Turkey to Iran Border Crossing
 

Hi

I'll be crossing from Turkey to Iran in about 12 days at Dogubayazit and as a single female, I'm keen to meet up with someone else just so they don't turn me away at the border. Happy to ride by myself thereafter or as a team either way. I had asked on the forum if any other single females had been through and have no answer. I've come along way - just want to make it through. Anyone going that way at the end of May?

Thanks
Adastra

Hi Adastra,
as i've heard from friends visiting Iran, woman can NOT ride, even cant be a pillion in Iran..
but you should investigate yourself again, there maybe some changes..
Cheers

It is probably not a bad idea to team up with someone at the border just to not make yourself a target for a small minded bureaucrat who is having a bad day. However, i don't quite agree with the statement that

I have meet a German woman riding in Shiraz and there have been some posts on that topic:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...le-women-38545
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...an-alone-55320

Cheers

Not an issue. Have fun at the "dogbiscuit" border. They are pretty swift and as a white person they'll process you quicker than the hordes. They will check your VIN against your carnet. Iran is the strickest in that sense that I've encountered. Have a good ride. Iran is a wonderful place to ride. Far safer and more friendly than Turkey in my experience.

Iran
 

HI Adastra
We'll be missing you by about 10 days, a group of us are entering Iran (en route to Tibet) on Sunday 15th May.
Although I'm with a group this time, I have entered Iran in the past with a female friend riding pillion. At the border they make passengers go separately anyway. You'll be OK and don't listen to whoever it is that says women can't ride bikes in Iran- that is not true.
I'll let you know if there is anything tricky at the border when I get back on line.
I'm assuming internet access is ok in Iran?

I've been looking out for other bike travellers but haven't seen any since Istanbul. If I do see any and they look like they might be on your schedule, I'll let you know.
Good luck and don't worry about the crossing, they are generally very proper about etiquette with women, just make sure you're dressed appropriately.

As for Iran itself, I love it as a country to travel in, you'll get treated as an honourary man because you have your own vehicle, but you'll also get invited back to houses and only women get that opportunity.

Enjoy your trip.
It

Don't let me put a downer on this border but do take care. There was a scam going on there when we crossed late last year regarding insurance. Big thread about it over here -

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-nothing-52855

When you go though the Iranian side a guy in the Turist office will help you. Best bet is to grab them and ask them to show you how to do everything and hopefully you will avoid the fixers that way. The officials seem pretty honest and helpful. Problem is that a lot of the officials are non-uniformed making it hard to tell who's who.

Enjoy Iran - the people there make it absolutely superb.

Neil

i can agree on Neils warning, we lost quite a lot of money there last november. The problem is the insurance, but actually you don't need to buy it there anyway. But we got intimidated and the last guy didn't want to stamp our paper so we couldn't leave.
If they give you trouble, best thing is to walk back to the tourist guy, complain to him and ask him to accompany you.
Or if nothing helps: say something about all the good stories you heard about the friendly, hospitable people of iran and this is what you got!
saved us another 20 euro.

But, it was the only bad experience we had in Iran. By the way, I rode my own bike and later Neil and his wife Helen joined us. So girls CAN ride bikes in Iran and i didn't got any comments on that.

Enjoy your stay! Its a lovely country and you'll have lots of good experience.:thumbup1:

greetz Els

btw I've posted some tips and places to stay

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...sia/iran-54293

You could use the border at Sero further South. No hassles there at all.

What country are you coming from? Are you going back out to Turkey after Iran? We had planned to go from South Africa to Cairo, Turkey, Iran Pakistan, to India. Our Auto Assn. doesn't endorse carnets for Iran, which for us seems to be the big obstacle. Things are a bit hot in Pakistan now, but maybe down south it is different. I'll follow your progress if you have further posts or blogs. Good luck.
Chiromal

Second that. No fuss, very friendly.

Go Adastra Go...Our hearts and prays with you even you dont need them for your trip... You have the powers of Helen the Troy and all the requested documents...

Best Wishes
zeki avar

Notes..: Just for more and updated information.
1**Iran Airport Visa:

Iran Foreign ministry has considered facilitating provisions for issuance the tourist visa at a few the Iran Airports. tourists can get a 15 days tourist

visa up on arrival to one of the following airports:

places to get the airport tourist visa:

Tehran MehrAbad or Imam Khomeini airport , Shiraz Airport, Mashhad Airport, Isfahan Airport, Tabriz Airport.

Needed documents:

2 pieces of 1 in 1 inch pictures and return ticket, passport with at least 6 month validity , 50$ visa issuance fee and filling related forms at airport.

Nationalities to be granted Iran tourist visa at Airport :

Albania, Germany, Austria, Armenia , Uzbekistan, Spain, Australia, Slovenia, Slovakia, UAE United Arabic emirates, Indonesia , Ukraine, Italy, Ireland , Bahrain, Brazil, Brunei, Belarusian , Belgium, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Portugal, Peru, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, China, Denmark, Russia federation, Romania, Japan, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Oman, France, Palestine, Finland, Philippine, Cyprus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Croatia, south Korea, North Korea, Columbia, Kuwait, Georgia, Lebanon , Luxemburg, Poland, Malaysia, Hungary, Mongolia, Mexico, Norway, new Zealand, Venezuela, Vietnam, Holland Netherlands, India, Yugoslavia, Greece.
2**AMERICAN PASSPORT HOLDERS.
American nationals and Passport Holders:

visa issuance for American passport holders is subject to particular regulations.
At present the Iranian Foreign Ministry issues visa for American nationals for travel to Iran in the context of guided tour.
in guided your context Americans are required to travel on guided tour; either as part of a bigger tour group , or a tailor made individual tours to be designed for them based on their preference. An exact itinerary , to which must be adhered , is required.
3**
Please dont write any comments if you arent sure.here is a link just for the rules of wearings for women visiting İran..Woman can even drive a train truck in İran..
Iran Women, Woman zan iran, Travel Iran hotel, IranTravelingCenter

TIP..:In the bordergates to İran, there are 2 separate passages; 1 for men, 1 for women.So you can say your husband is on the other passage.

Yes Zevi, but how many bike travellers will arrive by air? I can't see how this is all relevant here.

Hı
Thanks for the encouragement and very useful feedback. It wıll be the dogybuscıt ;-) border so fore armed wıth knowledge İ,ll let you know how İ go.
Tıffany - ıf you had any issues ıt would be good to know - hope the tour ıs goıng well!

cheers
adastra

Adastra,

Once you cross the border, the road slopes down somewhat. Nearly within sight of the border (if you look back up), you'll see a building and lots of trucks parked there on the left. It's the cheapest place I found in Iran to change money. The truckers were surprised to see me, but they had an entire exchange office in there. They were very happy to change my money with a smile.

Also, you're going from the most expensive gas in the world to the cheapest. $2 filled my 11.4 gallon tank when I got to Iran.

Iran
 

HI Adastra
I'm sat here in Tabriz, sweating in the humidity with my chador on and thinking wistfully about coldbeer. As this is a dry country, all I've got to look forward to is Islamic non-alcoholic pineapple beer.

the border crossing is fine, you don't need to cover up until you can see the Ayatolla's Face on the wall - and believe me, you won't be able to miss it.

There are helpers and there are people who are trying it on. I didn't see the guy in the tourist office but it seems he is the guy to approach for help.
The Iranian side insists on fingerprinting certain nationalities but not Aussies so you should have a quicker progress through the system than we did.

They will be extra helpful because you're female, if you haven't been to Iran before, remember that men should not shake your hand and if they try to then generally they are not the sort of people to be dealing with.
There are plenty of female foot passengers going through who will smile and be supportive, you need to make it clear that you are a driver or they send you through with foot passengers as they can't conceive of a woman on her own driving or especially riding through.

No insurance scam that I saw and fuel is easy enough to buy (no fuel card asked for), just tricky to find the petrol stations in the first place.
Good luck, you'll have a ball.