drive from London to Turkey
 

Hello,
I would like to start a thread on planning the routes to drive from London to Turkey.
We as a family are thinking of starting our journey July 2016 for six weeks.
start from London, drive all the way casually, stopping on route in different countries and tour turkey and back to London...
Family of four with 14 and 12 year old boys with a one year old citroen c4 grand picasso.
Any suggestions for this drive, places to see, papers required, items to carry with us, places to stay, or anything you can think of, etc.?


Many thanks

You will need insurance cover for all countries you pass through and if not will have to get it at the border. The standard European green card policy will get you into all except Kosovo, but I believe British Insurers are not really willing to get into the spirit of cooperation once you cross the channel..

Tolls and/or prepaid vignettes apply to many countries so don't be caught on proscribed highways without the right one. Can often use secondary roads, but low costs make it not worth the trouble. Turkey has toll roads too and you must buy a windscreen 'sticker' available at the first toll you come to, or Turkish Post offices or some shell petrol stations. We didn't bother, but did end up on toll roads a couple of times, plus getting through Istanbul is difficult without a toll sticker although there are ferries.

Ear plugs required in Turkey unless you enjoy high-volume 4.15am wakeup calls every day.

If the vehicle is not owned outright and the name of the finance company appears on the registration papers, you may need a release from them before you will get into Turkey.

Thanks for the information...
Thinking of driving to Austria and getting on the train with the car to travel all the way to the east of turkey. This saves driving through the eastern Europe After Austria towards Turkey.
Then in Turkey drive through it.
Has anyone done this train journey with car?
thanks

Depending on your route, the main roads in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria between Austria and Turkey are in very good condition and you can use euro for all the tolls on the way and even for some fuel. Credit cards are accepted.
From the bottom of Austria to Istanbul took us three days very easy driving (late start early finish) including best part of a day sitting waiting for a foot of snow to be cleared.

Merhaba,

"""Thinking of driving to Austria and getting on the train with the car to travel all the way to the east of turkey."""

There is no trainline connection between istanbul and ankara after the big fire at haydarpasha station...also clearing customs at european side of the city is a nightmare..no x ray so you have to take the car to 60 km. away together with an officer on a rescue truck or hire a customs commissioner...
ankara is the starting point for trains heading east and iran.

There is almost a year for your start.hoping situations may change....
1-No go to areas more east than cappadocia for safety reasons.
2- benzin is most expensive here.

so seems better enter turkey from bulgaria, head istanbul,take the speed ferry to yalova,make a west turkey tour,and exit greece after gallipoli visit or vice versa to discover more colors of turkey happily,economical and in safety..

hope helps..

Hello,
I did not say to get the train in Turkey.
I was referring to getting on the train by car from Austria to eldrine (East of turkey).
:-)
thanks

I was referring to getting on the train by car from Austria to eldrine (East of turkey).

Where is this city (eldrine or edirne) in east turkey or west turkey....

Edirne, west of turkey
thanks