Back from Georgia and Armenia in a van (page 2 of 3)

Tried in April—road was new, signage was up, but the station was closed.

Any updates since?

Thanks.

Since when?

I’d be happy to look up the answer. 🙂

You both seem familiar with VF. I’ve been asked for the link to the photo road book. It was posted on a site for camper van enthusiasts, but the VF mods seem to have deleted it. Yet it’s a mutual-help site, not commercial. Is that the norm here?

Aktas post, it must be a bit like Kurtkale, you first have to find it.

Finding it is easy—it’s well before Kurtkale, and you might even stumble upon it if you forget to turn left. But that doesn’t tell me if it’s open. There were plenty of buildings and roads, but it was deserted.

Michel

but that doesn’t tell me if it’s open

But I don’t know and don’t know how I could find out... Other than going there....

But I don’t know and don’t know how I could find out... Apart from going there....

The question was actually for everyone... 😉

Michel

Hi,

Links to other discussion forums are not allowed.

It is prohibited to display or advertise in a member profile or signature a site where a product or service is offered or a site that contains a travel discussion forum.

http://voyageforum.com/v.f?do=conditions;

Michel

Thanks, I’ve got the explanation now.

My sincerest apologies for the huge delay—here’s the photo travel journal at last!

http://sdrv.ms/QBhbla

I didn't know that

Hi 😏

In Stories in 12 Images, we’ve added 3 sites we particularly enjoyed: Ananuri Batumi Mtskheta. No big revelations, just a modest confirmation of the Caucasus’s cultural riches:

Stories in 12 Images http://sdrv.ms/VaVgId

Best, Sylvie and Bernard

Hello,

We had planned to travel from Montpellier to Lake Baikal in April, May, and June, but I’ve got a minor eye issue, and by the time it’s "fixed," we’ll only have May and June left to travel in our Pilote camper van (less sporty than yours 😉, but with a combined 136 years between us, a bit of comfort is a must 🙂 ).

So, we’ve decided to do a trip we’ve wanted to do for a long time: Turkey—just passing through—then Georgia and Armenia. On the way back, Georgia again and Turkey.

1 - It seems there are no longer any ferries connecting Italy to Turkey. At least, I haven’t found any, which means we’ll have to cross through Greece (we know the Igoumenitsa-Istanbul route and up to Doğubayazıt from our 1996 trip to Pakistan in a 4x4 with a roof tent).

2 - Where do you think is the best place to enter Georgia, given that the Turkey-Armenia border remains stubbornly closed?

3 - Do you think 60 days is reasonably enough for this route?

4 - What maps would you recommend for Georgia and Armenia (other than IGN)? As the co-pilot, I remember some *humorous* remarks and marital crises during our trip to Bulgaria, thanks to IGN maps being, shall we say, *highly imaginative*.

5 - Hoping that in May/June we’ll have better weather than what you encountered....😛

Thanks for your replies.

Hi Catherine,

I’m so sorry you can’t go to Siberia. I hope it’s just postponed until 2014. On our site, you’ll find our wanderings in Armenia. The ferries to Turkey only run in the summer. Check with Euromer for details. Armenia and Georgia are two Christian countries surrounded by Muslim nations. This shows how deeply these two peoples are attached to their land. So, it’s a very enriching trip with warm, oriental hospitality. See you soon,

Brigitte

Hi Catherine, Brigitte,

Sylvie’s busy, so I’m answering. In my own way—short and sweet

Excellent idea! Really. For at least 3 reasons: 1. Since Armenia dropped its visa requirement, no paperwork at all. None! And if you book your tickets with Ancoma like we did, you leave whenever you want, on your own schedule. Change your plans last minute? No problem! 2. All the way to Hopa, the Georgian border, it’s practically all dual carriageway. Turkey’s concrete lobby has walled off the Black Sea coast. Ugly! 3. 60 days in May and June—pure bliss. Perfect weather, fruits, veggies, flowers everywhere. And Georgian cuisine is hands-down the best in the Caucasus.

Two downsides: 1. The price of diesel in Turkey. 2. Road conditions can be rough in Georgia and Armenia.

Greece? Igoumenitsa-Alexandroupoli, the highway’s finished. You can catch the ferry to Istanbul in a day. I drive old-school—maps and compass . We had the Freytag Caucasus map, which was pretty mediocre.

We only had 3 weeks. Two regrets: 1. Armenia: not making it all the way to Iran, to Meghri. Especially since there’s a brand-new road from Kapan (off-limits to Iranian trucks) that avoids the Tastun Pass at 2,500m. 2. Eastern Anatolia: the Ardahan-Kars region. Wild, stunning. And following the Arax River to the Azerbaijani enclave of Nakhchivan.

Best, Bernard

Hi there,

Hope your health issues clear up soon. The gateway to Georgia is Batumi. You should visit at least once—it’s a fascinating city for many reasons. There are other routes, but the roads are rougher (according to a group of friends who took them last year). For road maps, we used IGN and Freytag & Berndt, but I’ve heard Gizi maps are also great—they usually are. Road maps are essential in these countries because road signs on the ground are almost nonexistent or in the local "hieroglyphics"! We used the Petit Futé guidebook. 60 days is the perfect amount of time, especially if you plan to visit Nagorno-Karabakh. It’s amazing to visit a country that doesn’t officially exist! Stepanakert is easy to access. Let me know if you’d like more info. Cheers,

Brigitte

Thanks Bernard and Brigitte for your replies.

Brigitte, I just read your blog. So 61 days is doable.

Bernard, based on your info, our plan is starting to take shape:

- Ancona to Igoumenitsa by ferry. - Igoumenitsa to Istanbul (1 day, you said—that’s perfect). - Istanbul to Kars, following the Black Sea coast.

I’m estimating about a week to 10 days to get "ready to roll," which is roughly the same as the route through Serbia and Bulgaria that you took, Brigitte—11 days for you. We’ll need to look into this more closely... What are the advantages compared to the "classic" route through Turkey? The price of diesel? Anything else?

I’m going to buy the Freitag Caucasus map, which will at least let us plan a route for Georgia and Armenia before we leave (we rarely stick to it, but hey 🙂).

Return via Turkey and Cappadocia.

Bernard, I’ll check out your suggestion to follow the Araks River to the Azerbaijani enclave... I have no idea where that is 😛.

Anyway, thanks to both of you.

Hi,

We went through Serbia, but we won’t do it again—it wasn’t worth it compared to the route through Greece. I think there are ferries to cross the Black Sea and arrive in Batumi, either from Romania or Ukraine. That could be a good solution to avoid going through Turkey twice, especially if you’ve already been there! Cheers,

Brigitte

Yes, we’ve been to Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Ukraine... (we loved Romania and Ukraine, unlike Bulgaria, which we didn’t enjoy at all).

On the other hand, we don’t know Turkey well—just passed through quickly on our way to Iran and Pakistan.

Yes, we know Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Romania, as well as Ukraine... (we loved Romania and Ukraine, unlike Bulgaria, which we didn’t like at all).

On the other hand, we don’t know Turkey well at all—just passed through quickly on our way to Iran and Pakistan.

Hi there! 🙂

For those planning a trip to the Caucasus, maybe you'll find some useful info in our Georgia-Armenia travel albums.

Short stories, 24 commented images. Just the essentials 😉

BATUMI, GORI, TBILISI: https://plus.google.com/photos/104801826254076873321/albums/5883362631244423377?hl=fr&partnerid=gplp0

G.M.R, ANANURI: https://plus.google.com/photos/104801826254076873321/albums/5883363059742858337?hl=fr&partnerid=gplp0

MTSKHETA & Azerbaijani steppes: https://plus.google.com/photos/104801826254076873321/albums/5883363422473521009?hl=fr&partnerid=gplp0

ARMENIA: https://plus.google.com/photos/104801826254076873321/albums/5885185842203687185?hl=fr&partnerid=gplp0

Best regards, Sylvie & Bernard