Turkey Eclipse 2006

[Guest Don Madge]

This should have been posted two weeks ago but I had a senior moment, too much sitting in the sun!!!!!!! If you are thinking of making the trip to Turkey view the eclipse on the 29th March the following info will be of use to you. It's an update of the info I posted in 2005. We made it Kusadasi, it was one of the best trips we have had to Turkey, it went like clockwork and the weather was very kind to us. We are going to sit back and relax for a bit and hopefully soak up the sunshine. Prices have risen since we were here two years ago, the camp site fees have risen by 60%. We used the Agoudimos Lines www.agoudimos-lines.com/routeEN_01.asp day crossing from Brindisi to Igoumenitsa, although Camping on Board does not operate in the winter (starts 1 April) we were able to have use of the van as it was parked on the camper deck and hooked up to the mains. The crew asked if we wanted electricity and then just connected us. We had a shower on board (ask at reception), not the best we've ever had but the water was hot. The ship is almost empty a few trucks, a couple of vans/cars and just one other motorhome a Brit (Barry & Margaret Williamson www.magbaztravels.com We met them on Tuesday night on the service area where we stayed the night. I only had a e mail from them the previous week saying they were going to Greece, it was amazing just meeting up like that. They did not know about the eclipse so they might meet up with us at Kas. The police would not let us stay the night on Brindisi harbour as the place is shut up tight at 23.30 hrs. We stayed just outside the gate with Barry & Margaret and about six trucks, it was very quiet. We bought the ferry tickets at 0800hrs it cost Euro 136 for up to 7 metres. It was Euro 23 each, Euro 60 for the van and Euro 30 for port charges. When you arrive in Brindisi follow the signs for "Costa Morena" don't follow any other signs or you will get lost, the signs are hard to pick out at times especially if it's dark. Egnatia Odos. That's the name of the motorway that's under construction and runs from Igoumenitsa in the west to the Turkish border post at Kipoi near Ipsala in the east. There are stretches still to open but the parts that are open include the Igoumenitsa, Thessaloniki, Kavala and Alexandroupoli bye passes. The stretch from the end of the Igoumenitsa bypass to Ioannina is particular slow if you get stuck behind trucks. A very pleasant non motorway stretch is the 200 km drive from Ioannina to Siatista via Konitsa. The road is reasonable and the scenery is very good. We only saw one set of toll booths and they were closed. That's the good news, the bad news is there are no service or parking areas on the motorway at present. When the motorway is completed one will have to leave the motorway for breaks and to refuel. Turkish Border. There's been some changes at the Turkish border post since we were last there two years ago. The first kiosk you come to just present your passports. Then drive into the main complex and in front of you you will see about four or five lanes with the first kiosk marked "passports". Don't go down the lane until you have got your visa from the main building on the left. On entering the building look for the sign "Visa". The visa now costs Euro 10 not £10 as in the past. Take your passports to the passport control kiosk then drive to the other end of the lane which is the customs kiosk. Here they will need your registration document, green card and drivers passport. There is now no charge for the vehicle visa. Once you have finished there you drive out of the main complex and present all your documents to the last kiosk, then your free to go. On entering the main complex we usually park on the left in front of the market/currency exchange building which also has a ATM at the currency exchange counter. We completed all the procedures in about 15 minutes, the Turks have really got there act together, we can only assume they are trying to pull themselves into line with the EU. On leaving Greece you will find the Greeks less than helpful. When you arrive at the Greek police post you will have to take your passports to the window to be checked. They would not raise the barrier for us we had to drive around it. The next port of call is the customs post, don't just drive past but wait until the custom officer appears and waves you through. It took us nearly as long to get out of Greece as it did to get into Turkey. Once you got clear of the customs post there is a filling station on the right selling duty free diesel at 66 cents a litre and we had just filled up in Alexandroupoli for 90 cents we were not amused. Diesel in Turkey is TL2.02 per litre. with TL2.30 to the £ that makes it on a par with the fuel in the UK. LPG (at £0.62 per litre) is plentiful in Turkey but very hard to come by in Greece. Safe travelling. Don