Winter route across Pakistan-Iran-Turkey-Balkans

[wonky]

I need to plan a route back to the UK across Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and then through the Balkans to get me back to the UK. Unfortunately our schedule has got messed up and we expect to be getting to Pakistan about early/mid december.
Any ideas?

[simmo]

Stay south in Turkey, I was there in November and it was minus alot and blizarding near Ezerum and Erzincan, any pass over 2000metres was snow bound and interesting riding solo. Capadocia was fine, northern greece foggy, snowed again in Italy and France....

http://users.netlink.com.au/~asimpson

[ozhanu]

East Turkey (except Mediteranian Coast) might be snowy and cold, expecialy in high altituted. If you enter Turkey from Istanbul, the best route is: Istanbul>Ankara>Yozgat>Sivas>Erzincan>Erzurum>Agri >Dogu Beyazit>Gurbulak(The border). After Sivas, it might cold and snowy. South route it too long to follow if you dont enter Turkey from Izmir.

Good Luck

------------------
ride safely
ozhan u.
'97 F650
www.ozhanu.com/gezi

[wonky]

Cheers for the info, i think we're going to try the south route from Iran and cross at Izmir.
Paulo from the bike club in Istanbul gave me a great looking route through the south and then options for the balkans.
If we get some snow i'm going to try the rope round the tyres technique mentioned in the snow post you directed me to simmo, cheers!

[pietro.spera]

The Balkans in winter are very cold and snowy. My suggestion is therefore to travel as closer to the Mediterranean as you can.

For instance, you could follow the Adriatic coast, across Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, etc.

You might also take the ferry boat from Cesme/Izmir (Turkey) to Ancona/Venice: you save a couple of thousand of km (but you miss as well a very interesting part of Europe...)

[seanh]

I took the Black Sea coast road from Trabzon to Istanbul in late December. Great road with little traffic and nice scenery. there was a bit of snow, mostly by the roadside but after the sun went down the snowmelt refroze as sheet ice. Getting to Trabzon from the Iran border would be the hairy bit though.
I used the rope trick in Tajikistan/Kyrgystan; it helps but is not ideal.
cheers,
sean

[Kimse]

Tyrkey notes.

Please note that fuel cost alot in Tyrkey. In sept. 2005 is was around 2,5 USD!!! The price in not lower in the eastern part of the country.

Please also note that it might be VERY cold if you are going too drive from south to north. I did that in sept, from north to south and in the mountains is was no fun. If would go in the south of Tyrkey and only go north to leave Tyrkey it would be munch better.

...and yes it can be warm in the sun.. if their is no cloud, rain, fog...

Hope you understand my english... *S*