Visa requirements constantly change, usually to the advantage of the traveller so the below info is only as relevant as June of 2018.
Kazakhstan: Visa free travel Kyrgyzstan: Visa free travel Tajikistan: 45 Day Electronic visas are available at https://www.evisa.tj/index.evisa.html and the application only takes 10-15 minutes to complete. The cost is $50 USD, and an additional $25 if you plan on visiting the GBAO area which encompasses most of the pamir highway, the area east of Khorog. A document upload is part of the application and once paid by credit card a confirmation email will be sent. It took about two days to get the approved visa emailed. A hard copy makes things easier when visiting the GBAO as it is checked at the many checkpoints unless you prefer to hand over your phone each time. Note: If visiting Afghanistan one can obtain another single entry e-visa to avoid the multiple entry visa that has to be mailed to the embassy. The cost is the same amount again, just update the entry dates. Total Cost: $50-$75 USD per entry Afghanistan: We applied for the 30 Day visa in Khorog, Tajikistan which was an easy and quick process. The consulate is only open Monday-Friday from 9-12 in the morning. We filled out the application form, provided a photo and wrote a letter stating we take full responsibility for our safety while traveling in Afghanistan. The cost was $150 USD per person and the consulate had the visa ready in less than one hour. We visited Afghanistan the same day. Total Cost: $150 USD - Exact Cash Only Uzbekistan: Since there was no Embassy in Canada we had to mail the application form, photo, passports and bank draft (no other payment option) to the embassy in Washington. The application form can be filled out at http://evisa.mfa.uz/evisa_en/ but does ask for an address and places one plans to visit. It can be printed and then mailed in. The bank draft has to be in USD for $60 per person. It has to be mailed by Fedex or UPS and has to include a prepaid return envelope. The turn around time was one week from the time we mailed it and got it back so it’s fairly quick. The big cost is the mailing to and back which added up to ~$150 Canadian Dollars. Total Cost: $60 USD for visa + draft cost (~7.50 CND) + mailing cost (~150 CND) Note: Starting July Uzbekistan introduced a 30 Day Electronic visa as well, but we have not met anyone who had successfully gone through this process during our travels. Information is here: https://e-visa.gov.uz/main and the cost is $20 USD considerably less than what we had to pay. To find out more about eligibility for other nationalities beside Canadians check out this useful website: https://www.uzbekistanvisa.org Turkmenistan: The visa is issued on arrival at the border, in our case at Ashgabat airport. However, a letter of invitation (LOI) is needed to even get on a flight to Turkmenistan plus an organized tour needs to be booked (exception are transit visas). To get the LOI we had to complete a basic application form, scan a photo, copy of our passports and email it to the travel agency that we used for the organized tour. The cost was included in the tour price. The turn around time was almost exactly three weeks to get the LOI emailed back. We printed the letter and it was checked before boarding the plane and is needed to actually get the visa when arriving. The visa on arrival can be paid by credit card (no additional fees) or US Cash and the whole process took about 20 minutes. Go to the visa queue, provide passport and letter, pay at the bank and return with receipt to collect visa. Total Cost: $85 USD + $14 USD (migration fee) = $99 USD per person Happy Travels!
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Countries: Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia & Philippines
Duration: 6-10 weeks Say goodbye to Bangkok and hop on the overnight train to Surat Thani, then connect to a ferry that takes you to Ko Phagnan, an island off the coast. If your timing is right, join the crazy Full Moon Party, if not, there is an occasion to party anyways. To recover, hop to the next island Ko Samui, and lay in the sand on Lamai Beach until your satisfied with your tan. Get a boat-bus ticket to Krabi, the jumping off point for the many islands nearby. Sign up for an island hop tour and check out as many islands as you can, with the many other tourists. Take a minibus to Penang, Malaysia to experience the melting pot of different cultures, architecture and cuisine. The island is best seen by scooter, so rent one and drive around the crazy traffic. Once done in Penang, head for the Cameron Highlands, for a break from the heat. The area offers many jungle treks and must see stops include a strawberry farm, honey bee farm and tea plantation. After a relaxing few days in the Highlands, take the bus to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. Wander through the markets in China Town, stop in Little India for dinner and gaze at the Petronas Towers. Hop over to Malaysian Borneo-Sarawak to really get out. Base yourself out of Miri, an oil rich town on the coast. Fly into Mulu National Park to experience the jungle at its finest and join some activities such as caving or the canopy walk. Once done fly back to Miri and continue on to Brunei Darussalam. Walk around the small city center in Bandar Seri Begawan, don't forget to stop at the mosque and the floating water village. Fly to Singapore and spend a full day exploring the modern city. Don't forget to check out the fountain light show at night near Marina Bay. Take a train back to KL and spend the afternoon admiring the Petronas Towers. Once finished in KL, fly across to Medan, Indonesian Sumatra. Don't linger around for long, but instead head to Bukit Lawang near the jungle. Spend some time in the forest trekking and look out for the Orangutans. Afterwards head to Berastagi, climb up a volcano, if it's not currently erupting, but don't stay long in this bustling city. The last stop on Sumatra is Lake Toba, find a lakeside room and enjoy the tranquil island town Tuk-Tuk for a few days. Start the long drive back to Medan and hop on a flight to Bali. Once there, try to find a quiet place in Kuta and take in the beach atmosphere. Use Bali as a base to explore other islands, starting with Flores, gateway to Komodo National Park. Organize a day trip to the Park on Rinca Island and check out the cool Komdo Dragons, snorkel one of the many reefs on the way back to Labuan Bajo. The next day walk to a beach near town and enjoy the sand to yourself. Once done here, fly back through Bali to Lombok Island. Head straight to Sengiggi for the beach and good food. From here make your way to Gili Air and live the island dream. Enjoy the trafficless island as long as possible and don't forget to snorkel with the sea turtles. When done here, head to Kuta, Lombok for friendly locals and share the beach with goats. Last stop in Indonesia is Ubud back on Bali. Find a nice guesthouse with a pool, watch a traditional dance and rent a scooter to drive around the area, stopping at the multitiered rice terraces. Take a flight to Manila in the Philippines and spend a day walking through Intramuros, stopping at St. Agustin church and nearby Park Rizal. Either hop on an overnight bus or a short flight to Legazpi in Southern Luzon to admire the perfect cone shaped volcano Mt. Mayon, before driving to Donsol on the beach. The main draw here are the whale sharks, so sign up for a tour and snorkel with these gentle giants. The remainder of the time, just lay in the black sand and enjoy the quiet atmosphere as this is your last stop! Enjoy! Countries: Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos & Myanmar
Duration: 3-5 Weeks Start off in the bustling and modern city of Bangkok. Spend a day exploring the Royal Palace and the nearby temples Wat Pho and Wat Arun, combining the visit with a boat ride up and down the river. At night check out a shopping center or market. Once done in Bangkok, hop on the direct day bus to Siem Reap in Cambodia (750 Baht, Visa $30). After a long bus ride refresh yourself with a 50 cent draft at the famous Pub Street. The next day walk around the city, bargain at the market and get a massage. For sunset, head to Angkor Wat (around 4.30pm) to get your Day Pass ($20). Enjoy the temple as the sun casts its last rays on the tall standing towers. Dine in style at any of the restaurants surrounding Pub Street. The following day is dedicated entirely to the Angkor Sites. Hire a Tuk-Tuk driver for the day ($15) and head around the small or grand circle, taking in many sites including Banteay Kdei, Ta Prohm and Angkor Thom. If you still have the energy to stay for sunset, hike up Phnom Bakheng for a distant view of Angkor Wat. Start your journey through Cambodia the next day, by taking a bus ride to the Capital Phnom Penh ($6, 8.5 hours), while waiting for your Vietnam Visa ($60-$70) spend a morning admiring the Royal Palace. Stop at the nearby Freedom Monument and then take a Tuk-Tuk to the Russian Market to haggle for some good deals on clothes and souvenirs. Instead of taking a bus to Vietnam, why not enjoy the views of the Mekong River from a boat. Cruise down from Phnom Penh to Chau Doc and connect to a bus for Can Tho (Both for $40, 12 hours), a city in the Mekong Delta. Wake up early to see the biggest floating market in the Delta - Cai Rang and then catch a bus to Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon ($6.50, 4 hours). Spend the night in this bustling city and walk the main sights the next day, which include the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame and the Old Post Office. Once the smog gets to you, escape to the airport for a short haul flight to Hue, away from the bustle and noise. Hue being a world heritage site, has enough to offer to keep one busy for a day. Walk the grounds of the Citadel and take a ride down to any of the Royal Tombs. Set a day aside to explore sights around Hue. Any hotel or travel agency can organize a full day tour around the former DMZ. Highlights include the Khe Sanh American Combat Base, the former border crossing the river and the Vinh Moc Tunnels. Leave the next day for Hoi An, a small city south of Hue. Walk the old city, look or buy some tailored clothes and if time permits visit the nearby Hindu ruins of My Son. Once done, catch a flight or overnight train to the capital Hanoi and visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the Hoa Lo Prison. Stop at any coffee shop for Weasel Coffee or try a Ginger Tea at a tea shop. Organize a 1-3 Day tour to the Halong Bay Area to admire the many karst limestone formations. If staying more than one night, venture further out to Cat Ba Island and the more secluded Lan Ha Bay. Overnight on Cat Ba or any of the private islands nearby. Say Goodbye to Vietnam and return to Bangkok to reenergize. Organize the overnight train to Ubon ($25, 11 hours) and while near the station stop at the Wat Traimit Temple to admire the biggest solid-gold Buddha image. Take the train to Ubon Ratchathani and connect to the Thai-Lao Bus to Pakse in Laos. Hop on a local truck to head south to the 4000 Island region. Pick any of the islands such as Don Det, Don Khong or Don Khon to base yourself out of. Organize a full day kayak trip around the area ($25), and with some luck you will spot the rare Irrawaddy Dolphins. Enjoy the sunset at any of the river restaurants, while sipping on a Beerlao. Make the long day & overnight journey back to Bangkok and arrive in time for the Myanmar embassy to open. Queue up for the visa, and depending on time, pick it up the same day, or days later. If waiting for the visa, why not get out of busy Bangkok and take the three hour minibus to Kanchanaburi ($4, 3 hours), a quiet city with some WWII history. Walk to the Death Railway Bridge and learn the historic facts. Stop at the cemetery of the POW's as well. Return to Bangkok the following day to pick up the Visa for Myanmar. Once you arrive in Yangon, head for the golden Shwedagon Pagoda, a must see spot in Myanmar. Take a bumpy night train to Mandalay ($14, 16 hours) and stretch your legs with a barefoot walk up Mandalay Hill for spectacular views of the bustling city. Once done in this area, continue to Bagan by bus ($9, 5 hours) and don't forget to pick up the archaeological pass ($20, 5 Day Validity). Wander around town, but save the energy for the next day. Rent an E-Bike for the day and cruise around the temple-studded plains of Bagan, stopping at any of the temples for great views. Don't miss Pyathada Paya for amazing sunset views, but beware you won't be alone. When your templed out, catch the train back to Yangon ($16, 19 hours) and catch a flight back to Bangkok to finish up the Northern Loop. For anyone who is wondering what might be in my backpacks, here is a detailed list! It sure sounds like a lot, but it's not too bad.
Total weight: 15kg Hiking Boots Extra Laces Hiking Sandals Flip-Flops Backpack with Canada Patch! Daypack with Canada Patch! Camelback Raincover Cocoon Liner, Travel Pillow (Blow Up), Pillow Case Travel Kitchen: Collapsible Bowl, Cup, Multi-Tool (Spoon, Fork, Knife etc.), Swiss Army Knife, Salt & Pepper Shaker, Collapsible Water Bottle, Tea, Candies, Sugar, Instant Coffee Miscellaneous: Playing Cards, Compass, Binoculars, Earplugs, Eye Flap, Headphones, Sewing Kit, Small Scissors, Water Purification Tablets, Zip Ties, Canada Souvenirs (Pencils, Pins, Quarters), Canada Flag, Sharpie, Highlighter, Pen, Sunglasses, Extra Lenses, Zip Lock Bags, Lighter, Matches, Elastic Bands, String, Carbines, Extra Straps, Guidebooks, Duck Tape, Superglue, Paperclips, Safety Pins, Umbrella Bathroom Bag: Paper Shampoo & Soap, Shampoo, Bar Soap, Toothpaste, Toothbrush with Cover, Floss, Mouthwash, Q-Tips, Lotion, Razor (2), Razor Blades, Shaving Gel, Hand Sanitizer Spray & Gel, Deodorant, Cologne, Nail Clippers (2), Tweezers, Chapstick, TP, Washing Detergent, Sunscreen Towel Tablets, Quick Dry Towel, Cooling Towel Money Belt, Zip-Up Wallet, Hidden Wallet, RFID Wallet, Ankle Wallet, Steel Wire for Lock, Combination Lock, Key Lock Documents: File Folder, Passport, Copies of Passport, Copy of Travel Insurance, Envelopes, Dive Log, Dive Table, Notepad, Immunization Card, Yellow Fever Card, Emergency Cash, Aeroplan Card, VISA, AMEX, MasterCard, VISA Debit Card, ISIC Card, HI Card, Drivers License, Student ID Card, U.S. Cash, Local Currency, Visa Photos (4) Med Kit: Malaria Pills, Bug Spray (3), Antibiotics, Gastrolyte Powder, First Aid Kit, Advil, Immodium, Gravol, Throat Lozenge, Tums, Cold Medicine, Zantac, Everything else :) Electronics: Travel Adapter, USB Adapter, Camera, Iphone, Hair Clippers, Rechargeable USB Spare Battery, Headlamp, Flashlights (3), Collapsible Lamp, External Hard Drive, Spare SD Cards (4), USB Sticks (2), SIM Cards, Cheap Phone, Chargers, Camera Case, Mini Tripod, Floatable Camera Strap, Extra Batteries (AA & AAA) Clothes: Convertible Trekking Pants (2), Underarmor, T-Shirts (6), Underwear (8), Hiking Socks Light (3) & Wool (2), Fleece, Wife Beaters (2), Long Johns, Rain Jacket, Poncho, Light Sweater, Light Gloves, Thick Mitts, Toque, Hat, Swimming Trunks, Shorts, Packing Cube Since we arrived to Croatia, we have been using a combination of cash and credit cards depending if accepted or not, to pay for certain things, so I prepared a quick guide by country, that might be useful to some.
Croatia: Major credit cards (Visa & MC) were accepted at grocery stores and big restaurants (not Amex). No minimum purchase was necessary and no extra fees were added. For the rest we took out cash (in local currency: Kuna) at ATM's that do not charge an extra fee. Bosnia & Hercegovina: Same as Croatia, cards were accepted at grocery stores with no min or fees. The euro was also widely accepted at souvenir shops etc. but not at snack stands (at a rate of 1 euro = 2 marka). We didn't take out any cash since we could get by with Euros mostly at a better rate than on XE at the time (http://www.xe.com). Even at the hostel we exchanged some euros at the actual XE rate so better than taking out money and paying 2.5% conversion fee + International ATM fee. Some restaurants took Euros slightly below the daily exchange rate but not at a 2.5% loss. Overall this worked for us since we were only there for a few days. Montenegro: All three cards were good here including Amex at grocery stores & no fees. It was the only place were Amex was also accepted. For the rest, Montenegro has Euros luckily. Also we found some ATM's in Montenegro that only have a small maximum, it's ATM depended (and of course it also depends on the personal maximum bank withdrawal available). Since we needed Euros for a while it was worth searching for an ATM with the biggest maximum withdrawal option. Kosovo: Also has Euros which is great. (Both countries aren't EU members yet but use the currency). Restaurants and bigger stores all accepted Visa and M/C, no fees. Macedonia: Euros are not really accepted so we took out cash at an ATM with no fees. Stores and restaurants take cards. Furthermore domestic long distance bus tickets can be bought with cards (in Skopje), nowhere else in the Balkans "so far" was this an option. It's too bad since we had a lot of expenses in this category but always had to pay with cash. In all the above countries, hostels did not accept cards just cash (even though hostelworld stated the contrary). Air BnB can be paid in full with all cards. Albania: Cards are good at bigger grocery stores, but not at small ones such as in towns. It was very difficult finding an ATM that would give us cash. Tried 8 or so. Most did support the Visa plus or Maestro, but would not spit out the money. Exchange office did give a great rate for our Macedonian currency, almost XE rate and no commission. Definitely a cash country. Greece: Cards were good at the bigger supermarket but not common for some reason, it seems people prefer cash. We used cash for the buses and trains. Bulgaria: Cards worked for bus tickets and at grocery stores (except for Amex). Cash needed for snack stands. Hostel didn't take cards unfortunately. Serbia: Surprisingly credit cards (M/C, Amex & Visa) were widely accepted including at the bus station, grocery stores, restaurants and even at a souvenir store. Furthermore this was the "first" time in the Balkans, a hostel accepted credit cards. Cash needed for markets and smaller eateries. Exchange rates best at exchange offices (almost XE rate), helps to shop around. Romania: Credit cards good for trains, and at most stores (Amex also works at some grocery stores). Exchange offices give good rates as well. Even some hostels took cards which was great. We managed to get by with just little cash for city buses, souvenirs and some smaller restaurants. Moldova: Visa was surprisingly widely accepted at restaurants, grocery stores and at the train station. No extra fees, ATM gave a maximum of 5000 lei ($400). Transnistria: Cash only, currency is not on the XE anyways. But they do have their own, the ruble. Conversion rates at booths are at 2.5% loss (same as credit cards). Ukraine: Cards everywhere, except for Amex. Hostels, restaurants, shops all take Visa and M/C at no additional fee. Exchange rates at booths were only good for the Euro (0.01% loss), but absolutely terrible for Moldovan Lei. Other useful links: Balkanviator (http://www.balkanviator.com) To search for buses in the Balkans. It is extensive and shows most buses, however some are not running anymore or at different times so it's best to check at the stations. Good website nonetheless since it's in English and it does show most buses. Over the last few months we had brainstormed and looked up different routes that would lead us out of Europe. Some were more realistic and doable than others, so we noted them all down and rated them by likeliness.
Plan A: The plan was to finish up in Greece and head to Istanbul, from there we would catch a flight to the northern Turkish part of Cyrpus. Afterwards we would cross into the southern Greek part of Cyprus and fly from there to Tel Aviv, Israel. There we would visit our friend and check out the highlights before heading north to Nazareth and using the easiest, northern border crossing into Jordan. We would travel north-south through Jordan and then take the ferry across parts of the Red Sea to the Egypt resort coast, before flying to Cairo. Reasons for it: - We have a contact in Tel Aviv. - Able to check out some amazing places and good gateway to Egypt. - Visas are pretty straight forward, most obtainable on arrival and only the Egypt visa would require some organizing before going on the ferry in Jordan. - Cheap flights within Egypt. - Egypt is cheap in general. Reasons against it: - There is conflicting information on the whole Cyprus plan: it seems that it would be deemed entering Cyprus illegally if arriving to the northern Turkish part by air and trying to fly out of the southern Greek part. This was never confirmed anywhere and we would take our chances like many others have probably done. It would make no sense to fly in and out (towards Israel) of the same part, since prices would be very high for one of the flights. - Israel and Jordan aren't the cheapest countries to travel in. - The current situation in Israel including the Tel Aviv bombing attempts and the whole Gaza situation (our friend reassured us it was fine at the time but still a safety reason nonetheless even though not aimed at tourists) were a bit of a turnoff. Conclusion: We decided against this plan for all of the above reasons and would check these places out in a different way somehow or later in our life's. Rating to proceed: 6/10 We didn't book anything just messaged our friend in Tel Aviv a few times to inquire about the situation. We did our research on flights, Visas and spots to check out. Plan B: This was an option that became quite real, pretty quickly. It was more a supplement to plan A and would potentially work with it as well. After talking to a few other travelers about Iran and not having visited it while I was in Azerbaijan last fall, we had another chance. Others had showed us amazing pictures and we had long chats about the best route. The plan would be to take the long train ride from Istanbul to Tehran, do a trip into the Damavand Mountains and head south to Isfahan. Then fly back from there to Istanbul. Reasons for it: - Amazing train ride over two days and very cheap. - Iran itself is very cheap to travel in, including the flight out. - Potentially hike a nice 5000er - There is an Iranian embassy in Istanbul that could issue the visa in a few days once we had our Letter of Invitation (this positive became a big negative and deal breaker after the below reason) Reasons that stopped us: - Visa restrictions had recently changed as of March 2014, Canadians would not be allowed to visit Iran without prior booking of an organized tour. (This used to just apply to Americans in the past) - Some issues were known with paying for the Visa (complicated bank transfer at a high cost). - The tours were too expensive unfortunately, but we wanted to do it independently anyways. Rating to proceed: 8/10 We had already emailed the train agency in Istanbul to get all details on train tickets to Tehran. Furthermore we emailed the Iranian embassy in Istanbul to inquiry on cost and details of obtaining the Visa. We did not get a response from them and found out the hard way after doing some research that we could not get a visa with the LOI (Letter of Invitation) anymore and would need to join a tour - silly politics. Let's hope this will change in the future so that we can check out the country or maybe we should get an EU passport ;) Conclusion: Visa restrictions and having to join an expensive organized tour made us turn down this option. Plan C: This plan was by far the most likely. We would get to Istanbul after Bulgaria and fly to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, the only visa free "Stan" country. Then we would fly to Osh, Kyrgyzstan and do the Pamir highway to Dushanbe in Tajikistan. We would cross into Uzbekistan to check out the highlights and then fly from Tashkent, Uzbekistan to UAE. Reasons for it: - There aren't many direct flights to the Stan's but one is from Istanbul at a reasonable price. (Others from Russia, UAE, other Stan's) - Visa free Kyrgyzstan. - Able to get Tajikistan Visa and GBAO permit in Kyrgyzstan on arrival, prior to heading to the Pamir highway. - Able to get visa for Uzbekistan in Bishkek (provided we received our LOI by then per email). - Decent flight out of the area to UAE. - We are so close to this area geographically, it would be an amazing opportunity. - Perfect timing weather wise. September is the best time to visit before the winter, when roads become impassable on the Pamir and we would need better gear. Reasons against it: - High cost for LOI (Letter of Invitation) for Uzbekistan but otherwise reasonable cost for visas. - Most likely would have to organize a Driver for the Pamir ride since hitchhiking can be very difficult; reports mention wait times between 2 hours to 2 day for a vehicle with space to pass by (pretty easy to find a driver but unsure on price for the long journey.). - Biggest reason: Flights got denied twice! Read below. Rating: 9.5/10 We were basically going. First we tried booking a very cheap flight through Cheapoair, but as soon as we clicked the final booking button, the price jumped by 200 dollars and we called them twice trying to figure it out, with no success. Secondly we booked the flights through Airfasttickets and got the booking confirmation. We were pretty much going! Few hours later a cancellation email came stating something was wrong with my Visa card. Ok, second attempt using Amex, double and triple checking all data is correct and matches; Booking confirmation received, followed by a cancellation email again for the same reasons. We called them, they were useless saying maybe our credit limit wasn't high enough or we entered wrong data - no chance that this was the case. Conclusion: For some reason it just didn't work out for us. It has never happened to us or we are not sure how often it does happen to others that it's declined even after two tries. We were not meant to go and let it go. (Note: John's Dad will be happy, since this is his must see spot and well worth a trip together in the future). Option D: This was a quick idea that was quite reasonable but too pricey. After chatting with a friend who had visited Iraqi Kurdistan (North Iraq) we considered this option from Istanbul. Reasons for it: - Free 15 Day Visa issued on arrival at Erbil international airport. - Safest area in Iraq (considering it's a war zone for the most parts), heavily guarded by Kurdistan security forces against the south of Iraq. - According to our friend, amazing and inviting locals. - Quick ten day route possible in this area. - Direct flight onwards to Cairo, Egypt. - Erbil was voted "Top Ten" place to visit for 2014 in National Geographic and has many visitors (lots to see!) Reasons against it: - Flights were too expensive adding up over $1200 over a short period of time, hard to justify this cost. - It is Iraq after all, even though it's a different part that is fairly safe to visit. - Tensions between southern Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan (boycotting freighter planes to Erbil). - ISIS taking over the Mosul dam near Iraqi Kurdistan at the time. - Some airlines had stopped commercial flights into Erbil at the time (not Turkish airline however). - Expensive place, hotels and drivers to get around would add up quickly. Rating: 7/10 We did our research on the route that is safe to take outside of Erbil, had talked to our friend about it who said nothing but good things. Also her friend had just visited this place two weeks ago so we knew others are still going. Knew about the Visa on arrival and looked up general costs. Conclusion: The high flight costs as well as daily costs while in Iraq were way too high and would be hard on the wallet (even though it would be a unique place to visit). We will get our chance one day, once Iraqi Kurdistan can reach some agreement with the South & Baghdad, and once ISIS moves to Mars. (Note: Ashleigh's parents will be quite happy ;) After spending many, many hours researching and booking flights unsuccessfully we gave up option A, B, C & D and are currently working on option E. We are positive that everything will work out for us some way and we will get to visit another cool spot. Luckily we are flexible in many ways and we are convinced we will have a chance to visit Iran someday once Visa restrictions ease, check out Central Asia (hopefully before it becomes more popular), visit Israel & Jordan and perhaps even see northern Iraq. For now we are working out a different plan! Stay tuned and follow our route to discover the other areas that we will visit going forward. It might already be visible that we are somewhat backtracking, more to come soon... Since none of the plans mentioned in the previous article worked out the way we wanted, we decided to not go to Turkey, after Bulgaria quite yet. Instead we are headed north and are backtracking in a way. The plan is to visit Romania today, check out Transylvania, then head into the famous wine country and Europe's underdog "Moldova", with a possible side trip to the breakaway state of Transnistria (an unrecognized country by UN). We did already book our flight out to Istanbul (from Moldova) for August 25th, since we will then have successfully visited all the Balkan countries. We will not stay in Istanbul for long, a Roundtrip to northern Cyprus has been booked as well (at a very good price). However we will return to Turkey to spend some more time there before flying south to Egypt, our official way out of Europe. Conclusion: This plan, as most will probably agree with, sounds great! We get to see more of Europe, will hopefully manage to visit a unique place like Transnistria, and even get our Cyprus vacation in. Flights were cheap, connections easy and we have our gateway to Africa. (On a side note, there aren't many other directions we could have gone since none of the plans worked out and we have to get out of Europe eventually). Quick Links:
Morocco Trains: ONCF -http://www.oncf.ma/Pages/Accueil.aspx has comfortable second class seats, with some A/C as well as first class seats. Routes can be found on this map:http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rail_network_in_Morocco.svg Morocco Buses: CTM, covers the entire country. Comfortable, A/C, cheaper than trains by a bit.http://www.ctm.ma/index.php/contact Supratours, another bus company in Morocco. Same site as ONCF. Other Tips for Morocco: Many tours such as desert trip or Mount Toubkal guides, can be booked online, however when buying them on the spot prices can be negotiated and should therefore be less :) Even some hostel prices listed on hostelworld can be haggled, so booking ahead might not always be the best way. Portugal Buses: EVA Has youth discounts. http://www.eva-bus.com Ridesharing: Popular routes include Lisbon - Madrid, Madrid - Barcelona.http://www.blablacar.com Air BnB: Great site for house and apartment rentals!https://www.airbnb.com Transportation:
Check out the following sites for some options. Thinking of taking the bus around? Visit http://www.icelandonyourown.is/home/bus-passes/ A pass for the ring road will set you back around $400. It does stop at main sights and attractions (however, some travellers reported that the bus does not go all the way around the ring road in off season eg. April). A good alternative which definitely becomes more affordable, when there are two or more people, is to rent a car. Instead of spending $800 on bus passes for two, a rental car for 10 days (enough time to do the drive around the ring road) will be around $400. Add in $200-300 for gas (at the time a liter was at $2.43 to find out a general figure just use http://www.calculator.net/fuel-cost-calculator.html to get an idea if you know the distance, fuel economy and price of gas). Depending on how much driving you do and the price of gas at the time and it's already cheaper to rent a vehicle. This will give you flexibility and you can stop anywhere for as long (or as quickly) as you want. The Ring road is around 1400km (in 11 days we drove 2400km- lots of side roads will add to this). It's a great alternative to rent a car instead of taking the bus and a comparable option in Iceland. Check out the following sites for cheap car rentals some as low as $38 a day. http://www.economycarrentals.com/Mobile/Defaultm.aspx (compares and finds the cheapest rental company - in our case Sixt car rental) http://sadcars.com The are other ways to get around ride sharing would be a fun way, there are even domestic air passes available, google it :) Need some ideas on what to see or do while driving around Iceland? Go tohttp://www.hostel.is/SampleItineraries/ it has great detailed routes with plenty of stops which are worth checking out and it's laid out so there is enough time to complete them all. We built our itinerary mostly based on the 7 day route from this site and added in extra stops from reading the guide book since we had more time. The Lonely Planet guidebook http://shop.lonelyplanet.com/iceland/iceland-travel-guide-8/ gives you more details on the sights and includes everything you need to know about traveling in Iceland. Some other useful links for a driving trip includehttp://www.vegagerdin.is/english/road-conditions-and-weather/the-entire-country/island1e.html which will accurately show the road conditions. (If it wasn't for checking first we would have attempted to drive on an impassable road resulting in quite the detour!). The weather site http://en.vedur.is (there is also an aurora forecast on the site, it changes often but can determine whether you want to stay up late or not - assuming you come during the winter months) can help to plan out the stops. On rainy days plan on quick and frequent stops to cover more distance, on sunny days spend time hiking instead of driving, if the itinerary allows for it. The weather similar to the northern light forecast changes unexpectedly! Luckily many sights in Iceland are free (some sights along the famous golden circle have a fee - eg. Geyser). No entrance fees to parks or nature sights. However tours such as whale watching, glacier climbing etc. come with a steep price. Ashleigh did a great job to include the names of the sights we stopped at for quick reference and to remember them in case someone asks "what was the name of the highest point in Iceland in that picture?" - oh you mean Hvannadalshnukur! "Yesss that one!" Also don't forget to grab a free map at the airport or at the hostel, even though navigating is easy here - speed limit on the ring road is mostly 90km/h perfect speed to view the surroundings. The average speed however might not be 90km/h, since some road conditions or weather might prevent one from going that speed the whole time. Some detours or side roads to certain sights, which are great and highly recommended, can have some poorly maintained roads and I'm not talking about the kind of gravel roads we privileged Canadians have, where 90km/h is an acceptable and safe speed. It's more like massive potholes and big boulders on the middle of the road. Weather such as thick fog, which we experienced, also slows one down (luckily we only had a few snow showers which did not effect the roads). On the days we were driving, we probably only averaged 200-300 km, more is easily doable if on a tighter schedule. Ride sharing is possible most hostels have sign up sheets where a ride can be offered to the next destination or requested. This might work better during the busy summer times and flexibility is a must. No point in us offering a ride if the only guests at the hostel are called Ashleigh and John! Accommodation: I can't speak to hotels (other than they are not that common), any BnB's or camping, all which are possible here depending on your style. We stayed in hostels specifically in HI hostels (http://www.hostel.is) an annual membership will set you back $20 and will have paid of after your fourth night in Iceland (average saving of $6 per night). The prices do not vary much across the country around $25-$35 a night for a dorm bed or $70+ for a private room, being the cheapest in and around the capital Reykjavik. It's valid for any HI hostel which can be found all over the globe. The hostels here are very well maintained & operated, and aim to be environmentally conscious. Most of them do have private rooms as well as dorm style rooms. (Sometimes a private double will only be a couple bucks more than two beds in a dorm). All have kitchens equipped with everything you need to prepare a meal. During the shoulder season many of these hostels were empty and as Ashleigh had mentioned we had the place to ourselves. On a side note some are closed during the winter and during peak season a booking in advance is a must. One thing to further note is that most will charge for linen (however blankets and pillows are provided and beds do have sheets) so all you need to bring are some linen. We brought cocoons which are almost like thin sleeping bags and act as both a bed sheet and coverhttp://www.cocoon.at/eng/show.php?doc=frameset&page=cocoon_ckat1&kat=2&prod=0&fab=0 they are compact and in Iceland a money saver of around $12 per night. Other sites as discussed in the forum link are hostel world and hostel bookings. In Iceland however HI hostels were the way to go. In the summer camping would be a great alternative (most hostels have camping areas). Food: It's expensive! Fast food items are comparable to Canadian prices but restaurant meals all hover around the cost of a high end restaurant you would go to in Canada. If you can dish it out daily go for it. Otherwise groceries and cooking your meals is the cheapest option with a few hot dogs here and there (people are obsessed with them here for some reason). Grocery prices are comparable as Ashleigh had discussed in a blog post with some odd items being way over priced such as tomatoes. At this time after one week in Iceland and only one day left we spend just over $100 on groceries the equivalent of eating out twice here. (We did also bring quite a bit of food such as soups, rice etc. since we knew food was expensive here) Alcohol on the other end is a another story, well it's similar to the eating out one. Alcohol at the duty free when arriving at the airport is in fact the cheapest, about $2 a can, not too bad. It's more at designated liquor stores and at a pub be prepared to hand out $10 dollar bills per drink. The local brew we did try was quite good though. In the capital we did find one place that had $5 beers so they can be found! Must have items during April in Iceland: Rain gear, eg. Waterproof jacket (wind resistant or wind proof is a bonus!), water repellent pants or rain pants work. Umbrellas are useless, it seems to be too windy on most rainy days. Hat, mitts, fleece, good boots are great when out exploring. When renting a car having a mug for hot beverages is awesome! Prices: Here are some average prices broken down per day for two people: Hostel - $64 Car - $35 Fuel - $30 Food - $15 Nature - Free! Total: $144 per day for two! Iceland is an expensive country but one can travel here on budget since it's all about the beautiful landscape, which is free! Now that we are all done in Iceland, we hope this will inspire some of you to visit this beautiful country! The pictures are amazing and Ashleigh described it even better in the blog. There are now direct flights from Edmonton at a very good price or if heading to other cities in Europe Icelandair (http://www.icelandair.ca/flights/stopover/) allows for a free stop over (7 days max) at no extra cost!! By John Schelesnak Copenhagen, Denmark has a lot to offer so we decided to explore it in two days. Sights, attractions and museums all charge entrance fees which can add up quickly. There are student discount prices so with and ISIC or the youth card it will save you some money. Since we had a few days we decided to get the Copenhagen city card (http://www.copenhagencard.com).Many major cities offer these and they often include free transportation.
Here is how we took advantage of the card: The comparison site shows how quickly the card will save you moneyhttp://www.copenhagencard.com/#calculation-widget-form-container Card price: $100 x 2 for a 48 hour card this includes transportation by bus, metro and train for the greater Copenhagen area (so also outside the capital). If you buy a 24 hr transportation pass it will cost $25 so half the card is transportation costs. It paid off on the first day for us. With our list of attractions we only paid $50 a day each. Here is a comparison based on our usage: Card price for two: $200 Cost without card: $411 Savings: $211 (based on adult prices) If you plan on seeing sights and visiting places it's well worth it. Unfortunately the only train or bus that wasn't covered was the one to Malmo, Sweden. However the bus ride is only 45 mins one way and cost us a total of $33 for two people return trip from the airport. http://m.nettbuss.se/m/sok-resa. The bridge toll alone for a vehicle is like $60. The train was quite a bit more and you do not get the view. We did have a chance to go north by train for an hour to Helsingor which was included in the card as well. The card is a great way to see as much as possible and it allows one to take the train as many times as you want. Without the card we would not have gone to all these places. A great deal! Let's get some deals!
In my opinion traveling by train is the best way to get around and see the most. But it's not always the cheapest. Buses (http://www.eurolines.de/index.php?id=2&L=1) and ride sharing (http://www.mitfahrgelegenheit.de) offer some great deals. Prices on budget airlines like Ryanair (http://www.ryanair.com) often are lower than bus or train fares. So far we have found some great deals though. The euro specials offered by the DB (http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/prices/europe/europa-spezial.shtml) are a good deal and start at 29 Euros. Tickets are valid for train rides between major cities in Germany and neighboring countries. We used this deal between Copenhagen and Hamburg. Other offers include Frankfurt to Paris or Berlin to Warsaw. They are IC trains which are quick and comfortable. While visiting Charlotte in Hamburg she showed us a great website for last minute deals (http://bahn.ltur.com). These are seat sales which can be booked 7 to 1 day/s prior to traveling. It is a flat rate of 26 euros per person and routes as well as times can vary. We used it between Hamburg and Siegburg/Bonn. Total cost of 52 euros (4.5 hours of traveling), only 8 euros more than the "Schönes Wochende ticket" (8.5 hours of travel). The stations have to be ICE stations (high speed trains). An even better deal would be to go from Hamburg to Munich, quite a far stretch for a cheap price. The site has other last minute deals, and offers to neighboring countries are also available for 36 euros. The offered country changes monthly. The popular "Schönes Wochende ticket" for weekend group travel within Germany is also a great deal even for two people (Max 5). Some restrictions apply (http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/prices/germany/schoenes_wochenende_ticket.shtml). It costs 44 Euros and can be used for a full day starting at midnight on a weekend. The equivalent is available starting at 9 am and costs 44 euros valid for one weekday (http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/prices/germany/quer-durchs-land-ticket.shtml). The main restriction is that only regional trains can be used (excluding high speed ICE or IC trains). So for longer distances last minute deals may be more attractive and quite a bit faster. |