We just returned home after a hard week on the roads of Turkey
The purpose of the trip was to explore the possibilities of organizing a Greece-Turkey motorcycle tour…

As in any trip we had good and bad moments, and although in total it was an interesting experience, we think that making an organized tour has to wait a few years…

Here is a summary of the trip

Day 1 – Thessaloniki to Istanbul

It was not the 600km from Thessaloniki that made the day hard – It was the chaos we encountered inside Istanbul: I am used to dense traffic and careless drivers from Greece, but this was too much: For the first time I show the GS’s temperature bar to almost reach the top end and the smell of clutch covered that of the countless Kebabs and Kofte

Day 2 – Istanbul

Istanbul is great for a break, with unique monuments and crowded streets. We spent the day exploring Sultanahmet and Grand Bazaar areas, visiting Hagia Sophia, Capali Carsi, the Spice market and mixing with the locals. We tried Kofte and Kebab, Ayran and of course Efes beer…

Day 3 – Istanbul to Beypazari, Ankara

There is an excellent ferry network around Istanbul, and we took advantage of it, to get to Yalova. It is easy to book from internet, and you can use the automatic printers at the port entrance to pick your tickets!. The ferry was spotless clean, and we enjoyed coffee and breakfast sailing across Bosporus
The major problems riding in Turkey are roads and traffic. And we found out the hard way…The roads can be in any part of it’s construction process, and even when finished, they are dangerously slippery and full of potholes…The drivers really do not care about road rules and they do not understand how motorcycles move.

With great care we continued up to Beypazari, where we had a nasty experience with the “traditional” hotel which was not at all like the photos we show on internet and we mixed with the locals for a traditional “iftar” dinner

Day 4 – Beypazari to Urgup, Kappadocia

We left very early in the morning to avoid the noon heat but the works on the road delayed us once again. We used the ring-road of Anakara (which is by the way superb) and we stopped for a cup of coffee and an omelette at a very friendly truck stop
The rest of the morning we drove south, on a big but badly services roads, passing the Tuz Gol (Salt Lake) and overtaking hundreds of overloaded trucks, stopping for a refreshing Ayran

At Aksaray we turned east, for the last kilometres to Kappadocia, where the roads are much better. You only see the landscape of Cappadokia when you pass Nevsehir towards Goreme and Urgup, and it is really exciting…
As we arrived early, we settled at the hotel, refreshed at the pool and headed out for photos…We visited the Red Valley and walked the path down to the little church, before we climb up again to see the sunset…

Thanasis

I love to ride and I love to explore the small villages, hidden attractions and forgotten roads of mainland Greece. I will be more than happy to share my knowledge and show you all these magnificent places!

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