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The Turkish city that lives for breakfast

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Re: The Turkish city that lives for breakfast

#2

Post by roadbeats »

If you consider visiting Van, I recommend you to take train. This route is still not popular enough among tourists because eastern Turkey had gone through violent conflicts. As long as you don’t get yourself in trouble intentionally, you’ll be safe though. I traveled Eastern Turkey by hitchhiking last year with my wife, and felt really safe and welcomed. People are very friendly, food is great, the nature is like Switzerland. I’m sure that this area will be too touristic to visit in the future, so I recommend you see there before it gets hit by tourism.

If you want to do a full trip in Turkey, this is my route recommendation: İstanbul -> flight -> Cappadocia -> Bus or hitchhike -> Urfa -> Mardin -> Hasankeyf -> Van -> Doğubeyazıt —> İran. These towns are all wonderful, and probably the most different beauties I’ve ever seen. Highly recommended.

Re: The Turkish city that lives for breakfast

#4

Post by sgift »

roadbeats wrote: post #2

If you consider visiting Van, I recommend you to take train. This route is still not popular enough among tourists because eastern Turkey had gone through violent conflicts. As long as you don’t get yourself in trouble intentionally, you’ll be safe though. I traveled Eastern Turkey by hitchhiking last year with my wife, and felt really safe and welcomed. People are very friendly, food is great, the nature is like Swi…

> As long as you don’t get yourself in trouble intentionally, you’ll be safe though.

What do you mean with that part?

Re: The Turkish city that lives for breakfast

#5

Post by reustle »

sgift wrote: post #4
roadbeats wrote: post #2

If you consider visiting Van, I recommend you to take train. This route is still not popular enough among tourists because eastern Turkey had gone through violent conflicts. As long as you don’t get yourself in trouble intentionally, you’ll be safe though. I traveled Eastern Turkey by hitchhiking last year with my wife, and felt really safe and welcomed. People are very friendly, food is great, the nature is like Swi…

> As long as you don’t get yourself in trouble intentionally, you’ll be safe though. What do you mean with that part?

Stay out of shady bars/clubs, don't go looking for drugs, don't get too terribly wasted if you get aggressive.

You'd be surprised how many travelers find themselves in trouble because of some stupid thing.

Re: The Turkish city that lives for breakfast

#6

Post by anticensor »

roadbeats wrote: post #2

If you consider visiting Van, I recommend you to take train. This route is still not popular enough among tourists because eastern Turkey had gone through violent conflicts. As long as you don’t get yourself in trouble intentionally, you’ll be safe though. I traveled Eastern Turkey by hitchhiking last year with my wife, and felt really safe and welcomed. People are very friendly, food is great, the nature is like Swi…

Lake Van Express(Eastwards:Sundays and Tuesdays, Westwards:Tuesdays and Thursdays). Eastern Express, which works between Ankara and Kars, is running sleepers full.

Re: The Turkish city that lives for breakfast

#7

Post by pjmlp »

reustle wrote: post #5
sgift wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> As long as you don’t get yourself in trouble intentionally, you’ll be safe though. What do you mean with that part?

Stay out of shady bars/clubs, don't go looking for drugs, don't get too terribly wasted if you get aggressive. You'd be surprised how many travelers find themselves in trouble because of some stupid thing.

And most importantly, respect the locals.

Re: The Turkish city that lives for breakfast

#8

Post by Cenk »

roadbeats wrote: post #2

If you consider visiting Van, I recommend you to take train. This route is still not popular enough among tourists because eastern Turkey had gone through violent conflicts. As long as you don’t get yourself in trouble intentionally, you’ll be safe though. I traveled Eastern Turkey by hitchhiking last year with my wife, and felt really safe and welcomed. People are very friendly, food is great, the nature is like Swi…

I actually took that train route too, this Brownbook Magazine article is what made me do it: http://brownbook.me/the-trans-asia-express/

Re: The Turkish city that lives for breakfast

#9

Post by roadbeats »

anticensor wrote: post #6
roadbeats wrote: post #2

If you consider visiting Van, I recommend you to take train. This route is still not popular enough among tourists because eastern Turkey had gone through violent conflicts. As long as you don’t get yourself in trouble intentionally, you’ll be safe though. I traveled Eastern Turkey by hitchhiking last year with my wife, and felt really safe and welcomed. People are very friendly, food is great, the nature is like Swi…

Lake Van Express(Eastwards:Sundays and Tuesdays, Westwards:Tuesdays and Thursdays). Eastern Express, which works between Ankara and Kars, is running sleepers full.

thanks, corrected

Re: The Turkish city that lives for breakfast

#10

Post by roadbeats »

sgift wrote: post #4
roadbeats wrote: post #2

If you consider visiting Van, I recommend you to take train. This route is still not popular enough among tourists because eastern Turkey had gone through violent conflicts. As long as you don’t get yourself in trouble intentionally, you’ll be safe though. I traveled Eastern Turkey by hitchhiking last year with my wife, and felt really safe and welcomed. People are very friendly, food is great, the nature is like Swi…

> As long as you don’t get yourself in trouble intentionally, you’ll be safe though. What do you mean with that part?

There is a lot of military check points, many undercover cops. So you need to manage your ambition about politics when you’re there. just be a tourist and you’ll be fine :)
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