After finding a decent way to get a business visa for an acceptable fee given the alternatives (which are almost non-existant) I'm till planning the Italy to Tunisia ferry and then overland thru Libya to Egypt. All this Turkey RoRO to Egypt ports for 900$ is too much. Egypt ports have to be worse for import hassels versus the Libyan border??

You post encourages me as this will work.

Am i pushing things to think of travel besides blasting the coast road in a week or so? Ghat?

Going mid to late November on a 5-6 month eastern route trip south to CT and looking for others to ride with, esp the northern challenges.

Thanks!

Sorry jimosse, I can't tell you much about Ghat although you might be pushing it to get down there and through to Egypt in a week. Unfortunately I have not had a chance to get into the desert as much as I would like.

I have driven the coastal route from Tripoli to Benghazi often in the last 6 months and can confirm that you should make that route without any problems these days. The further south you go, you will run into more obstacles. Most likely these obstacles will be well-meaning Libyans looking out for your safety. However tensions are still high in the Bani Walid, Sabha & as mentioned earlier, Sirte areas.

For those looking to transit Libya quickly, take the coastal route but by-pass Benghazi via the Ajedabiya-Tobruk road.

Hotels are expensive and not easy to find. If you want to free camp in the desert, be very cautious where you do it and be aware if anyone is watching you. Libyans are normally very hospitable and if you are invited to a private home, by all means take the opportunity. Usually there is a separate room for visitors however male and female visitors are usually entertained in separate rooms. Western females are afforded a 'special' status and can sometimes pass between the mens world and the womens world in traditional, gender segregated Libyan society.

Good luck with the visa!

Hi Cam and thanks for these reports

"
Good luck with the visa!"

Do you mean it's not so easy to get it?
RR.

.

Hi roro,
I've read reports here on the HUBB that getting a visa can be quite a ball ache. We get ours in Malta, but I don't know if that will help many overlanders as it's not really on the way to Libya.

And just when I finished saying that security is getter better in Libya:

BBC News - Libya blasts: Two killed in Tripoli car bombings

With this is mind, people wishing to transit Libya at the moment should do so quickly and quietly. I can't recommend the country for full on tourism just yet.

Cheers,
CJ.

Cam
Just to clarify, I was thinking of a week for the coast run, leptis magna is a prime goal, but I have a month on a business visa and Algeria or other Saharan adventures are out of reach. I'm solo on a moto so I'll stick to sealed roads. My 2007 Lonley planet, as does Chris Scott s book show the direct run south as unsealed.

I found one outfit willing to supply the paperwork for a business visa, as tourist visas for independent travel are not being issued, for 250euro, another for 400usd. 160 euros for bike and me from Genoa to tunisia on Grimaldi lines.

I'd return to the north coast for Egypt entry. What do you know of food, fuel, and other travellers issues going south. And you made a comment about 'showing GPS' in a previous post, what was that about?
Thanks!

Hi jimosse,
Sorry I can't give you more information on travel in the south. I have not been and we don't hear much about it.

Be sure to update us if when you find out.

Maybe the people who arranged your visa will be able to give you more specific information?

The Sirte Security Council got an idea into their heads that we were using our GPS to make readings to pass onto NATO for further airstrikes!! Faced with this kind of ignorance, we didn't even try to explain things like the existence of Google Earth as we were sure that would somehow be considered further 'proof' of our spying activities. We just left them to dream on.

Safe travels. When will you be around?
CJ.

Hi fellow riders...i am planning a summer trip from Italy to Tunisia and then pass to Libya.
I would like to ask if its safe enough to pass Libya for Egypt or better by pass it.

Thank you a lot!

I have not heard of any independent travellers crossing Libya since 2014. After that it became too dangerous. For the moment tourism is finished and there isn't even a unified state called 'Libya' anymore.

https://sahara-overland.com/libya-2/

I've been researching on to traverse Libya with the hope that in late 2017 things might be better than they were last year.

So far, 2016 was 8 times deadlier than 2017.

Although the year is not over yet, it seems things have improved.

Has anyone on this forum had any real-life experience with crossing Northern Libya in 2017?

I'd like to take a bus (or some other ground transport) across Northern Libya.

When I asked one expert about it, he wrote the email below....

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- Francis Tapon
Traveling nonstop to all 54 African countries 2013-2018

What Tidwa are saying is what we all know: despite the troubles, journalists and similar can get 'business visas' to visit the Tripoli area where one of the governments is based. (My impression of Tidwa has been a good one, compared to other agencies.)
So if it's just a matter of getting a Libyan stamp in your passport, that is easily done.

If, as your sig suggests, you are trying to either end your trip there, or cross Libya from one country to another, land borders may be another matter. Even journalists don't try that as things stand. I've lost track who controls the Tunisian and Egyptian borders (let alone the ones down south), but you can be sure it's not the same outfit.

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Morocco Overland 4 (2025) • Trans Morocco Trail

Hey Jimosse,

Myself and Clare will be doing that route mid november too, on a couple of bikes and it would be great to meet up along the way!

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“Not all those who wander are lost.” - J. R. R. Tolkien

hey fellow travelers
Sent you a PM about my travel plans. do you have a Libyan visa lined up? What about travel to Ghat in the SW and those areas that Scott mentions (L3,L4,L5). u got any info? I'm still not at all sure it's possible even with a business visa? does anyone know?

jimosse,
I've been asking around here and anyone knows anything about Ghadamis and Ghat, which probably means: no news is good news.

However, you will probably see higher military presence in Sabha.

One thing is for sure and that is you'll be the first guy on a bike there in ages. People are telling me that the road to Ghat is still tarmac.

Bon voyage! Don't forget to let me know when you'll be in country.

Cheers,
CJ.

Hi Jimosse

Travelling with business Visa? Wonder how You will manage trought the road controls ( now plenty and more more as before, at least one every 10 miles ) . Wait for news after coming back.

Cheers with Mirinda ( We still have)

Budrinna

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Budrinna Co.

Hi Budrinna

How? Pretty simple - smile and wave to the guys at the checkpoints. They are really nice people and have other things to do than bother with checking visas.

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Roman (UK)