Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB

Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB (https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/)
-   Northern and Central Asia (https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/northern-and-central-asia/)
-   -   TransiberianHWY must see on theway? (https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/northern-and-central-asia/transiberianhwy-must-see-on-theway-91145)

crisidsto 13 May 2017 21:06

How much time do you have from Mongolia/Russia border to Italy?
Did I understood right and you have only 1 month?

Let's say,
Russian Altai: you can cross in 2 days, if you want to enjoy your time there, minimum 5
Kazakhstan: you can cross in 2 days, if you want to enjoy your time there, minimum 5
Kyrgyzstan: you can cross in 3 days, if you want to enjoy your time there, minimum 7
Tajikistan: you can cross in 4 days, if you want to enjoy your time there, minimum 7
Uzbekistan: you can cross in 3 days, if you want to enjoy your time there, minimum 7
Kazakhstan again: you can cross in 2 days, if you want to enjoy your time there, minimum 4
Russia Volga region: you can cross in 2 days, if you want to enjoy your time there, minimum 5
Georgia: you can cross in 2 days, if you want to enjoy your time there, minimum 5
Turkey: you can cross in 2 days, if you want to enjoy your time there, minimum 5
Greece: you can cross in 1 day, if you want to enjoy your time there, minimum 5
Italy, let's say 1 day to reach home

It's minimum 24 days: I'm not saying you can't do it, but why?
Petrol, visas, a lot of kms, and never stopping.
It's up to you, since is your trip and not mine, but I suggest you to change your plans and take it easy, enjoying the beautiful places you will cross.

If you have only one month from Mongolia to Italy, and you want to reach Italy on your vehicle, avoiding the stans and crossing only Russia, I think it's your only option which makes some sense.

ciao

Forestwiz 14 May 2017 03:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by crisidsto (Post 563390)
How much time do you have from Mongolia/Russia border to Italy?
Did I understood right and you have only 1 month?

Let's say,
Russian Altai: you can cross in 2 days, if you want to enjoy your time there, minimum 5
Kazakhstan: you can cross in 2 days, if you want to enjoy your time there, minimum 5
Kyrgyzstan: you can cross in 3 days, if you want to enjoy your time there, minimum 7
Tajikistan: you can cross in 4 days, if you want to enjoy your time there, minimum 7
Uzbekistan: you can cross in 3 days, if you want to enjoy your time there, minimum 7
Kazakhstan again: you can cross in 2 days, if you want to enjoy your time there, minimum 4
Russia Volga region: you can cross in 2 days, if you want to enjoy your time there, minimum 5
Georgia: you can cross in 2 days, if you want to enjoy your time there, minimum 5
Turkey: you can cross in 2 days, if you want to enjoy your time there, minimum 5
Greece: you can cross in 1 day, if you want to enjoy your time there, minimum 5
Italy, let's say 1 day to reach home

It's minimum 24 days: I'm not saying you can't do it, but why?
Petrol, visas, a lot of kms, and never stopping.
It's up to you, since is your trip and not mine, but I suggest you to change your plans and take it easy, enjoying the beautiful places you will cross.

If you have only one month from Mongolia to Italy, and you want to reach Italy on your vehicle, avoiding the stans and crossing only Russia, I think it's your only option which makes some sense.

ciao

I just answered the same comment b4... I have 2 and 1/2 months now from Mongolia :thumbup1::thumbup1:

crisidsto 14 May 2017 10:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forestwiz (Post 563404)
I just answered the same comment b4... I have 2 and 1/2 months now from Mongolia :thumbup1::thumbup1:

Ok, so let's try to make a plan:

Maria already wrote you about Altai, and that's fine. Russian visa.
Kazakhstan, from Shemonaika you can go south. It's mostly steppe. I would suggest you a visit to Charyn Canion. You can count around 4-5 days. No visa for Italians up to 30 days.
Kyrgyzstan, it's an incredibly beautiful country. Mountains. You can spend months exploring side valleys etc etc. Put Song Kul lake at the center of your itinerary, don't miss the beautiful gravel road Kazarman-Jalalabad and enjoy the wilderness. I would stay 2 weeks in this country. No visa for Italians up to 30 days.
Tajikistan, here you have the Pamir Highway. The Wakhan valley it's worth the detour. Also in this country you can find a lot of side valleys to explore, if you have time. High mountains. 10 days. Evisa with GBAO permit.
Uzbekistan. Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, 2 days each, plus other 2 if you want to visit Aral sea at Muynak. It will be hot and sometimes on boring roads. 8-10 days. Visa needed.
Kazakhstan again: here you can choose to reach Russia through the steppe or to take the ferry from Aktau to Baku.
1st option, you would need double entry russian visa
2nd, you would need visa for Azerbaigian
1st option it's only steppe in that part of Kazakhstan, with some beautiful city in Russia (Astrakhan, Elista)
2nd option, it's not the right season probably, since it will be hot, but Mangystau region can offer some beautiful spots. Baku is interesting city.
Then you have Georgia, Turkey and Greece: 3 beautiful countries. No visas for Italians. Based on how much time you have left, you can decide to just ride through them, or to visit.
Georgia has some beautiful mountains. Tbilisi is a nice city.
Turkey, wow, A LOT of different things to see. Spend at least 2 days in Cappadocia if you've never been there.
Greece, Meteora it's on the way to Italy, so don't miss it. Then, a lot of things to see and visit also here, but it's Europe and you can fly in 1 hour from Italy, so probably for this trip you are doing, I would choose to use time in Asia.

Cheers,
cristiano

Forestwiz 14 May 2017 10:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by crisidsto (Post 563413)
Ok, so let's try to make a plan:

Maria already wrote you about Altai, and that's fine. Russian visa.
Kazakhstan, from Shemonaika you can go south. It's mostly steppe. I would suggest you a visit to Charyn Canion. You can count around 4-5 days. No visa for Italians up to 30 days.
Kyrgyzstan, it's an incredibly beautiful country. Mountains. You can spend months exploring side valleys etc etc. Put Song Kul lake at the center of your itinerary, don't miss the beautiful gravel road Kazarman-Jalalabad and enjoy the wilderness. I would stay 2 weeks in this country. No visa for Italians up to 30 days.
Tajikistan, here you have the Pamir Highway. The Wakhan valley it's worth the detour. Also in this country you can find a lot of side valleys to explore, if you have time. High mountains. 10 days. Evisa with GBAO permit.
Uzbekistan. Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, 2 days each, plus other 2 if you want to visit Aral sea at Muynak. It will be hot and sometimes on boring roads. 8-10 days. Visa needed.
Kazakhstan again: here you can choose to reach Russia through the steppe or to take the ferry from Aktau to Baku.
1st option, you would need double entry russian visa
2nd, you would need visa for Azerbaigian
1st option it's only steppe in that part of Kazakhstan, with some beautiful city in Russia (Astrakhan, Elista)
2nd option, it's not the right season probably, since it will be hot, but Mangystau region can offer some beautiful spots. Baku is interesting city.
Then you have Georgia, Turkey and Greece: 3 beautiful countries. No visas for Italians. Based on how much time you have left, you can decide to just ride through them, or to visit.
Georgia has some beautiful mountains. Tbilisi is a nice city.
Turkey, wow, A LOT of different things to see. Spend at least 2 days in Cappadocia if you've never been there.
Greece, Meteora it's on the way to Italy, so don't miss it. Then, a lot of things to see and visit also here, but it's Europe and you can fly in 1 hour from Italy, so probably for this trip you are doing, I would choose to use time in Asia.

Cheers,
cristiano

wow thats quiet a bit of info as well! u guys making my day! now..I was actually wondering if there was a ferry across the Caspian.any idea how frequent/safe/$$ is?
I wouldnt mind to 'shortcut' to Baku and bypass riding around the northwest side of Caspian.I didnt read the best reviews on this area (?) + that would probably simplify Russian visa to single+ I m not interested in developed cities anyway....... :cool4: is Azebarjan visa available at port arriving Baku?
bier Christian!

crisidsto 14 May 2017 11:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forestwiz (Post 563414)
wow thats quiet a bit of info as well! u guys making my day! now..I was actually wondering if there was a ferry across the Caspian.any idea how frequent/safe/$$ is?
I wouldnt mind to 'shortcut' to Baku and bypass riding around the northwest side of Caspian.I didnt read the best reviews on this area (?) + that would probably simplify Russian visa to single+ I m not interested in developed cities anyway....... :cool4: is Azebarjan visa available at port arriving Baku?

There are pages well written and updated on caravanistan website regarding ferry and visas, take a look here for ferries and here for visas

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forestwiz (Post 563414)
bier Christian!

c'mon man, I'm italian too! Cristiano, not Christian :-)

Forestwiz 14 May 2017 13:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by crisidsto (Post 563416)
There are pages well written and updated on caravanistan website regarding ferry and visas, take a look here for ferries and here for visas

c'mon man, I'm italian too! Cristiano, not Christian :-)

I ll get a crystal ball to predict next time! :thumbup1: :clap:

yea..went to Caravanistan in the meantime, honestly seems more the hassle for this boat/visa/customs etc and probably healtier to ride then to be stuck in ports etc

cheers mate
bier

Forestwiz 15 May 2017 05:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by crisidsto (Post 563416)
There are pages well written and updated on caravanistan website regarding ferry and visas, take a look here for ferries and here for visas



c'mon man, I'm italian too! Cristiano, not Christian :-)

did u actually take the boat? how was the process?:thumbup1:

crisidsto 15 May 2017 08:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forestwiz (Post 563450)
did u actually take the boat? how was the process?:thumbup1:

Yes I did, from Baku to Turkmenistan, but it was 2010, many things changed since then...

on caravanistan forum, you can find recent reports...

cheers

Forestwiz 15 May 2017 09:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by crisidsto (Post 563463)
Yes I did, from Baku to Turkmenistan, but it was 2010, many things changed since then...

on caravanistan forum, you can find recent reports...

cheers

ye ,anyway all depending on the time I have .otherwise I can simplify and only hit Kyrgyzstan.explore for a while ,seems like an amazing place and lots to see. than just go through east Kazakhstan to Russia etc although looks like a lot of desert to go throu :funmeterno:

Forestwiz 12 Jun 2017 06:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by maria41 (Post 563340)
Hi Forestwiz,

Depending on your itinerary you should not need a carnet and you can bypass Iran, which requires one.

From Mongolia (Olgii town), you can cross the Siberian Altai, then turn south toward Shemonaika small crossing to Kazkahstan (very fast small border, no hassle). No visa or fee required for most passport holders and no registration. You have 15 days.

The East part of Kazakhstan is beautiful, with comfortable towns to rest. Once again, from the southern town of Kegen, you can cross into Kyrgyzstan (small border crossing, no hassle, friendly staff). Kyrgyzstan is magnificent. No visa required.
Tajikistan you need a visa but can do it online, hassle free.

You can then either cross Uzbekistan or get back via Kazakhstan (not sure what the situation is now with UZbek, probably still need a visa).
Uzbek has magnificent ancient towns, like Khiva, Samarkand or Bukhara. Entering Uzbek is long and bureaucratic though, but free!

Kazakh you can get another 15 days to cross.

From Kazakh, you can get back to Russia. You then have lots of choices. Either go down via Georgia (no visa required) and into Turkey, or explore Russia and enter Europe via Scandinavia/Ukraine/ Baltic states…..

None of these alternatives require a carnet and only few (Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan) require a visa.


As you can see there are many options. It is a very big part of the world. Border crossing can be long, if you pick a busy one. Avoid the main ones with millions of trucks and locals. I usually pick the small ones.

Keep in mind that Russia, Kazakh, Kyrgyz (and Belarus) are part of a custom union, so the Temporary Import document for your bike, issued to you when you enter the Zone, you must keep it until you leave the Custom Zone. Only get it stampeded at borders within those countries. It means fast border crossings and less red tape.

Regarding weather, last summer, it was horrendous. Even in Kazakhstan in July, when I expected very hot weather, we had massive storms and not that hot! In Russia, the weather was terrible too. Rain, cold, storms. It never really stopped that summer L . Unlucky.

hi Maria.how long did it take to enter Uzbekistan? .I m at Mongolia border now..trying to plan ahead .thanks!

maria41 12 Jun 2017 18:35

Hi Forestwiz,

It really depends which border you pick.

As a rule the bigge, majors borders, the longer it takes. That is why I usually chose small borders so that there is no queue of thousands of trucks and locals trying to pass.

When we came into Uzbek from Kazakhstan, from Bayneu, it was the main border so there were so many trucks and cars.... it took us 5 hours with the help of Russian Moldovan bikers ( long story!) and their "fixer".

So pick small borders, it makes crossing faster and borders guards are less hassled and friendlier.

Forestwiz 13 Jun 2017 01:32

Yes thats a good ol trick that i always apply whenever possible.but there isn t much choice coming from Dushambe wherei need to get visa,going to Samarkand.
5 hours at border..thats a long time..ouch


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 05:07.


vB.Sponsors