Long story but this time we want to use rail travel!
Does anybody know the best way and the cost from London please?
Much appreciated. Thankyou. :-S

This trip would take ages!
Note that the train from Thessaloniki-Greece to Istanbul(if you go by car it is 5-6 hours driving) takes,in the best case, 12 hours. It took me 14 hours last time :-S

!

T

Oww.. I also had a lot of turbulence once.. and I already was dead-scared of planes! But I keep forcing myself to get in there.. basically because I so desperately want to meet my friends in Turkey again.. but if I could choose I would never every go on a plane again

If you think about driving after you passed your test (EEEEKKKKK!) you will need to make sure that a new driver is OK to drive through all the countries you would need to pass through and there might be age limits for foriegn drivers too (so know idea how old you are so no offence ment!) Good luck!

Try international train journeys from France ok

I tried to look up rail passes through different countries, but its very confusing! Also its expensive, il look at the french site though thanks!

hi there, i'd sill choose plane. it takes enough time to get to some other city than izmir or istanbul. so imagine going my train-how much time it'll take (or by car) AND turkish traffic, have you seen?!

I was talking to someone the other day whose friend decided to drive from the UK to the Istanbul Grand Prix last year. It took him two solid days of driving from 06:00 til midnight both days. He was relentlessly stopped in Bulgaria for some very stupid "traffic Offences" but you are aloud to drive as fast as you like! I have driven in several Europeaa countries, including Italy (and that is mad!) but the Turkish driving is much madder and even with 30 odd years unblemished driving behind me I would not like to attempt it - but then life is there to be challenged! Agree, flying is much quicker!

Driving in Turkey is not so bad. I have driven along the Aegean coastline (from the greek borders to kusadasi without a stop)and I had no problem at all.

My only fear was to drive IN Istanbul. I had been several times there and I can assure you, being in a taxi was a real nightmare.

Last month I was feeling brave enough to go to Istanbul by my car. Well, it was hard to drive in the city centre but not as much as i was expecting it to be. After all, I m here, alive, which means I made it. But after surviving Istanbul's streets, I feel I can drive anywhere

My friend is Italian and he says that it sounds similiar!

Might have to resort to this after all!

The huge problem for me as a UK driver in Turkey is just being on the wrong side of the road. I have driven in other European places before and its pretty nerve wracking, but when I drove in turkey, I also drove a car with the controls on the left - off ya...nightmare all of it. I will have to get used to it somehow.

When I go to live in Turkey next year, we have decided to go by car, but we will get a ferry as far as we can in France then drive to Brindisi in Italy and get a ferry to Çeşme/Izmir. It LOOKS pretty easy you can say to yourself. 'Oh, its simple, we will just drive right across France, into Italy, down to Brindisi and get a ferry!' . Never mind that France is enormous and you have to cross several mountain ranges before you get to Brindisi! I am scared already!

Anyway....

Thanks for the encouragement. I guessed the roads were good. I have driven in France quite a bit and its not too bad, providing you avoid all big towns. Whatever others have said about Rome and Istanbul, let me add Paris to the list. The roundabout at the Arc d'Triomphe has eight lanes, no one has right of way (or if they do it is not apparent) and I am told that all insurances are VOID on this roundabout because there are so many accidents

Susie, the comfort breaks are part of the adventure as well as a necessity. It will be like a holiday in itself. And yes, the baggage will be the big bonus, because I'm off for good, so I will have lots of clothes, accessories, jewellery,cosmetics, photographs, beloved keepsakes...

I hope you passed your driving test, but if you didn't then there is always next time 'Inşallah'

Kızım if I can visit you I will...promise.

Yes.. I have 30 kilograms of luggage there now, and I'll add another 30 kilograms in about 6 weeks.. but no way I can take all my stuff..

Another reason you should go via Holland Drop by at my house and take my stuff Ohh now that is too selfish Sorry


I know you will.. I will just say it sooo often that you would start to feel guilty for not coming hehe