Hi,

Bouncing the idea around of a trip from the UAE to EU/UK.

Bike is registered in Dubai, no issues there.

The route, with Iran (UK passport holder) looking a bit iffy at present, so UAE to KSA thru to Jordan, Israel, then a ferry with Grimaldi to either Greece or Italy.

Not sure it's entirely possible, just sounding out what's do able and whats a stupid idea

Cheers

Jim

hi,
the other option Jordan , Irak, Turkey

Have you checked with Grimaldi to see if they run passenger services again? A few months ago they had still not resumed it.

To make a continuous journey you could either cross Syria (with an arranged guide) to Lebanon and take the ferry from there, or as mentioned above, go from Jordan into Iraq and then on to Turkey. Having spent 3½ weeks in Iraq earlier in the year, I really recommend it.

EO

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EurasiaOverland a memoir of one quarter of a million kilometres by road through all of the Former USSR, Western and Southern Asia.

Hello,

having the same issue going the other way. Looking for RoRo or something that takes passengers from Europe to Israel but all companies told me that since covid no one takes passengers anymore.

I quite like the Option Turkey - Iraq - Jordan. Any route recommendations for Iraq? Is camping safe there or should a hotel be preferred?

I´m planning on leaving Germany in February.

cheers
Matthias

Turkey -> Iraq -> Jordan is a lot more complicated because the visa you get in North Iraq is only valid in the Kurdistan part of the country.

There are ways to get around this by flying around Iraq, but it is a bit of a hassel.

Yes, but to be clear for the purposes of the initial question, the problem only exists when entering from Turkey, exiting is fine.

EO

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EurasiaOverland a memoir of one quarter of a million kilometres by road through all of the Former USSR, Western and Southern Asia.

You will have some complications when entering from Turkey as you will not get an Iraq visa at the border. You can fly from Erbil to Baghdad and get an Iraq visa at the airport, then return to Erbil and continue your journey by bike.

From north to south I would recommend Mosul - Samarra - Baghdad. All very interesting places to visit. Some areas (Hatra, Hirmal mountains for example) are not so safe so stick to the highway between Mosul and Samara. Mosul is very calm, secure and friendly. One of my highlights from Iraq.

The south is full of archaeological sites, Eridu, Uruk and Nippur were the highlights for me, though the more accessible sites of Ur (near Nasiriyah), Babylon (near Karbala) and Aqar Quf (just outside Baghdad) are also fantastic (but restored). Try to add on a stop in the Marshes.

As for camping, I would say it is safe, but probably not a good idea. Firstly, the country is mostly a flat plain with few natural campsites. Iraq is totally unaccustomed to individual tourism and if locals/police find you, they may find your behaviour very unusual or suspicious. If the police were to find you, you can expect hours of (friendly) questions and an escort to a local hotel which can be frustrating. Don't get me wrong, Iraqis are just about the most welcoming and friendly people I have met, but I doubt camping would be much fun. The only place I have done it was in Kurdistan on a previous visit, and even there I had to keep a low profile (I had already been moved on from one site near Halabja).

EO

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EurasiaOverland a memoir of one quarter of a million kilometres by road through all of the Former USSR, Western and Southern Asia.