Caspian sea ferry updates & questions

[Yoyo]

Spent some time reading through this thread. I will give it a more proper read soon.

This is my current route that will take me about 2 years to complete. I live in Turkey.
I am planning on going to Kazakhstan from Azerbaijan by sea. I am planning on staying in Azerbaijan for about 1-1.5 months.
Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Nepal is my full route.

Can we still buy tickets online?

[Silvan]

We crossed the Caspian Sea by ferry from Alat (Baku) to Kuryk (Aqtau) on January 30, 2025. Many thanks for the valuable information provided by this forum. This was super helpful! We are happy to share our own experiences.

BUYING A TICKET
As mentioned before in this forum, there is no longer a ticket office in Baku. The provided phone numbers did not work for us. We tried calling multiple times, but no one picked up (possibly because we called on Saturday/Sunday). The website www.asco.az was our only reliable source. We received short replies in English on our requests via email and chatbot (response within 1-2 hours).
We purchased our tickets via the ASCO website: https://cabinet.asco.az
Important: Due to a translation error, I mistakenly bought the ticket in the wrong direction (Kuryk-Alat instead of Alat-Kuryk). Make sure to select the departure port first (upper field in the input mask) and then the desired arrival port. I reported the mistake via email and was able to exchange my ticket at the ticket office in Alat.

SHIP SCHEDULE INFORMATION
We regularly checked the ship traffic on the ASCO website: https://ships.asco.az/en. Additionally, we sent an email inquiry about the next passenger ferry from Alat to Aqtau. The response was: "Every day there are ships going to Kuryk (Aqtau)."
We saw that several Ro-Ro ships were in Alat with the status “raid.” Therefore, on Tuesday morning, we took a taxi to the port.

TRANSFER FROM BAKU TO ALAT PORT
On Tuesday morning, we took a taxi from Baku to Alat.
Tip for cyclists (if you don't want to ride to Alat): While in Baku, look out for large taxis and exchange contact details with the drivers. We paid 50 Manat (~29 USD) for a ride for two people and two bicycles. Thanks to the spacious taxi, we didn’t have to dismantle our bikes. On the way, we stopped at a gas station to stock up on snacks.

WAITING AT ALAT PORT
At the ticket office (which is at the entrance of the port on the left side), we showed our passports and received a printed ticket. On Tuesday morning we were told we could board the Mercury-1 ferry the same evening. However, when we checked again on Tuesday evening, we were informed that Mercury-1 needed repairs, and we were reassigned to the Azerbaijan ferry. The ticket office told us it would depart the following evening (Wednesday night). In the end, we were called at around 2 AM on Thursday morning to go through customs and board the ship. The ferry finally departed on Thursday morning at 7 AM.
Be prepared to wait 1-2 days at the port, no matter what information you receive. Based on other reports, delays can be even longer (especially due to bad weather).
There is a waiting room with toilets, water dispensers, and sleeping benches. If you ask nicely, you may be allowed to leave the port area (max. 2 people at a time). There is a small restaurant (green-roofed hut) inside the port, open from 9 AM to 7 PM. Next to it, there’s a kiosk selling fruit, vegetables, snacks, and water.
It is advisable to bring enough food both to the port and onto the ship. We cooked pasta in the waiting room using a gas stove. We also ate twice at the restaurant, where meals were affordable (5-10 Manat).
There is an ATM and a currency exchange office (located in a container next to the ATM).

ON THE FERRY
The "Azerbaijan" ship is a relatively modern ship. We had a 4-person cabin with a window and a private toilet for ourselves. The cabin had multiple power outlets and was clean. We received bed sheets, but bringing sleeping bags was definitely worth it. We also packed e-readers, cables, clothes, toothbrushes, and food into the cabin.
We were the only tourists on board, alongside about 40 truck drivers. The men were reserved but friendly. Communication with crew and passengers was mostly through gestures and Google Translate. Some persons can speak a bit english, but it was only very few. Tip: Download Russian, Azerbaijani, Kazakh, and Uzbek languages in Google Translate for offline use. Russian is usually everybody understands.
There was a fixed meal schedule (breakfast, lunch, dinner), and staff knocked on our door to notify us when meals were ready. For Vegetarians: You can request the meals without meat - they take the meat away from your plate. Lunch was pasta with chicken drumstick and dinner was rice with ground meat - so just pasta and rice for us. No problem, if you have some snacks with you.

INTERNET
We used eSIMs for Azerbaijan (Azercell Tourist eSIM is recommended) and another for Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. There were several hours without a signal during the journey, but we didn’t mind. Upon arrival in Kazakhstan, we immediately had an internet connection with the eSIM at the port.

ARRIVAL IN KURYK
At 2 AM, a loudspeaker announcement woke us up. We packed our belongings and went to the waiting area. There we stayed for about 2 hours. Truck drivers were called first and given a document (not relevant for tourists). Passenger names were called, and we received our passports back (they were collected when we boarded). After some waiting, we were taken to a room for a temperature check using a remote thermometer. More waiting until an official escorted us to Kazakh passport control.
It was a 5-10 minute walk to a modern customs building with toilets, an ATM, a coffee machine, and a waiting room. The café opened at around 9 AM, selling food and drinks.

TRANSFER TO AKTAU
Two truck drivers offered us a ride to Aqtau. However, truck drivers take longer with customs procedures, so expect to wait several hours in the waiting room. Also, each truck can only take one passenger, so groups must split up. For Cyclists: Since truck cargo holds cannot be opened, we couldn’t transport our bicycles with them.
Alternatively, you can arrange a taxi in advance. We contacted a taxi driver mentioned in this forum before. Here are two taxi contacts— best you get in contact with them already when you leave Alat or even before and notify them of your approximate arrival time

+7 701 577 6747 (found in this forum—thanks!)
+7 702 901 1242 (Khamid) – has space for 2 people & 2 bicycles

This was our experience. Keep in mind that waiting times and procedures may vary. We thoroughly enjoyed the journey!

[Lobot]

Thank you for this update! It is very very helpful.

I was wondering, did you have wifi aboard the Azerbaijan?

[Lobot]

March 2025 Update

I nearly gave up on this trip and I am so glad I didn't. It was really a fun experience and I miss being out on the water even now.

Here are a few updates based on recent posts:

• There is a room with beds in a smaller room within the waiting room. The beds are actually pretty comfortable

• There is a market that is a 5 min walk from the waiting room. You have to exit security to get there so bring your passport and ticket. The food is very affordable. I got chicken with a side of potatoes for less than 10 AZN

• Bring toilet paper for the waiting room and the boat

• The number to call for information is +994 55 999 9124. They do not answer unless there is a boat coming

• If you are taking a taxi from Baku, I used a great driver named Elsad. His number is +994 51 484 05 19

For solo female travelers:

There were a few times in this situation where I was on high alert - not because of any of the people I encountered, but because of the context. I wanted to write about it here if you are considering going in case any of this would be triggering or make you uncomfortable.

• The sleeping room is dark at night and you will share it with whoever else is there. I opted at first to sleep in the well lit area, which was not so comfortable so I ended up giving in and moving to the beds. There were two other men who were fast asleep and left before I got up. The room has CCTV and there are security guards going in and out to use the bathroom, so it is generally pretty safe

• Both in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan during the customs process I was told to go somewhere where I was left alone with a single male officer in fatigues. Both times it was in the middle of the night, which added to my unease. Again, nothing happened and I believe the lack of explanation was just because English is not very common in either country. The guy in Azerbaijan who stamped my passport even used his google translate to wish me a happy International Women's Day!

• I was there in the off season and so I was the only tourist on the boat and the only woman among 30 or so truck drivers. I did get lots of stares walking in and a few marriage proposals throughout the day. There are no crew or security on that floor during the day so you are on your own, but I found most of the men to be very respectful and friendly and I had an amazing time meeting them and playing card games. There was one man who kept asking for my room number and I told him firmly that I was not interested after which he stopped

Again, the people I met on this trip were great and very thoughtful and protective along the way. I wish you all a safe and adventurous journey!

[Lagerfeld]

Thank's Lobot, for this nice report.
My most important question is when AZ will open his land borders again, so I can use this ship going from Alat to Kirkut / KZ.

[Alhul]

Hello fellow Caravanistani

I’m a solo traveler from Belgium, and in early March, I set off on a three-month overland journey across Asia, from Istanbul to Singapore—completely by land, except for the obligatory Tbilisi-Baku flight, of course. I’ve gathered a lot of information from this forum over the past six months leading up to my trip, though I never registered to ask additional questions. But now I have, as I’ve just boarded the *Zafira Aliyeva* to Kuryk and wanted to share (yet another) travel report.

I arrived in Baku on March 18, 2025, estimating (and hoping) to be in Kazakhstan by March 23. Being the optimist I am, I had already booked a few nights at the Mango Hostel in Aqtau (KZ) starting from March 23. However, at the time, I wasn’t sure how to time things to minimize my wait at Alat port. When strong winds hit the Baku region on March 19 and 20, I knew there was no point in heading to the port on those days. This actually worked in my favor logistically, allowing me to stay in Baku and explore the city and its surroundings instead. When calmer weather was forecasted for March 21, I started preparing to potentially head to the port that day.

I had been checking the ASCO website regularly, and while many ships had been anchored due to the weather—especially in Baku itself—I noticed movement toward Alat. By then, I had also been in touch with Amil, who confirmed around noon that the *Zafira Aliyeva* would be departing that evening, so I had to hurry. I briefly considered taking a Bolt but ultimately decided to take the buses instead. A Bolt ride would have cost 37 manat (€20), while the total cost of the two buses was only 2.6 manat (€1.40). I knew I’d make it on time either way. Plus, with Bolt, there’s always the risk that drivers won’t want to go that far for that price. Later, in Alat, I also realized that Bolt doesn’t even cover that area. Public transport schedules on Google Maps in Azerbaijan often show much longer travel times than in reality—I had already noticed this when taking the H2 bus from the airport to 28 May Square.

I left my hostel at 14:45, caught bus 125 (0.6 manat with my Bakikart) around 14:50 just around the corner, and got off at Binə Ticarət Mərkəzi near Lökbatan, where I needed to transfer to bus 195. I wasn’t sure what kind of bus to expect, but after about 10 minutes, I ended up in a marshrutka that, as far as I understood, followed the same route. Was it actually the 195? No idea—it wasn’t labeled, but the attendant assured me it was heading to Alat and beyond. It cost me 2 manat, and with my luggage and food supplies (I’m celiac), I was a bit cramped in the minibus, but it was only 45 minutes—so I don’t care.

I got off at the *Kotal Qesebesi* stop. Google Maps will tell you not to get off there because, according to the app, you can’t cross the highway and should instead take public transport much farther. However, there are actual pedestrian crossings—officially designated for public transport users from the village—and an opening in the median strip. I had already spotted this on satellite images. That said, be careful, as there are no traffic lights. From there, it’s literally just a 30-minute walk through the village to Alat Port. The village seemed like one of the poorest places I’ve visited on my recent travels—partly due to the massive contrast with Baku, where all the money is (or goes). I’m not sure what the village is called—was it Kotal Qesebesi itself? Likely part of the Alat municipality. It was incredibly quiet, peaceful, and almost lifeless. The roads were all extremely uneven gravel, sometimes resembling miniature rural rock formations. I heard a few dogs, which was my only real concern since they can sometimes be "anthropoxenophobic" when defending their unfenced territory. In the end, I only encountered some friendly goats and the occasional local.

I arrived at the port around 16:50, just two hours after leaving Baku’s city center. I hadn’t bought a ticket in advance but knew I could get one on-site. I had read that the online forms contain errors, so I wanted to avoid any hassle. The good old-fashioned way seemed best here. At the actual "entry gate" of the port, I was directed to the *kassa*—a small service window in a container office where two port employees were busy with transport documents. One of them told me to come in and take a seat on the couch. Five minutes later, we were chatting; he took a copy of my passport, issued a document for Kuryk, and told me to go to the bank 50 meters away to pay, then return. At the bank, the clerk asked me to come back in 20 minutes—I’m not sure why. Break? Other work? I waited for 15 minutes back at the kassa-office since my belongings were still there. Meanwhile, a mix of truck drivers had gathered inside, having logistical discussions with the staff in Russian—the only common language among them. I often use Google Translate to follow Russian conversations, but this was pure chaos. The whole scene made me nostalgic for an era before my time—one I’ve only seen in 1980s TV series about the Port of Antwerp. The smell, the furniture, the stacks of paperwork, the jokes...

When I returned to the bank, the price was $70 USD (€64), and I was given the option to pay in Azerbaijani manat. I paid with a $100 bill (the only denominations I could get from an ATM in Turkey), so I finally had some smaller USD notes. Stupidly, I forgot to exchange my last manat there, which I only realized once on the boat. If exchanging manat in Aqtau turns out to be as difficult as exchanging Georgian lari in Baku, that’s going to take some time… I returned to the kassa with my payment receipt and got my ticket. I knew both the Mercury and Zarifa were docked at the port, but I hadn’t yet asked which ferry I’d be on. As soon as I saw my ticket, I noticed the ship’s name printed on it—Zafira Aliyeva. A bit of a relief, as the reports and vlogs I’d seen suggested it was more comfortable than most other vessels.

From the ticket counter, they sent me to the security building to enter the port area. Passport check and baggage scan. They made a few comments about my power bank and e-reader, so I had to take them out for inspection. Other than that, everything went smoothly. At this point, I still hadn’t seen any other tourists. One of the security officers escorted me to the waiting terminal for passengers. I had seen vague photos and vlogs of it before (even though filming is prohibited). My first impression: it was way bigger than I expected! At least 100 seats, while I had imagined just a few dozen. I quickly went to the restroom, and when I returned, the same security officer walked in—with my belt bag containing both my passport and wallet. How stupid could I be? Though I would have noticed sooner or later since you have to show your passport multiple times on the way to the ship. In that large terminal, I was completely alone. I realized—okay, this is where things could take a long time. I saw a separate area with beds—just in case?

Not even 10 minutes later, the same security officer returned and told me to come along. A car was waiting, and it took me and an older guy with bags full of fruit to another building, where a young man in a military uniform performed an extra passport check. I had to open my bag, but he barely looked inside. I’m not sure what this step in the process was for because right after, we drove straight to the real customs checkpoint. Ironically, I had to enter through a door labeled "Exit" (*Çıxış*). Two customs officers—who looked like they had stepped straight out of a satirical 1980s TV series—ran my luggage through a scanner again. They asked me if I was carrying drugs or large sums of money, but that was it. One of them only spoke Russian and Azeri, but the other spoke a little English. He seemed genuinely interested in me as a tourist—probably because, let’s be honest, how many of us come through here each year? He offered me a chair while I waited at migration for the final passport check and exit stamp. As he lifted the chair, it half fell apart. He laughed awkwardly and put it back together. I nearly fell through it a few times, so I ended up standing for most of the 45 minutes while waiting for an officer to show up. Eventually, a fairly young border officer arrived and told me I could proceed—but through the other door, where his computer was. His English was relatively good. I had to show my passport, Azeri visa, and ticket, look into a camera, and answer a few questions. These seemed more out of personal curiosity than official procedure—he asked more about my future travel plans rather than where I had already been. Since I had a new passport, he only saw my Turkish and Georgian stamps. He also seemed amused by our Belgian passports, which are decorated with comic book characters.

After that, I could walk straight to the ship—I didn’t have to wait for the trucks. I had to leave my passport at the ship’s registration point at the entrance and was then allowed to board. A few staircases led me to the central hall towards the cabins, where two Azerbaijani women greeted me in a mix of broken English and Russian. It quickly became clear that I was the only tourist. They also gave me the impression that they hadn’t seen one in a while. There’s free tea and water at reception, along with a large box full of cookies. When I asked if dinner would be served that evening, they vaguely replied with a 'maybe'. They also told me I’d be sharing a cabin with a Kyrgyz and a Kazakh truck driver. So, in some way, it seemed somewhat pre-arranged. I pictured two guys in their 50s, so I immediately claimed a top bunk for myself.

By 18:30, I was settled in—just four hours earlier, I was still in my hostel in Baku. It hit me—I got really lucky with the timing. At least for the Azerbaijani part… and that without taking a single taxi. I quickly downloaded the Russian language pack for offline use on Google Translate with my last megabytes from my Azeri eSIM, as well as the maps for Kuryk and Aqtau. I also made sure to save the instructions to install my Kazakh eSIM, as I had already struggled with that when entering a new country before. My Azerbaijani data package ran out just two hours before departure, but luckily, I managed to message my partner and family to let them know I might be unreachable for at least some 28 hours.

Gradually, the truck drivers started arriving—first, my Kyrgyz roommate, and about an hour and a half later, the Ukrainian Kazakh. We had a pleasant, basic interaction with my very limited Russian, but I wasn’t about to say out loud that I hoped they would shower before going to bed. By now, it was 11 PM. They *had* showered, and there seemed to be some movement on the ship. By 11:20 PM, we were officially underway, and I started drifting off to sleep. Personally, I found the beds very spacious and comfortable—especially compared to those in night trains and certainly better than the miserable hostels I had unfortunately stayed in while in Tbilisi and Baku.

I slept well, but given our departure time, I already suspected we’d be arriving in Kuryk at a rather inconvenient hour. Being the only tourist on board, the chances of sharing a taxi to Aqtau with someone seemed slim. The question was also whether I even wanted to arrive in Aqtau in the middle of the night. I considered the option of spending the rest of the night in the terminal or in that small port hotel. Secretly, I hoped for bad weather before reaching Kuryk so I could spend a second night on the ship and head straight to Aqtau in the morning. Also, was the Mercury 1 ahead of us or behind us, and would there be any regular passengers on board? No point overthinking it—we’d see soon enough. The rest of the crossing was calm. My roommates were friendly, and we managed to communicate using gestures and my basic Russian.

Breakfast was at 7:50 AM, as frequently described here: bread, jam, two boiled eggs, tea, and a thick slice of white cheese. Luckily, I had stocked up on three packs of gluten-free bread in Baku—more expensive than in Belgium, but on a trip like this, absolutely worth it. With plenty of time, I could finally write this travel log, read my book(s), and meditate—despite my Kazakh roommate's occasional snoring. He had already been on the road for days, coming from Lithuania through Poland, Hungary, Turkey, and Azerbaijan, heading to Almaty near the Chinese border. Both he and the Kyrgyz driver casually suggested that I continue traveling east with them, but my plans were set on Uzbekistan, which wasn’t on their route.

Lunch was served at 11:45 AM. My breakfast hadn’t even fully digested yet, but I went for it anyway. Bean soup, rice with meat, and pickled vegetables—a pleasant surprise. No room left for the Pepsi. If I wanted something sweet later, I still had some fruit. Dinner was around 7:20 PM. Thankfully, not the infamous spaghetti that’s often mentioned here, but a simple meal of chicken wings, buckwheat, and vegetables. Another bowl of borscht was offered, but I had eaten so well that I skipped it.

A message came in from one of my roommates’ colleagues saying we’d have to wait near Kuryk due to a storm—possibly until 8 AM. But we were already so close, and the sea was perfectly calm, so I didn’t really believe it. And indeed, at 2:30 AM Kazakh time, we arrived. At reception, all the truck drivers received some cargo paperwork, and one by one, they slowly trickled out. I had to wait until someone escorted me outside and returned my passport. When I finally got downstairs with the ASCO employee, it looked like almost all the trucks were still there. I was told to wait at the end of the ship, so I did. I hoped I wouldn’t have to wait until *all* the trucks had left—after 10 minutes, only one had moved. Not that I was in a rush, given the time, but I really wanted to send a message home. Airalo won’t let me install my pre-purchased Kazakh SIM until I first connect to the internet. The irony...

Suddenly, another ASCO employee asked me what I was waiting for. I explained that his "boss" had told me to wait there, but he said I was free to continue as long as I was careful around the trucks. Outside, I was sent in all sorts of directions, but after about two hours, I finally got my passport stamped and ended up in the main terminal building, where I could finally relax. Free WiFi and toilets—small luxuries at this point. I struck up a conversation with an older employee who, through a mix of gestures and broken Russian, made it clear that he could arrange a ride to Aqtau—cheaper than a taxi. It ended up costing 20,000 tenge (€36), but at that point, I was fine with it. At least I was fairly sure it wasn’t a scam and that I’d actually arrive at my hostel. After all, it’s a 100 km trip. If this was the biggest inconvenience of the entire Baku-Aqtau journey, then so be it. From hostel in Baku to hostel in Aqtau: 40h30min and € 102 transport costs. Flights aren't cheaper than this, not including the transport from and to the airports.

By 8 AM, I arrived at the hostel and, thankfully, was allowed to crash in my bed before the official check-in time. I took full advantage of that and, given my low energy and the constant rain, I didn’t do anything else for the rest of the day. My train to Uzbekistan isn’t until the 26th. What on earth am I going to do in this place for three days? The tours to Ustyurt are five times more expensive than similar ones in the Caucasus...Time to make the best out of the bleak surroundings and hope for some interesting hostelmates.

[borekj]

Hey guys,
I managed to get on Beraktar on the ferry from Alat to Turkmenbashi on 1st April. As I gained a lot info from this thread, I'd like to contribute as well. We were 10 people, all Czech citizen.

I had a contact in Port Alat (+994 51 583 38 81) and my guide in Turkmenistan frequently called the Turkmenbashi port. We landed in Baku on 29th March. One ship was at Alat port, but according to the contact in Port, did not accept passengers - I personally don't think it was true, but anyway, we wanted to spend at least a day in the country, so we decided not to try to board. It eventually left on 30th at noon, so we waited for the other ship. It was parked in Turkmenbashi. Despite frequent messaging with both ports, nobody was able to tell anything in terms when the ship should leave Turkmenbashi. On 31st around noon, the Turkmenbashi port confirmed cargo is being loaded and indeed, at 16, the ship departed. We watched its progress at Marine Traffic app.

Following recommendations from the contact in Alat, we headed to the port at evening, arriving at 19 30. He registered us in the system, and we went to the waiting room. There is about 7 berths and quite comfortable chairs - we hadn't had issues with sleeping. We had our own food for dinner, breakfast and lunch.

I was supposed to pay and collect tickets at 9 am, but the system of the bank where you pay did not work, so he told me to come later. The guy was nice, even connected us to the sometime functioning wifi. He managed to convinced the guards to let us through the gates even with no tickets. Inside the port, there is a cafe - you can have tea, coffee, lunch, coke etc. No beer, as alcohol is not allowed inside the port. At 11:45, the ship docked at the port.

I went for a run to the nearby volcano, took a shower at the toilet by the little shower. At 14, I was finally able to pay for the tickets - I needed to change money and then the guys put the money inside the weird ATM, apparently performing some sort of bank transfer. But usually you just pay in usd at the bank.

Then it was a lot of waiting, I went to the kiosk often to ask for any updates. At 16, I was informed cargo is being loaded. At 17, a bus came for the passengers (including all the truck drivers). Dropped us off at the luggage and passport control - at passport, you need to have both the azerbaijani evisa and the letter of invitation for Turkmenistan.

We got on the ship around 19. We bought "Cabins" - each had to pay 150usd, so quite a lot of money. Some of them smelt incredibly, as someone was smoking inside. It took quite an effort to get some that were bearable. I wanted to bribe the gyus at the front desk to get us cabins with window, but that simply did not work. Each cabin has a bathroom inside, however in most, the bathroom light did not work and in all, the toilet could not be flushed - a guy was doing that manually every other hour from the hall. Quite bizzare . Although the ship is only 10 years old, it looks like 40 years old - rust everywhere. Shower was functional and nice though.

There was no food provided, but we could buy dinner for about 3 usd. They were able to change money for a rate of 18,5 TMT to usd. There is a bar with a functioning espresso machine - but they don't have any beans. So only instant coffee. If you bring your beans, I think. It would work. There was only us and about 30 or 40 truck drivers.

Finally, we departed at 2 30 am. Following day, we had breakfast and lunch included. Breakfast was pretty bad, lunch ok. There is not much to do, but there are functioning sockets. We arrived at Turkmenbashi at 23 local time - after about 20 hours of sailing. We stayed in the ship for another 90 minutes. A doctor came to the ship, asked for 30 usd and did a covid test, where I'm absolutely 100% sure it could never resulted positive - although the swab was inside my mouth, it hasn't touched anything

It took us nearly 4 hours to get through visa, passport control and customs. Nobody knew of our arrival and since it was in middle of the night by then, we had to wake up everybody. I think we managed to employ about 30 people. Luckily our guide was present there, I doubt we would make it without him. At 4 am, we were out and headed to a hotel.

All in all, it was about 57 hours from Baku to Turkmenbashi.

What would I do differently next time? If you are smaller group, I don't think it is necessary to be in the port before the ship docks. We were quite lucky - the ship hadn't been waiting before the port neither on the way to Alat nor to Turkmenbashi. If it had been waiting, you can do even +24 hours more. On the other hand, we boarded the ship after about 6 hours after it has docked in the port - so when it's waiting for a spot/weather near Alat, you need to be able to get to the port in about one hour to catch it.

All in all, it was nice experience and good adventure, which I won't do again

[Lagerfeld]

@ borekj: Diky moc for your very good report.
I'm still waiting, that AZ will open the land borders than I want to use this ship with my motor home to KZ. But I'm waiting for this already 4 years!