Are there places/routes that should be avoided when crossing Turkey from Greece to Iran?
What would be the best and savest route to take?
We plan to cross Turkey in July this year, but currently we are a bit unsure on which route to take due to current developments. Would appreciate some tips from locals or other travellers.

This may sound a bit blasé ,but here we go..
We toured all over Turkey last year and in our 2 years of travelling so far it was the most hospitable, welcoming country we have visited.
We went along the Syrian border and in the Kurdish mountain areas in the East..we were invited to stay with people all the time.
We never felt threatened or worried..quite the opposite.
Great country...Great people...whatever their culture or religious background.

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Facebook " Kevin Heike " come and say Hello as we travel around the world.

I agree. So long as you stay in Turkey, there are no 'no-go' areas as such.

Only you know where you will feel comfortable. Security incidents occur in the Kurdish cities in the east. If you can live with this, then go through Diyarbakir, Hasankeyf, Mardin, Midyat, Van, Hakkari, Cizre etc. I enjoyed all these places in late 2014.

If you don't want to see any of the security forces, want to be sure to get through on your intended route without any complciations, don't feel happy in areas where security is volatile, then take a more northerly route through Erzurum (or even further north; the eastern Black Sea coast is beautiful), Kars and Dogubeyazit.

Security questions asked to a wider audience are of little use in my opinion unless you've asked yourself what level of risk you are willing to take and state that.

You can easily cross Turkey to Iran without seeing any of the police operations in Kurdish areas or getting close to the Syrian border.

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EurasiaOverland a memoir of one quarter of a million kilometres by road through all of the Former USSR, Western and Southern Asia.

No go areas are very subjective and can change like the wind.

I had stones thrown at me by kids in Dogubeyazit, the atmosphere was not welcoming, unlike the rest of the country, and a hotel owner's son tried to brake into my room, and throw dinner at me when I rejected his advances.. It is a frontier town with a massive army barracks.

I find the 'no go area' label a misnomer, the more someone tells me not to go somewhere, the more I want to go..

Might be worth checking in with Mehmet and the group at the Istanbul Motorsiklet Klubu.. they may have a more turkish interpretation of the dynamic situation.

Nowadays offcourse its temporary the southeast is nogo place. Police and security forces is cleaning these places from terrorists. Surely nobady hurts you or stops you but for the best experience without any trouble chance stay away from this part. Sure in 2 years it will be perfect pleace to ride in... I can recommend you beautiful pleaces, but i do not know what kind of ride you like.

My favorite road is north cost of Turkey. I mean from istanbul-Eregli-Zonguldak-Bartın-Amasra-Cide-Sinop-Samsun-Ordu-Trabzon-Rize-Artvin. This is called green and blue route. I mean on your left side is beautiful blacksea and right side is forest. Also be careful it's twisty road. 100 km takes 2 hours maybe

The another option is blue, sun and beach route, with easy words this road icontains favourite tourism destination; From Keşan-20mins ferry to Çanakkale(Gallipoli)-Ayvalık-Çeşme-Alaçatı-Kuşadası (Ephesus Ancient city)-Pamukkale (Denizli city)-Bodrum-Marmaris-Datça!!!-to Antalya-Adana-Gaziantep(for the best food ever)-Malatya-Erzurum-Ağrı and İran...

Ofcourse there are many great places between these waypoints, but there are too many options. I'll draw some route options and post it here tomorrow with my computer. Not easy to type many word here with tapatalk.

Many thanks for all your feedback and inputs!
I've started drafting our trip on a map and would appreciate your thoughts.
The cities you mentioned euroasiaoverland really sound interesting and would definitely be worth a visit but under current circumstances we rather not travel to close to the Syrian border.
Jumpman you recommend a detour to Datca? It really looks amazing, is it very touristic?
I currently only put places on the coast where we can kitesurf, since we're carrying all our kite equipment with us and try to find as many spots as possible.
Let me know if you have further recommendations

Datça is turistik place but you find local people mostly its grean and blue very clean. But for the surf and kite surf you must ride to Alaçatı, Çeşme. ALAÇATI is really famous place for sea sports. The wind is permanent and very good for surfers. You find also many surf schools and some shops to find and rent surf tools.

Eagean and and Mediterranean cost is crowded touristic place. You find lots of foreign people there...

So sorry for my late map advise, sure i will draw a great route map for you. Givme some time.

Just google these options check for the photos.

Pamukkale (white stones)
Kapadokya, Ürgüp Avanos ( for big baloon tour)
Çeşme, Alacatı
Kalkan for diving
Kusadası for Ephesus Ancient City
Ölüdeniz its just beautiful. Also you find paragliding schools and you try tandem.

Hope it helps for now.

It isn't possible to plan a trip in Eastern Turkey (or ANY country) a week in advance let alone 4 months in the future. Even if there were no political considerations, unseasonable weather can make some routes impassable or unwise virtually overnight. Best you can do at this stage is to research any must see tourist attractions and iconic bike routes and leave the details until you get there.

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Tony
Click here for Travel Photos & Travel Map

hi again,

This is my first route advise. I highly reccomend this route for you. You find beautiful landscapes, mountains, forests, rivers and lakes. This is real nature my friend. Also the reagaon is almost the same as Alps.

You can add to your route;

Bolu, Yedigöller, 7 Lakes National Park
Safranbolu Town (You must stay here too.)
Amasya (You must stay here also)
Trabzon (Sumela Monastery)
Rize for the best fish
Artvin for the nature.

Also i want to add that you will be shocked with local people's hospitable manner.

https://goo.gl/maps/qb451xP8hvB2



My second route advise is Eagean and Mediterrian Cost.
You also find here surf sites.

https://goo.gl/maps/6Kza3e7Bgtj

İstanbul You must visit
You can ride directly to Çeşme 600 km more-less.
Alaçatı for your surf sport. My wife loves surfing but i can not.
Selçuk (Old Greek ancient Ephesus City)
Pamukkale in Denizli City White Stones. You should ride there...
Bodrum For crazy night life
Marmaris (green and Blue)
Datça (Just for camping and have a rest Kamping Alanı - Aktur (With my my wife we stayed here for 1 week and it has been our best holiday ever...
Fethiye Ölüdeniz The best sea in my country. Also you should try tandem paragliding here.
You should ride all the cost to Nevşehir for Peribacaları. You must stay atleast 2 days in a cave hotel or find a camping site to stay. You should try big baloon tour and watch imazing sunrise from the top... Google it
Then Dogubeyazit, It's beautiful little town.

If you need further information for detailed road plan i can help you my friend. I live in Istanbul i can give my phone number to you for any emergancy.

Then Iran...


Hope it helps...

Here are some pictures

Alaçatı Surf Schools



Nevsehir-Ürgüp-Göreme, Peribacaları



Denizli, Pamukkale

Hi Jumpman,

thank you so much for the detailed description of the places and pictures. Those are definitely places we would love to visit. Looking forward to our turkey trip!

Thank for the detailed description, was really helpful. Should be there soon
If you guys are interested check out:
Twenty One Steps | Travel | Food | Culture

Please just far away from South East part (Syrian and Iraq border especially) for now...Local people and riders will guide you through...There are very good recommendations already give so I don't want to repeat them...Hope you can enjoy and have fun

Hi Jumpman,

great info. Some of the places you have mentioned are on my planned route. I'll be leaving for Turkey beginning of April Looking forward to the trip

Do you have any suggestions where to stay in Istanbul? I was thinking of staying north of the city, maybe in Sariyer and take the local ferry into town. But up to now I haven't found any useful information on accommodation there. I suppose the main tourist areas like Sultanhamed are quite expensive....

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Only when we pause to wonder
do we go beyond the limits of our little lives.
(Rod McKuen)

Hi Vaufi,

Thank you.

I have just talked to my friend who is in turism sector in Turkey. Also he lives in Selçuk/İzmir where very close to Ephesus city and Alaçatı.

I will give you his contact adresses. Get in touch before getting there and let him arrange your economical accomodation.

He is able to arrange hotels in every city. Also sometimes i get in touch with him for Greek Islands hotels and tours as well.

Just inform him that you got the adresses from Halim (It's me) and inform him that you are a motocycle rider.

grandwonders@icloud.com

Name: Fahri Ilısu

Mob. Phone: +905323218929

You can ask him whatever you like about tours, guides etc...

By the way, i will send you two maps where to eat and where to ride in Turkey;

The best motocycle roads. These points added by Turkish motocycle riders. Twisty and beautiful lanscapes roads. If you are bored with stright roads you should pick some alternative roads from this map.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer...g.kS4Eq9D_lPYg


Where to eat; These waypoints are also added by Turkish motocycle riders too. Tested the best restorants in Turkey.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer...g.kBGxGeXwApbk

Hope these informations help for your tour.

If you have any question pls ask.