UK to Stans and back Weather ??
 

HI all
After realising that the cost of a carnet for my bike rules out some routes heading down into asia from the uk my current plan for next year’s trip is this:

Leave around May the 1st (possibly April) heading from the uk across Europe down into Turkey across to Georgia and Azerbaijan.

From there hoping to get a ferry from Baku to Kazakhstan (I need to find out if one actually takes that route??)

From there the plan is to ride to Tajikistan before heading north into Russia then Ukraine and back across Europe back to the uk.

One of the biggest questions I have at the moment is to do with the weather in the Turkey and stans and what is the best time of year to ride through them without getting boiled?

Does anyone have any advice on this route and the best time to see these areas?

Many thanks
Dan

Interested in replies on this but will (hopefully) be going on to Mongolia. I suspect the best time to get to Mongolia will be for the August HU meet up so boiling in the Stans is unavoidable :palm::cool4:

Southern Kazakhstan, all of Uzbekistan and western Tajikistan are typically at or above 40º C in the summer months (June to August).

Azerbaijan is not much cooler.

Turkey is not such an issue - apart from the south-east of the country (roughly Diyarbakir to the Iraqi frontier) the summer heat is moderated either by being close to the coast, or by altitude.

samarkand
 

HI
very interesting .
:mchappy:
We are - 3 of us- planning almost the same ride , except on way from Georgia to Russia then Kazakstan, Kirgistan,Uzbezistan, ferry to zerbidjan - if possible- then south of Turkey along black sea and Balkans, already been ther e very nice . :scooter:
if you want send a PM ;
ans anyway look to nora trip : itchy boots
and Igor in adv rider : 25000 k on kebab road
these are GREAT :D

Thanks all for the replay's some really useful information! :thumbup1:

In April May you might want to stay out of the mountains as eastern turkey will be pretty cold at altitude. But with out mucked up weather at the moment it will be difficult to predict.


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Look on you tube : GEOALEX they have done the route from Germany leaving about 1 april and route was roughly Germany-turkey-Georgien-Kashakstan-Pamir Highway- up in to Russia and the Baltics.

They hat all weather from snow to 40 degrees, trip was 3 months April to June.

Very nice movies and done on a Honda NC750X fully loaded. The bike had some problems with snow and clay, but see for you self.

Per

Still following the thread . :thumbup1:
Hopefully we will take the "south way" on the beginning around may and back the "north" one in order to avoid rain ajnd snow in the balkans , and the hottest period in Turkey.
But of course we will have hotter periods on this ride

Thanks for the continued information guys, that really Helpful :)

Ex-xt , when are you planning on doing your trip?

hI
i assume it will take place around may to july.
After the weather will be to hot and before too much snow
So a real 4 seasons suit will not be necessary :D

Interestingly it sounds like you're planning the exact opposite route that I'll be doing next year, also starting on 1 May. Heading across northern Europe into Ukraine, then Russia and the Trans-Siberian Highway arriving Mongolia at the start of July. From there along the Silk Road through KZ, KG, TJ and UZ during July and August. Although it's going to be pretty hot on the plains, if you want to do the mountain passes you pretty much have to ride through the summer, because many of them are only open in summer. Coming back via the Caspian Sea ferry, AZ, GA and Turkey returning to UK around October.

Open to offers of drinking/riding buddies by the way.

www.facebook.com/motosunburn

any way i good
 

HI
IN fact i am using as basis my firs ride to Bulgaria, the Igor's story on adv rider ( 25000 k on kebab road) , by the way i had met him last month : quite a rider can tell you bier.
We will be on passes in time I assume , around end of june .
your own ride seem longer also . how many k ? and days ? :scooter:

Hi, yes looks like we are doing a very similar route but in opposite directions.

What is your reason for doing it that way round?, i'm just wundering if there are any advantages to doing it that way ?

Safe Travels, I will hopefully meet up with you on the road!

I am planning the same route at the same time. My bike is in Bulgaria now. message me if you want to team up.

It's pretty much dictated by the short riding season over the Pamirs and other high ground in the region. I have no desire to be wading through snowfalls! Then you have the long ride through Siberia, I reckon that's about a month on its own and I'd rather not be doing that in Autumn. On my route I'd be coming up through Turkey in September so hopefully by the end of the month it would just be a short hop up through northern Europe in deteriorating weather.

Hi
almost the same consideration :
1) south road in may to avoid raining in balkans and hotter times in Turkey
2) try to arrive in the upper parts around end of lay/june
3) wayback through Russia : kazkstan to Georgia like Igor,Nora , everybody :mchappy:)
3) ferry to Bulgaria .
4) depending of the weather but we both know these places : many options .
AND
NO riding if it rains except reeal necessity
ENough time to wait for better weather, ferries and so
Both hikers and used to bivouacs if needed

I am interested in doing a similar ride in 2021, but was thinking of going through Iran (depending on escalating tensions!). How come you're not thinking of that route?

Also, i'd want to go to Mongolia, does anyone know how the Russian visas would work as you need to pop in for a few days from Kazakh to Mongolia, then ride back through Russia for a longer period. Can UK citizen get mutil-trip visa? Or a transit visa one way, normal visa on the way back?

Cheers!

Personally I'm not considering Iran but the main reason is it's the only country on my expected route where a carnet is necessary, and on a new bike that's an awful lot of money to deposit. They also have all these daft rules about guides for certain nationalities. Hopefully they will mellow a bit in future.

If you are planing to go to Mongolia you will need a double (or multi) entry Russian visa (assuming you're not planning to exit to China). I'm going to get a double entry 90 day business visa from RealRussia, the process takes about a month but they handle it all. For Mongolia you can apply for a visa in Irkutsk or Ulan-Ude, there is a validity window when you must enter so there's no point getting it a long time in advance. Other countries on my route are either visa free or evisas that I can get on the road.

Read all about it on Caravanistan.

Thanks TomKat and EX-XT

The more i'm reading it does sound like switching to your planned routes and heading through Russia First will be the best option.

Thank you for your advice.

thank you mate beer; anyway you will have to check the conditions during the ride : this is only a general matter .
And, of course, plan also alternative routes. :helpsmilie:
Surely some of us will meet somewhere .
давай

Hi Dan

out of curiosity did you come to a final conclusion?

I also had initially plan to do the same route over to Asia... the Carnet even though a deposit was also pricey.. and i am now debating also another option for the time being..
cheers

Dan

HI Dan
My final plan is to head out Russia first to Ulanbator then head back via the stans and europe, still leaving about the 1st of May.

This is mainly based on weather trying to get the best where I can.

Hope this helps, if I can answer any other question fire away.
Dan