Notes on Overland Route from Kenya to Europe
I have duplicated these notes in the Middle East Forum

Before leaving your home country
Ethiopia

Visa
Ethiopian visas must be obtained in your home country although you may hear of some having been obtained elsewhere – don't rely on this advice.
Note that the visa starts running from the date of issue.
Tourist visas are available for
30 days single entry
90 days single and multi entry
180 days multi entry

On the Road
(GPS in decimal degrees)
Make sure your Comesa (or Yellow Card) vehicle insurance includes Kenya, Ethiopia and Sudan.

Kenya
Camping in Nairobi at
Wildebeest Camp S1.32759 E36.75579 - very nice
Karibuni Karen Camp S1.33518 E36.70240 - overland trucks go here
JJ's (formally Jungle Junction) S1.36269 E36.74058 - not popular

While in Nairobi
Get Sudan visa. They will require a Letter of Introduction from your own embassy in Nairobi. The British Embassy does not issue these as a matter of policy. If you are persistent you can get a letter stating that Letters of Introduction are not issued. This letter will need to be rubber stamped with an Embassy stamp and ideally counter signed by the Consul. There was no charge for this service. This Letter is acceptable to the Sudanese Embassy.

Note that it is almost impossible to get a Sudan visa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The Road to Moyale
The road from Nairobi to Moyale had been paved from Nairobi to a point just north of Merille. The remaining 360 kms is under construction with a projected completion date of November 2015 which seems unlikely. Within this distance there are further paved sections now completed and some major bridges yet to be constructed.

The security situation on this road varies a lot. Take advice from the police in Isolo and Marsabit. There may be a convoy system in place or you may have a police guard. You can request a guard which last information indicates costs US$20. There was no need for any escort during the early part of 2015 but the situation is fluid.

Camping
Archers Post Umoj Waso Women Group N0.63109 E37.66030
Marsabit Henry's Rest Camp (Marsabit) N2.34565 E37.96568
Moyale Kenya Wildlife Services Camp N3.51852 E39.05045
just before crossing the border

Ethiopia
Note there are very few ATMs in Ethiopia and then only in major cities

Camping
In Yavello at
Yavello Motel N 04.88394 E 38.14022
in Addis Ababa at
Wim's Holland House N9.009823 E38.75526 Good reports – mechanic on site but there is often very little space particularly for big trucks.
in Lallibella at
Seven Olives Hotel N12.03481 E39.04650
In Bahir Dar at
Aber Minch Lodge. This is out of town but tuktuks cheap and easy. Ghion Hotel often recommended is now closed. Another possibilty is Blue Nile Hotel
in Aksum at
Atse Keleb Hotel N14.12245 E38.72309 No camp sites – this is a possibilty
in Gorgora on Lake Tana, near Gonder
Tim and Kim Village, N12.22900 E37.29883 Beautiful place. Kim is now running the site on her own. The road to the Lake is under construction
in Metema 3kms from the border at
Unnamed Hotel N 12.94316 E 36.16427

Roads
Roads are mostly good. The road after crossing border is good once you reach Mega as far as Yavello. The direct route north is 300kms of potholes. Go via Konso – even the stretches of gravel road are better.

Sudan
Exchange rates - £1 GB = 8.39 SDG (official rate). The black market rate is about £1= 13.50 SDG. Euros and dollars also widely exchanged on the black market.

Visa is valid for 2 months and for a visit of 2 months

Border with Ethiopia at Metema is closed at lunchtime.

You also require
1 Alien Registration within 3 days. To get this you must have a sponsor. The sponsor may have to be present or you may have to provide his ID card. Another untested possibility is a notarised letter of support.

The easiest place to get this is at Khartoum International Airport at N15.59235 E32.54904
or in the city at N15.59983 E32.51812
The city office is overcrowded and in the middle of a market.
You need one photo and photocopies of your passport and visa (there’s a copier in the building).

Ahmed, the fixer mentioned below may be willing to act as sponsor and will arrange a taxi to take you to the Alien Registration City Office.


2 A Travel Permit. This is not needed for the journey from Gederaf at the border with Ethiopia to Khartoum. It is needed for the journey from Khartoum to Port Sudan and elsewhere in the country.
It can be obtained from
The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs at N15.59005 E32.53030 .
You need two photos, a copy of your passport.

3 Photography Permit. You can get these from the Tourism Office in Khartoum at N15.60194 E32.53243

If you stay at the German Guesthouse in Khartoum then they will obtain items 2 and 3 for you at no charge (it's included in your overnight costs)

Have photocopies of everything available for the traffic police.

Camping
Bush camping is ok 30kms from border at N13.26304 E35.83575
in Khartoum at
German Guesthouse N 15.56821 E 32.56367
Camping is in the street for which there is no charge. However to get the inclusive services as above + laundry and all meals the cost is $15 pppn. If you don't use all the services you can negotiate a lower cost.
Blue Nile Sailing Club N 15.61147 E 32.53445
This place is expensive but right in the centre of the city. Its is very friendly and has interesting features. The facilities are being refurbished.
Street parking overnight very close to Saudi Embassy. Very quiet.
N 15.57403 E 32.54818
Shopping at
Afra Shopping Centre N15.55962 E32.55436

Note that all the ATMs in Sudan are only for local banks - there are no international ATMs. US$ best and best exchange rates are on the black market

Get Jordanian and Saudi visas in Khartoum,

Visa for Jordan
UK citizens normally can get a visa on the border. However the Saudis require the Jordanian visa to be in place before they will issue their own. The Jordan visa is easy - it took us 20 minutes while we had tea with the Charges D'Affairs. The Jordanian Embassy moved a while ago not far from the German Guesthouse. Ahmed the fixer can arrange a taxi to take you there.

The visa is valid for 2 months from date of issue only.

Visa for Saudi Arabia
The Saudi Visa cannot be obtained without a visa for Jordan first. Its best to use a fixer for the Saudi visa. Recommended for this is.

Name Mr Ahmed Abdelsamie
Phone +249912318170
Email duaasudan@gmail.com

The fixer speaks quite good English and answers emails promptly. He charged 500 SDG per visa. Do not arrange any ferry bookings with him for Suakin to Jeddah. His office is near the Saudi Embassy and is named Duaa Travel.and is located at
N 15.57501 E 32.54556

The Saudi Arabian Embassy is at N 15.57475 E 32.54673

Saudi Visa Limitations
The only type of visa that can be issued is a transit visa lasting 72 hours.
Visas may not be issued during the Hajj or other religious festivals
Transit visas are only issued for northbound journeys
Couples travelling together must provide a marriage certificate.
Women cannot travel alone
Women are not allowed to drive.
Women must provide a passport photo with their hair fully covered by a scarf. Ahmed can arrange this.
Only left hand drive vehicles are permitted. Right hand drive vehicles can be taken through on a transporter.
The journey from Jeddah to the border with Jordan is almost 1200kms. The road is mostly motorway standard.
It is also possible to get a 3 day transit visa to go to the UAE.
The destination is specified on the visa.

Shipping from Sudan to Saudi Arabia
Ferry tickets should be obtained in Port Sudan although the ferries sail from Suakin (Suwakin), 60 kms away. There are 2 ferry companies – each run 3 ferries a week.

Baaboud Shipping based in Jeddah.
Email info@baaboud.net
Web :: Baaboud Trading Shipping Agencies ::

Their ticket office in Port Sudan is located at N 19.60890 E 37.21914
opposite a walled military base. You may have to ask to find the exact place as it is unmarked

Namma Lines based in Jeddah
Email
Web http://www.nammashipping-lines.com/e...pingLines.aspx

They have an office in the UK at
47 Terry Gardens, Kesgrave
Ipswich, Suffolk IP5 2EP, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1473 333010

There are several agents who will issue tickets in Port Sudan around the area.
Try at N19.61725 E 37.21551

Baaboud Shipping tend to be a bit more expensive than Namma. However Namma seem to be more unreliable. Their only ship had mechanical problems while we were there.

I recommend that you have a cabin as the ships are often overcrowded with people sleeping in the corridors and the facilities are overused.

Camping in Port Sudan
By the sea near some good fish restaurants at N 19.63136 E 37.23860

Ticket Confirmation
Tickets need to be confirmed within 24 hours prior to sailing. With Baaboud this can be done in Suakin. Their office is located at a door in a wall under a large sign close to
N 19.11213 E 37.30715
You may need to ask as the office is often closed. People are quite happy to use their mobile phones on your behalf if you ask them.

Camping in Suakin
We stayed overnight in front of a row shops including Namma Lines agency on waste ground at
N 19.11209 E 37.30723

Port Details
The entrance to the ferry port is at N 19.10764 E 37.34512
When you enter you will have a Customs Agent approach you. This seems to be a requirement but the cost is negotiable. We paid 300 Sudan Pounds. The guy sorts out everything including getting passports stamped. There are also departure taxes although not great.

Drive to the loading area where the agent will leave you. Wait for shipping company purser to instruct you. We had to wait while 100s of pedestrians boarded over the loading ramp. We were the first vehicle to load and reversed onto the ship. Our passports were retained and we were shown to our cabin.

During the voyage you need to retrieve the passports from the place where they are being handed out. Get help from reception for this as there will probably be a huge crowd.

The ship sailed about 20:00 but this is variable. The voyage takes 12 – 14 hours.

Saudi Arabia
Arrival
When the ship docks there is an enormous flow of people queuing to get off. Reception allocated us a guy to show us the back routes to get down to the car deck. Then we had to wait more than an hour before we were taken by bus to the Arrivals Terminal. We were not allowed to drive our own vehicle off the ferry. The place is disorganised. We went through immigration and customs and our overnight bags were scanned.

We then went to the car terminal. Here we had to pay the port fees in Saudi Riyals and buy insurance. There is an ATM at a bank about 500m from the port. Go out of the terminal area by going next to the left side of the wall of the mosque, turn right, cross over the service road and continue past the front of the customs building and the bank is set back just beyond. The fees were about 350 SR. The port fees are supposed to be reduced for those with transit visas. We negotiated a small reduction.

After paying you have to wait for your vehicle to be delivered to the Car Terminal. This can take hours. Once it has arrived it has a cursory check and then we left at 15:30 – nearly a day gone from our 3 day visa.

Route
Foreigners are not permitted to enter the holy cities of Medina and Mecca. The easiest route is along the coast of the Red Sea on Highway 55. This is 4 lanes and is motorway standard for most of the way. It has been known for travellers to be escorted by police.
Camp overnight in the desert or at fuel stations.
Fuel is very cheap – 5p per litre. There are several fuel stations with shops and restaurants as you leave Jeddah
General Comments
Saudi Arabia is a modern and mostly unfriendly country although we had no problems. Women are very much treated as inferior and often ignored.

Jordan
A much more friendly country although expensive to enter. There are also fees when leaving.

Camping is not permitted anywhere except on specified campsites. There is one with toilets and water after crossing the border at N 29.41602 E 34.97592

However when we stopped in car parks overnight we were approached by the Tourist Police who always were very polite but insisted we go to a carpark adjacent to a police station. These were often in convenient places.
No Carnet was needed and we were issued with a TIP (Temporary Import Permit)

Israel
No Carnet required – vehicle entry is arranged on the border. Note that everything needs to be removed from the vehicle for scanning. This can take a long time. However this depends on which land border post is used. At the border adjacent to Bet Shean the whole vehicle was x-rayed and then thoroughly searched by 4 men without us being permitted to be present. We did not have to remove everything.

No Visa required. There is a scheme to give tourists an entry card on arrival which must be kept with the passport and given up on exit. However in our case we were unexpectedly given an entry stamp in Latin script instead of Hebrew in our passports. This could cause problems if you want to visit any Arabic countries in the future using that passport.

Vehicle Insurance on the border $150+

Electrical items, including laptops, may be taken from departing passengers for security inspection and returned to you in the your home country. Damage may occur.
If you arrive with valuable personal items (computers, camcorders etc.) you may be required to pay a deposit that is refundable on or after departure.
Note that there is a wall around the West Bank with heavy security.
Camping is easy using car parks with no issues.
Shipping
1 Best overall website is
Ferry to Italy, Croatia, Albania, Greece, Crete, Rodos, Cefalonia, Turkey...

2 Haifa to Limassol, Cyprus
Salamis Lines by Roro once a week from Haifa on Tuesdays sailing time c12hrs
The ferry (not roro) has been suspended.
Agents in HAIFA
A.ROSENFELD SHIPPING LTD
104, Haatzmaut Road, 2nd Floor
Haifa
ISRAEL
Tel.: +972 4 861 3650
Fax: + 972 4 8537002
reservations@rosenfeld.net
alicia@rosenfeld.net
A. Rosenfeld Shipping Ltd.
at N 32.82105 E 34.99667

You can travel on the ship but it is compulsory to have a cabin on board.
Cost varies with volume of vehicle – our truck was 900 euros, Cabin 300 euros pp
Port fees are high based on weight – ours cost 3350 NIS (£600)

There are several other options for shipping from Israel
3 Alternative by Roro on Salamis lines to Lavria in Greece from either Haifa or Limassol. See
All ferries with Salamis Lines - ferrylines.com

Use the same agents as in 2 above. Cost is 1200 euros + 500 euros pp

4 It looks as though the UN Roro company ferry from Dalmietta to Iskenderun has stopped running. The route is no longer shown on the company website.
U.N-RORO Web Sitesine Ho�geldiniz

5 There may be a route open from Haifa to Iskenderun. We heard this is used a lot by trucks to get past Syria but may not be available to non commercial vehicles.

6 Grimaldi run a roro from Ashdod in Israel to Salerno in Italy or Bristol UK approx once a week. This is a Grimaldi Euro-Med Route. Voyage to Salerno takes about 5 days. Passengers taken.

Book passengers through Cyprus Cruises from Cruise Cyprus - Take a trip on a cruise ship to Egypt or Israel whilst on holiday, a ferry from Athens to Limassol ferries from Italy or the UK. Mini cruises to Rhodes, the Greek Islands, Lebanon, Beirut, Syria and the Holyland on.
Contact is Fay
Phone +357 24 665408
Email info@cruisecyprus.com

– she said
You would have to send the larger vehicles as cargo (which has to be booked directly with the port agent) and we can make the booking for you as passenger.
We can offer from Ashdod - Salerno Italy or Salerno Italy - Limassol Cyprus
Note that roro routes are often not the same in the reverse direction so Ashdod to Limassol is not available.
Port Agent for Grimaldi is
Allalouf and Co, Shipping Ltd
Rear port area, Ashdod
Phone +972 8 8513333
Email mail@alialouf.com

Cyprus
Port fees high when arriving in Cyprus (c £300). You need a TIP. There are issues between Cyprus and Northern Cyprus. When getting TIP in Limassol don't mention any plan to leave via the north.

You can use UK Insurance EU extension in Cyprus but not N Cyprus. There are insurance booths in N Cyprus at each vehicle crossing on the Green Line.

When entering N Cyprus with a vehicle and you intend to go on to Turkey make sure you get a Temporary Import Permit at the border.

To get to Turkey from N Cyprus there is a ferry as follows
Girne (Kyrenia, N Cyprus) to Tasucu (Turkey)
Ferry Tasucu-Girne, Ferry Tasucu-Cyprus - Akgunler Denizcilik Vehicle/Passenger/Cabins ferry with Aegean Tour Travel
Book online. Very cheap - £105 for vehicle and passengers. Overnight about 7 hours. A cabin has to be booked by phone at extra cost or when you collect your tickets at the Ferry company office at the port. Alternatively you have a reclining seat.

Turkey
Turkish visas can no longer be obtained at the border. The easiest way to obtain a visa is online. Go to https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/

The vehicle can enter on a Carnet otherwise you will need a TIP.

If returning to the UK avoid Istanbul and cross into Europe by ferry on the Dardenells Straits.

Greece
Follow the A2 from the border with Turkey to Igoumenista. Camp overnight on the motorway services

Ferries from Igoumenista New Port
Minoan Lines
Book your cheap Ferry Tickets to Greece and Italy Online | Minoan
Anek Lines
ANEK Lines - Official Web Site

There are numerous routes but make reservations well in advance during the holiday season.

Note that motorhomes can get a cheap rate on the camper deck. However it is no longer possible to sleep in the vehicle and depending on the route you need to either book a cabin or use the available seating. Formalities are minimal.

Camping in Igoumenitsa
There are a couple of camp sites some kilometres out of town. We camped in a car park by the sea in the centre of town here N 39.50443 E 20.26250
The car park is crowded at lunchtimes and during the evening.
There is also parking at the New Port ferry terminal

Clive Barker
21 Aug 15

Great post Clive, thanks.

Everyone else - more like this! ;-)

Wow, with info like this, there's not much of a reason to fly!

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Thanks for sharing your experiences. It is very useful to me as I am planning my long way home, from South Africa to the Netherlands. I did the trip through east africa before, in 2010, but it is now much more complicated!

Mart

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