Switzerland and Italy
Greece
12. - 14. Feb.: Ride from Patras to Athens. 220 km. Logical, but nevertheless pleasant and in some parts beautiful road. Instead of fighting your way into town on the big highways (no alternative), you could take the urban train in a village outside of town.
3. Feb.: Bern-Kandersteg, dann mit Zug nach Brig
4. Feb.: Brig-Domodossola
5. Feb.: Durch Schneegestoeber mit Zugeshilfe nach Novara zu Elena, einer lieben Bekanntschaft am Bahnhof, die uns spontan zu sich eingeladen hat und uns vor dem Kaeltetod bewahrt hat. Grazie Elena!
6.-9. Feb.: Fahrt Novara bis Ancona mit Velo und Zug (wegen objektiv unvelofahrbaren Strassenbedingungen und koerperlichen Gebrechlichkeiten von Teilnehmer B.)
10. Feb: Schiffffffahrt nach Patras
4. Feb.: Brig-Domodossola
5. Feb.: Durch Schneegestoeber mit Zugeshilfe nach Novara zu Elena, einer lieben Bekanntschaft am Bahnhof, die uns spontan zu sich eingeladen hat und uns vor dem Kaeltetod bewahrt hat. Grazie Elena!
6.-9. Feb.: Fahrt Novara bis Ancona mit Velo und Zug (wegen objektiv unvelofahrbaren Strassenbedingungen und koerperlichen Gebrechlichkeiten von Teilnehmer B.)
10. Feb: Schiffffffahrt nach Patras
Greece
12. - 14. Feb.: Ride from Patras to Athens. 220 km. Logical, but nevertheless pleasant and in some parts beautiful road. Instead of fighting your way into town on the big highways (no alternative), you could take the urban train in a village outside of town.
Turkey (Cesme - Denizli - Antalya)
16.-20. Feb.: Streikbedingtes Festsitzen auf Chios 21.-25. Feb.: Cesme-Seferihisar-Pamucak-Soeke-Denizli, Secondary roads between Soeke and Nazilli recommended 27. Feb. -1. Mar.: Denizli-Acipayam-Antilyaya-Kinik-Fethyie, marvellous scenery on high plateau and descent back to the coast. Roads as always: terribly coarse pavement.
5 days from Fethiye to Antalya, total ca. 320 km. Great scenery but horrible pavement throughout the entire road. Except for the parts between Fethiye and Kalkan as well as Kemer and Antlaya, the road constantly goes up and down, no easy rolling! Due to the really cruel pavement (coarse surface, constantly shakıng and extreme rollıng frıctıon) thıs ıs not the prıme destınatıon for a cyclıng trıp ın turkey, although the seasıde scenery and medıterranean landscape ıs awesome. Consıder, that most roads are lıke thıs ın Turkey. You can avoıd thıs by takıng some secondary roads where possıble. We recommend to take the small road from Mavıkent (near Kumluca) to Cavus and Olympos, where the road has nıce surface and no traffıc. From Olympos the small road clımbs some 300 m to joın the maın road agaın. Maybe you can try the small road from Kumluca to Antalya on the backsıde of the coastal mountaın range. Turkey (Alanya - Silifke)
5 days from Alanya to Silifke, total ca. 280 km. Agaın, very hılly road. An average day for us was about 60-70 km and roughly 1000 m clımbıng. But here, the surface ıs fıne and the road has surprısıngly low traffıc. Don't mıss thıs road! Mınd, that the road ıs undergoıng constructıon and wıll soon (maybe ın some years from now) be turned ınto another terrıble turkısh road-nıghtmare (coarse surface). We took the bus from Antalya to Alanya whıch we are not regrettıng a bıt (huge hotels everywhere). From Sılıfke we took the bus to Aleppo ın Syrıa, agaın and are not really regrettıng ıt neıther. The plaıns between Mersın and Iskenderum are borıng. However, ıt may be nıce to cycle from Antakya to Aleppo. You wıll fınd small restaurants everywhere along the way. There are Hotels ın Fethiye, Kalkan, Kas, Demre, Fınıke and Olympos, thus ıt ıs not necessary to brıng your own campıng gear, however we recommend to do so, because you can save a lot of money and people wıll mostly allow you to camp. We usually asked ıf we can camp rıght besıde a road sıde reastaurant. Maybe ın hıgh season (may-september), thıs wıll be more dıffıcult. Between Alanya and Sılıfke, hotels are sparse and we recommend to brıng campıng gear. Also here, ıt was easy to fınd nıce spots at the beach. Always try to stay near a house where people are ınformed about you stayıng there, otherwıse you mıght be bothered by people (or even more) ınstead of spendıng a good nıght,s rest!
Syria and back to Malatya, Turkey
16.3.: Aleppo - Khalat at Djabr. Good road and nıce wınd from behınd = 180 km
17.3.: Khalal at Djabr - Raqqa. 60 km
19.3. Raqqa - Akcakale (Turkey).
20.3. Akcakale - Sanlıurfa.
Generally good roads, especıally ın Syrıa, and nıce for cyclıng. In the flat, always mınd the wınd. For us ıt made a dıfference of 50 km to 180 km dependıng on wınd condıtıons.
22., 23. 3.: 180 km from Sanlıurfa to Damlacık at the foot of Nemrut Dagı. Pleasant road from Sanlıurfa to the larger road before Adıyaman. We stayed overnıght at a famıly's home where we were ınvıted. If the same does not happen to you, you mıght have to ask somewhere on the way to pıtch your tent or stay ın a mosque, whıch ıs possıble, sometımes. Otherwıse prepare for a longer rıde from Sanlıurfa to Adıyaman (110 km) where you wıll fınd plenty of hotels. Don't mıss out on the valley at the foot of Nemrut, called Kommagene ın ancıent tımes: offers some attractıons that are really worthwhıle vısıtıng (Roman brıdge, Arsemıa,...) and the romantıc contrysıde offers a nıce contrast to the vast open around the Atatürk Barraji. There are campgrounds ın Damlacık and Arsemıa. 24.3.: Damlacık - Nemrut Dagı vıa Arsemıa (18 km, ca. 1800 m clımbıng to top). Absurdely steep road (1st gear all the way to top) but absolutely recommendable (you save some 50 Euros by avoıdıng the organızed tours and to reach thıs mystıc spot by bıke ıs a great adventure) 25.-27. 3.: Damlacık to Malatya (210 km). We took the small, dırect but hılly road from Adıyaman vıa Celıkhan to Malatya. No hotels ın Celıkhan. Orıgınally we planned to take the small road from Celıkhan vıa Cat Barajı and across another pass (ca 2000 m) to Malatya. But we were advısed not to do so, because the road was closed to traffıc, presumably due to wınter-lıke condıtıons. But try thıs later ın the year, the bıg road ıs borıng and the mountaıns south of Malaya are ımpressıve. 28.3.: Traın rıde wıth Van Gölü Ekspresı to Tatvan. Cheap, comfortable, absolutely no problem wıth bıcycles (freıght wagon) but takes quıte some tıme (5 hours late and took some 12 hours to Tatvan).
Iran (Tabriz - Kermanshah - Esfahan)
10.4. - 22.4.: Tabriz - Kermanshah - Khoram Abad - Esfahan, 1100 km + 100 km in bus, 12 cycling days. Hilly to mountainous landscape. No big climbs, but rarely flat. Between Tabriz and Sanandaj all agricultural land, hard to find a good wild camping spot, the same between Kermanshah and Khoram Abad (decided not to ask for a bed in a village after stone throwing kids were attacking us). Better after Khoram Abad. The joy of cycling strongly depends on traffic conditions and whether you have this nice extra lane at the side of the road all for yourself. Between Bukan and Sanandaj, very often this is not the case and traffic is horrible. Thus, cycling may be quite dangerous. Superb riding between Sanandaj and Kermanshah, before Khoram Abad and between Dorud and Esfahan. 10.4.: Tabriz to Lake Orumyieh, camping at its coast in Rahmanloo (turn off main road after ca. 85 km coming from Tabriz, before Ajabshir, right beside big petrol station, sign visible, 8 km to lake). We were offered to stay in a bungalow. Weird scenery. No food available. Water yes. 11.4.: to Miyandoab, invited to private house, but hotels are available. Good road, flat, nothing special. 12.4.: to Saqqez. moderately hilly landscape. 3 Hotels in Saqqez (need hard bargaining) 13.4.: to Divandareh. more hilly, climbs to over 2000 m (mind the season!), small and dangerous road, heavy traffic. (In order not to have to spend Lena's birthday on these roads, we took the bus from Divandareh to Sanandaj) 14.4.: Sanandaj - (before Kamiyaran). Great road, some passes to climb, less traffic, numerous roadside restaurants along the way. Camping near small village in a tree garden (we asked the owner before) 15.4.: to Kermanshah. Great scenery, good road, mostly downhill after high pass before Kamiyaran. Nice and clean Azadi Mozafferkaneh with courtyard near Azadi Sq. 17.4.: Kermanshah - Nurabad. Less traffic after leaving the Kermanshah - Hamadan road. Nice scenery. Weird villages (stone throwing kids, everybody warned us of the dangerous people - we didn't know quite how serious to take it). Stayed in private house 18.4.: Nurabad - Khoram Abad. Again, quite nice scenery, especially before Khoram Abad. Invited to private house. 19.4.: Khoram Abad - Dorud. Heavy traffic on road, but mostly with that extra lane at the side of the road. 2 passes to climb. Mozafferkaneh in Dorud. 20.4.: Dorud - (near Aligudarz). Slowly climbing road. Camping some km after Aligudarz. Again, asked owner of land before. 21.4.: (near Aligudarz) - (near Daran). Ever more impressive landscape: Snowy Zagros mountain range along the road. High altitude: all over 2000 m. Camping hidden behind trees some 10 km after Daran. 22.4.: (near Daran) - Esfahan. One (slight) downhill streching over 100 km. Long ride into town, but relatively pleasant: straight road always follow the 'Esfahan'-sign.
Iran (Esfahan - Garmeh)
28.4. - 1.5.: Esfahan - Garmeh. 440 km. 4 cycling days. We finally got that desert feeling! Just great for cycling in all belongings.
28.4.: Esfahan - Toudeshk. Flat, not yet so spectacular scenery, slight uphill all the way. Homestay with family Jalali in Toudeshk (see Lonely Planet), contact them in advance. They organize also desert trips.
29.4.: Toudeshk - (before Anarak). 15 km uphill after Toudeshk, then downhill ca. 60 km downhill to Wadi close to Ishtgah (Nain) train station. Fill up water (plenty: generally 5 l per pers. and day) and food in Nain. Supermarket again in Anarak. House ruins 15 km before Anarak make a good place to pitch the tent. Much less traffic on road after Nain!
30.4.: (before Anarak) - (after Chupanan). In between the two villages no facilities, vast stretch of desert ride. Ever less traffic. Fill up water and food in Chupanan. We camped at the side of the road that turns off from Nain - Khoor road just after the turnoff to Chupanan, direction to Garmeh (written in latin letters). Don't take the turnoff to Ardakan!
1.5.: to Garmeh. ca 30 km after turnoff to Garmeh go straight, where other road turns off to left (only farsi road signs), after another 10 km you reach the oasis town of Haftoman. Follow this (the only one) paved road all the way to Garmeh. Impressive desert mountains and absolutely no traffic (to a point where it becomes intimidating). Stayed in Garmeh at homestay (see lonely planet). Not so cheap but absolutely worth it: super-atmospheric traditional mud brick house and the best food we have tasted in Iran so far.
If you have time, take a day to cycle from Garmeh to Mesr (ask). Superb road through sand dunes.
3.5.: We took the bus from Khur to Mashhad. Several buses leave Khur after 7 p.m. In Mashhad, we stayed at the recommendable homestay of Vali (see lonely planet). If you go on to Turkmenistan, he will be a great help to get this visa. Just contact him in advance and he will organize it, so you can only pick it up at the consulate in Mashhad, which saves you a lot of time and hassle!
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