Hi,

As you can see from the replies, there's various ways & routes for the Stans. Here's my 2 cents worth...

I was there from July to October this year. Route: Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan

I had all my visas in advance apart from the Chinese one (which I got in Tashkent). Details for how I got my visa are on my website. The only difficult visa was Turkmenistan – those guys really like to mess you around. Turkmenistan Embassy in London: useless. The one in Belgium was OK, but told me the visa would only be valid for 3 months. The one in Vienna (ask for Mr Madela) was good: no 3 month limit, very friendly. I don't think it's a problem if you're NOT Austrian (worked OK for me and my travel partner: 1x German, 1x British). But I've got to say: they did mess me about quite a bit, asking for a LOI for a Transit-Visa... something that doesn't exist.

Kyrgyzstan (Embassy in Berlin): easy. No time limit. Tajikistan (Embassy in Berlin): easy, including GBAO permit. No time limit. Uzbekistan (Embassy in London): not the friendliest fella when I went there, but once he heard 'motorcycle' he got a bit more enthusiastic/friendly. No time limit as far as I remember.

Visa en-route: my travel-partner got his Kyrgyzstan Visa in Tashkent (1 day express). And we both got our China visa in Tashkent (get airplane ticket, get online hotel booking confirmation, show those to embassy, get visa, cancel plane ticket... but I think this was just because of the Olympic Games and the Chinese government getting overly concerned after the Olympic torch demonstrations).

I met a lot of people who got various visa in either Tashkent or Bishkek. But: Turkmenistan was ALWAYS a problem... wrong route, delayed processing time,...
I'm not sure, but I seem to remember a Swiss guy who got his Iran visa in Bishkek without too much hazzle.

If you can afford it, why not give China a go? The KKH in China is an absolute DREAM to ride. We had our problems getting in, but that was because of the Olympic Games. And once we changed from a 'problem agent' to a 'proper agent' (Newland Travel from Kashgar were absolutely superb!), we got things moving within 3 days. But it should be MUCH easier for 2009, now those dreaded Olympic Games are over.... cost for 2 bikes: $700 each. And you can stay in Kashgar or elsewhere for no extra money - as long as you don't move the bike.

Afghanistan: Because China closed its borders to Kyrgyzstan unexpectedly, we considered going from Tajikistan through Afghanistan. Until I contacted the HU community there (1 guy only), who made it crystal clear that Afghanistan on a motorcycle is not a good idea. (Kidnappings, bombings,...)

Hope this helps - Good luck with the planning!
Bjorn

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