan stamps will cause a problem.. why is this?
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11 Sep 2008
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The stamps show which borderpost you have crossed.
Lets say that you have an exit stamp from Jordan (in Carnet or passport) from a borderpost that goes into Israel. How would you like to explain the Libyan/Algerian guards that you didn’t go to Israel?
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14 Sep 2008
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Thanks Everyone
We have had a think this weekend again, and have decided to leave Israel off unfortunately... but not all bad, we can travel there by flight another time. Just don't want to chance wrecking this trip by having a border security person annoyed at where we have been or possibly been.
Thanks again...yay - onward !!
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15 Sep 2008
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No way with Israel. Best is Syria-Jordan-Aqaba-(ferry)-Egypt as Roni said.
Nt sure if you can pass the borders between Algeria-Morocco (closed) and not so funny with others in north Africa.
I planned this trip RTM (round the Med) but found out that it will be very problematic and not possible some ways to pass borders.
Bypassing Israel is a solution. How will you overcome with North Africa... I don't know...
Hope you do it. If you succee, pls let us know.
Enjoy it,
Samy
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16 Sep 2008
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Is it not possible to visit your embassy in one of the countries mentioned and apply for a duplicate passport so you can have whichever one stamped depending on which border you are at ?
My wife and I will be leaveing the UK next year with two passports each for this very reason
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16 Sep 2008
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mcgiggle
Is it not possible to visit your embassy in one of the countries mentioned and apply for a duplicate passport so you can have whichever one stamped depending on which border you are at ?
My wife and I will be leaveing the UK next year with two passports each for this very reason
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It might be possible but not easy and it doesn’t solve the Carnet-problem.
Example, if you go Jordan-Israel-Jordan;
-Entry Jordan and get a visa with passport #1
-Leave Jordan with passport # 2 (to avoid exit stamps, but you will have a hard time explaining to the immigration that you don’t have a visa for Jordan in your passport)
-Entry Israel with passport #2
-Leave Israel with passport #2
-Enter Jordan with passport #2
-Exit Jordan with passport #1
If this works you can use passport #1 to enter Muslim countries, but if Jordan or Israel requires Carnet then you have problems.
In some countries it’s illegal to travel with two passports, and it’s not nice to spend time in African prisons. So before you enter Egypt destroy passport #2.
If your country has an embassy in Jordan it might be a better idea to get a new passport in Jordan after you have visited Israel because then you will not have problems when you leave Jordan the first time.
I’m not saying that this is impossible, but if something goes wrong the consequences for the rest of the trip might be huge.
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16 Sep 2008
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Lebanon-Israel border closed.
Algeria-Morocco border closed.
Any evidence you visited Israel (Israeli stamps, neighbouring countries' border posts, leading into Israel stamps) impede you enter Syria, Libya, Sudan (though as heard not as strictly as the previous two).
Passports issued at embassies in Middle East countries less than 6 months before reaching Syrian or Libyan borders will cause you difficulties and additional checking. They are not stupid.
No Libyan visa at the border.
I would suggest the following route:
SY - LB (if you drive a petrol-run vehicle) - SY - JO - EG - LY - TN - ferry to IT or - AL - ML - MA - MO - ES and so on...
Good luck!
DS
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17 Sep 2008
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Agree Desertsoul, that routing is pretty much what we will do.. looks clear as long as we leave out Israel. Duplicate passports is too risky and can cause issues from past experience elsewhere actually. Excellent info everyone.  btw we're on two motorbikes, so will definitely have a carnet for the whole trip whether its needed or not. 
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18 Sep 2008
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If you're on bikes, any guide (LY, AL) will cost you nearly a fortune (extra car for him). In this case try hard to get a Libyan transit visa in Cairo. Let be applying for a visa one of the first things you do in EG so you can use waiting for exploring Cairo surroundings.
DS
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