Caravanistan

Crossed in December 2018 TM-->UZ. I couldn't see anyone to share a taxi with at Turkmenabat station and had plenty of Manat left so settled for a 60 Manat taxi. There's a minibus running from the first checkpoint to the main building, where you clear customs and passport control. 1 Manat per person....

Slightly off topic, but if you're into Soviet aircraft, there's a fantastic collection at the open air aviation museum right beside IEV airport in Kiev. Well worth a visit.

Applied for a five day transit visa here in early November and received my invitation/visa approval letter by email just under three weeks later, as promised. I only brought black and white photocopies with me, which they don't accept (should have read Caravanistan more carefully), and had to make a...

Crossed this border in early December 2018, Iran to Turkmenistan. I turned up around 08:15 and it took 30-45 minutes. Exiting Iran took ten minutes, with a bag scan, and passport checks by two separate officers. I'd already collected my Turkmenistan visa beforehand and simply had to pay the 14 USD e...

Good experience in Isfahan. Turned up at around 10:00, handed my phone in and headed up to the first floor, to see the senior officer in room 19. Filled out a small piece of paper, which he signed, and then headed downstairs. Bit of back and forth between the different windows in the courtyard and t...

Bad experience in Tehran last week. Looking back, I set myself up for failure, but it was all a bit bizarre nonetheless. I went in with seven days left on my visa, taking an Iranian girl with me to help translate. Went in and got the photocopies and application folder right beside the men's entrance...

Crossed from Azerbaijan to Iran the second week of November. Got the sleeper train from Baku and then a taxi from Astara train station to the border (five minute drive). An Azerbaijani guy that was waiting with us negotiated with the taxi driver and four Manat was agreed. The taxi driver decided he ...

Thanks, Steven. Will report back here if I face any issues.

Hi folks, I'm planning to travel from Uzbekistan to Dushanbe in the week between Christmas and New Year and spend the first two weeks of January in Tajikistan. Around one week of my time in country will be on the Pamir Highway, from Dushanbe to Osh, using public transport. Should I expect any delays...

I turned up with a whole raft of photocopies and passport pictures, but in the end, all the guy was interested in was my passport and authorisation letter/reference number. The cost of a 30 day tourist visa was 50 Euro (Irish passport), not the 75 Euro indicated on the Caravanistan Iran visa page, w...