Hi all, I'm planning a 50th birthday celebratory tour next year in August. I've got five weeks and I'm going to meet up with friends at a villa in Kalkan on the southern Turkish coast. The current plan is to head south over 12 days stopping in Prague and Istanbul maybe. Then spend ten days at the villa, then head back north by a different route.
I'll be riding my R1200RT and want to stick to 300 mile days or less so that I get to see stuff en route. I'd be happy to meet up with people on the way or even have a companion or two to share the experience etc.
I'm not at he detail stage yet but would love to hear from anyone who's done similar

Kalkan is almost a British town now situated in the middle of Turkish paradise coastline.Population more than Turks!!!
There is a nice community with English newspaper and website.
Kalkan Turkish Local News

Highly recommend to participate a bikers festival in the area..

Wish you all the best..

__________________
Mehmet Zeki Avar
''Borderlines divide countries,HU friendship finds a way to reunited"
https://www.facebook.com/mehmet.avar.12?ref=tn_tnmn

Thanks Mehmet. Is Istanbul easy to ride around? I've heard some horror stories!

Merhaba,

Tips for all friends planning to visit İstanbul..

1A-İstanbul is diamond of Turkey with so many colors to discover..Highly recommend lock up your bike at the hotel garden,buy an İstanbul card and take the local transport systems..
(except 7-9 am and 5-8 pm.)
If you have to ride,do it without panniers.Each month we are making group rides and cycling tours to get more awareness for 2 wheelers and protest bike accidents and deaths..5 days ago, the greatest protest was organised by cyclistsand was shown on all TV.s after 3 cyclists lost their lives in a week..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=ZiLnki_JnbA

1B-The best way to enter the city center is to take the seaside road after K.Çekmece lake bridge and before the airport.Thats Kennedy Road..Dont take E-5 or D-100 road or the toll road named O-3..Always rush traffic and % 30 longer..
1 km after yenikapı and boat stations, you will see the brown traffic sign to Sultanahmet and traffic lights at the corner of the Petrol station..Take the main road under the the railway bridge uphill to Sultanahmet..Also this is the best area for hotels,hostels in the heart of the touristic istanbul near blue mosque.

2-Leave istanbul by ferry to Yalova or Bandırma when you are on the way to Kas.No need to take the rush and crazy traffic through industrial areas.Ticket price for ferry is always cheaper than the amount you will pay for gas..
Ferry/boat station at Yenikapı and you can buy online tickets.
(2,10 Euro/Lt. in Turkey now..)
İstanbul Deniz Otobüsleri A.Ş.
3-When you are on the way back to home,can recommend you the aegean coastline road to dardanelles then to greece or bulgaria..(Roads are good asphalt 2-3 lines each direction,so many cameras.)This way you can also visit pamukkale hierapolis,ephesus,st.mary hill,bergammom,asos,dardanelles,gallipoli WW1 battle field arenas..Sure you will love this route if you havent done it before..Plus so many free camping areas and cheap nice pensions and hotels in lovely and small anatolian seaside towns...
(Kalkan,Denizli,Selçuk ,İzmir,Çanakkale Road)
(Always speed control between denizli and İzmir)

TIP..:
Definitely participate a bikers festival..Free camping,entertainment,music,chat with local same minded bikers, etc..Have a thread here showing 2013 festivals in Turkey...
Here is how it looks.
4.iznik Festivali - Dailymotion video
And some festival photos.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...9813774&type=1

All the best..

__________________
Mehmet Zeki Avar
''Borderlines divide countries,HU friendship finds a way to reunited"
https://www.facebook.com/mehmet.avar.12?ref=tn_tnmn

Hey Crusty

I'm considering doing something similar to your plan - also for my 50th next August, possibly with wifey although not planning quite such a long stay in Istanbul. Haven't started planning yet but will be touring/camping through Europe en route rather than blasting there and back.
Keep posting your plans as they develop and maybe we can join at some point .

Cheers

Bazzer

hello matey,just stumbled upon your posting,sounds interesting!i hit the big five-o myself next year and was thinking of doing a trip down to Germany on my bike,that is until I read your post,always fancied a ride over to turkey,just never fancied doing it on my tod,i see your planning going to kalkan and fancy tagging along with you as I have an apartment in alanya,about 230 miles further along the coast,was thinking I could possibly ride down with you,fly the family out there,spend some time with them,then hook up with you for return ride,would love to know what you have planned,camping or b&b or bit of both?
gotta be honest I don't do head down arse up balls out riding and don't play race and chase,i just like to chill,kick back and take in the scenery im riding thru,im an easy sort of fella to get along with,bit of a novice,been riding bikes for thirty years but only done a couple of jaunts in Europe,anyway pal,dont want to bore the tits off you,if your interested on some company,a few s and a few laughs on you trip giz a shout ,

Hey Gilmore

Would be great to have one or two to ride with, it's a long way to go solo, so am glad you're interested! Got the inspiration from Uneasy Rider (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Uneasy-Rider...s=uneasy+rider) which I read a few years ago when I was 42 too - must have another read before we go! What bike do you ride, I'm on a BMW R1200 GSA so should have the legs. I plan to camp as much as possible to keep down costs but occasional cheap hotel to keep the fleas at bay! I'll also be looking to ride to Morocco in March/April and Normandy for DDay 70th celebrations in June (with Mrs as pillion) for a bit of practice!
I'm down in Bristol - whereabouts are you?
Keep in touch and see if we can muster one or two more novices!
Cheers
Baz

hello pal,definately fancy doing this trip.think were on same wavelength cos im happy to do camping with odd hotel to keep costs in check,at the moment i ride a triumph tiger 955i and a honda valkyrie so any one of these is more than capable of doing this trip,would be great if we could get a couple of people interested in this im based up in newcastle,keep in touch baz,lets see if we can make this work,any ideas on route,crossings,timescale?.im gonna sit and have a look at possible routes.
cheers
kev

you can also get in touch with me via facebook.just send a friend request to kevin Gilmore

When I did this, I went to Bari Italy then ferry Ingomanitsa Gr
Then across top of Gr to Tr, the bridge across the Bosperous is a giggle 7 lanes or so trying merge
I also did it the long way through
Turkey is fun wild camping too as is N GR,
Ro, Bg Hu, well I dont camp much there and not at all in Ua

hello matey,how long did this trip take you? are ferry crossings pricey,would love to hear more of this trip you done

Easier said than done, exactly which Kevin Gilmore, biker from Up North are you?! Might be easier to find me mark barrington, profile pic is me on my GSA.

Bazzer

Doıng ıt now - ı'll let you know how ıt goes!

wısh ı read thıs earlıer!

This is one of my options for next year too, and I'm not for from 50 either AND I'm an Essex boy too ! ( Not far from you ) My outline idea at the moment is for me to have 4 weeks at it, with the wife flying out for the 2 weeks in the middle to make sure I carry enough hair products around Turkey. basically travel to and from Turkey on my own or with company. Might be worth a meet up??

Tim