Posted by: Vespa
Re: Berlin-Hanoi 2008: Bike Expedition&Culture Project - 04/21/09 05:52 PM
hello,
About visas..
Waiting around in capital cities is expensive, not very interesting and frustrating. Better to arrange it all before you leave home and then you can concentrate on cycling when and where you want to. Start this at least three months before you leave.
The one advantage to getting visas as you go is that it does allow a bit more flexibility. All Central Asian visas have fixed entry dates so if you arrange everything from home and then decide you want to move on to the next country earlier or later it might not be possible.
You can’t a visa at any land borders in Central Asia. A few airports may give visas on arrival but check before you go. Regulations are constantly changing. Rules on extensions vary. They’re impossible to get in Turkmenistan or Uzbekistan...
Getting a tourist visa for Turkmenistan is out of the question unless you want to pay for a guide and even then a restricted number of applications are approved each year. The good news is that obtaining a transit visa is relatively easy. It does make for a rushed trip between the Iranian and Uzbek borders if you only get a 5-day pass but it’s possible with few long days and a little luck with the weather.
If you want to enter from Azerbajan, the transit visa will not give you enough time to cycle all the way across Turkmenistan, especially if the ferry is delayed, which happens frequently. In this case, you’ll have to consider taking public transport for at least part of the journey.Many tourists apply for their Turkmen transit visa in Tehran
About visas..
Waiting around in capital cities is expensive, not very interesting and frustrating. Better to arrange it all before you leave home and then you can concentrate on cycling when and where you want to. Start this at least three months before you leave.
The one advantage to getting visas as you go is that it does allow a bit more flexibility. All Central Asian visas have fixed entry dates so if you arrange everything from home and then decide you want to move on to the next country earlier or later it might not be possible.
You can’t a visa at any land borders in Central Asia. A few airports may give visas on arrival but check before you go. Regulations are constantly changing. Rules on extensions vary. They’re impossible to get in Turkmenistan or Uzbekistan...
Getting a tourist visa for Turkmenistan is out of the question unless you want to pay for a guide and even then a restricted number of applications are approved each year. The good news is that obtaining a transit visa is relatively easy. It does make for a rushed trip between the Iranian and Uzbek borders if you only get a 5-day pass but it’s possible with few long days and a little luck with the weather.
If you want to enter from Azerbajan, the transit visa will not give you enough time to cycle all the way across Turkmenistan, especially if the ferry is delayed, which happens frequently. In this case, you’ll have to consider taking public transport for at least part of the journey.Many tourists apply for their Turkmen transit visa in Tehran