Turkey to syria and back - traveltime

[geokobbi]

Travellers.

This question is for those who have been travelling through Turkey.

If I travel through Turkey to Syria and back, how long would it take, if I travel at a pace of tourist.

Looking forward to hear from you all.

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[POB/London]

Sure you want to go to Syria? With the Iraq situation and the rumours that miltant / fundamentalist Iraquis have fled to the Syrian hills???

I'm not so sure about the whole region. You're probably safer, as you're not British or American.

[chris]

Can't talk about today's situation, but I travelled through Syria in late 1999. I found the Syrians to be the most friendly, warm, kind hearted people in the Middle East.

Even then, Syria was not too popular in certain parts of the world and I did not hide my nationality (British). Like I said, great people, lots of interesting geography, culture and history.

What does your foreign ministry advise about a visit to this country?
Cheers
ChrisB

[geokobbi]

Hi guys

Thank you for your reply.

My original plan was to travel around the Med. but with this ongoing situation in Irak and Algeria, plus the hassle to enter Egypt and Libya, the , I wanted to keep the idea open to drive Turkey and enter Syria, if the situation was stable. I have heard many, many good things about the locals there and I'm not so afraight of them. I'm more afraight of the general politacal situation.

I have around 3 weeks to travel Turkey and Syria and was wondering if that was enough. From Turkey I was planing to sail to Sicily and enter Tunis from there. The original idea for this trip of mine was to visit Africa, so I'm forced to go to Tunis.


Chris, you asked about the foreign ministry. I don't thing the foreign ministry here in Iceland know where Syria is on the globe.

Jakob

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[RichLees]

try ours, then ... www.fco.gov.uk suggests Brits should avoid the area.
mind you, here's what they have to say about Iceland
"The vast majority of visits to Iceland are trouble-free. There is no history of terrorism in Iceland." But don't forget the cod wars ;-)

[omar mansour]

hi
found the Syrians to be the most friendly, warm, kind hearted people in the Middle East. i was there and i crossed from eyria ti turkey ,and i realy had a lot of very very good time there,so dont worry just do it,
about egypt i think you should give it a try to visit,its a great place very funny and perfect for bikers,just try it and you will see,
takecare ride safe

[pietro.spera]

My wife and me rode our bike in Syria two times in the last two years: travelling around the Med in summer 2002, and in summer 2001, going back from Iran.

I think Syrian people are the best, the more friendly and the more nice people of all the inhabitants of the country I have visited in my life.

In Syria we never felt ourselves unsafe, and everybody tried to meet us, to talk with us and to help us. Of course, last summer the americans hadn't attacked Iraq yet, but the situation was - officialy - considered unsafe.

The official web site of the italian ministry of foreign affaire (you can translate it with altavista or other online translator) -
http://www.viaggiaresicuri.mae.aci.it/index2.html - do not consider the situation very dangeorus, they just advise to warn the embassy and to be extra careful. Those advice are, of course, for italian, maybe anglosaxon traveller are not so well accepted.

About Turkey, is a well developed country with good roads (but very few highways) and not too much traffic, so you can travel across it as fast as on normal road (no highway) in any western country.

Have a nice trip

Pietro