Driving to Turkey

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
21

Ben9:
I’ve just done 2 trips to Istanbul and back this month in a van. We tell the customer 4 days from the UK to Kapicule (border).
I go from the train, to Brussels,Liege,Aachen,Koln,Frankfurt,Nurnburg,Passau,Linz,Vienna,Budapest,Szeged,Nadilac,Arad,Deva,Sibiu,Pitesti, Bucharest,Giurgiu,Ruse,Veliko Turnovo,Stalingrad,Kapicule.

You could shave 4 1\2 hours off that route by going Brussels,Liege,Aachen,Koln,Frankfurt,Nurnburg,Passau,Linz,Vienna,Budapest,Szeged,Nadilac,Arad,Deva,Sibiu,Pitesti, Zimnicea, (Ferryboat 5 euros) Svishtov,Veliko Turnovo,Stalingrad,Kapicule.

You could also pop in for a cuppa Lol we are only 14km away from Svishtov

The Ferry Runs on the half hour from Zimnicea and on the hour from Svishtov , turn left out of ferry terminal up the hill and follow road round to right for 1 1\2 mile then follow signs for Veliko it brings you out near to Gorna Oryahovitsa on the Ruse - VT road

22

limeyphil:
france, belgium, luxembourg, germany, austria, hungary, serbia.
don’t bother with romania, the roads are crap.

Roads in Romania are not to bad now, there was a major investment last year with the EU funding it, I came here in the March and the roads were bad, but going back in the June saw major improvements, and going by what other Expats are saying this year was better again, with roads being much better, it’s just the number of trucks using them that slows you down.

23

Ben9…yes i did the calafat route…but seeing as i missed the last one, stayed in the hotel next to the port ( 25 euros ) for 2 of us. I did notice that they are building a new bridge just a bit down river…so the ol bucket will be no more very shortly.
As Gs has said the route vian Ancona is very scenic, and the 18 hrs on the ferry to Igoumenitsa was fantastic…with a special deck for motorhomes/campers, with a leccy hook up. Theres a swimming pool on board too, and off the ferry the scenery is breathtaking over the mountains, a bit hairy in places, but a fantastic route, and one i would enjoy doing again.

24

Betz:
Many of Turk trucks drivers told me, from England to Turkey take about 5 days driving

Variety of routes

GB - F - B - D -A -SLO - HR - SRB - BG - TR - popular route for Turkish drivers

GB - F - B - D -A - H - RO - BG - TR

GB - F - B - D - CZ - SK - H - RO - BG - TR ( popular route for Iranian drivers) they used be busy route but now no more for them too costly due new Czech & Slovakian motorway vignettes & mauts!

GB - F - B -L - F - CH - I - Ancona catch the ferry to Greece then drive to Turkey

GB - F - I - Ancona / Bari Ferry to Greece then drive to Turkey

GB-B-D-A-I-Triest.put Vehicle on Boot,get carried to Lubliana and flown to Istanbul,stay 3 Day in hotel,then carried by Bus to Haven to collect Vehicle

25

truckyboy:
Ben9…yes i did the calafat route…but seeing as i missed the last one, stayed in the hotel next to the port ( 25 euros ) for 2 of us. I did notice that they are building a new bridge just a bit down river…so the ol bucket will be no more very shortly.
As Gs has said the route vian Ancona is very scenic, and the 18 hrs on the ferry to Igoumenitsa was fantastic…with a special deck for motorhomes/campers, with a leccy hook up. Theres a swimming pool on board too, and off the ferry the scenery is breathtaking over the mountains, a bit hairy in places, but a fantastic route, and one i would enjoy doing again.

Hiya …i can 2nd what truckyboy said about the ferry a pal of mine drove down to the olympic games and told me
how fantastic the ferry was, you still live in your motorhome and get hook ups and just view the sceenery.
John

26

I’m just looking for an update from anyone who has done this more recently than 2011. Are the recommended routes still as above? I spend each August near Çanakkale. With the cost of car hire for a month having almost doubled recently, plus airfares plus airlines changing connecting flight times willy-nilly, I’m thinking of driving next year. Thanks in advance for any tips.