Istanbul - Sofia, (bus); 3rd October - From Aqtau

Istanbul - Sofia, (bus); 3rd October

29th September

We arranged a taxi to take us from the hostel to the bus station on the European side of Istanbul. We were joined by Chris, who had started his trip in Almaty, and taken a train to Aqtau, followed by a flight to Tbilisi (ferry into Azerbaijan still not an option, since Covid) and then a series of buses to Istanbul. He was also taking an overnight bus to Sofia, then a series of buses back to his home in Germany.

He had also done a long cycle trip a few years ago, including through Central Asia, and the Wakhan, so we had a lot to talk about. It was helpful to have him move our luggage, as I still had a sore back from the crash so wasn't too useful in moving things around.

We were taking separate buses, so we said goodbye and discussed the possibility of meeting in Sofia.

Bike packed into the bus. No surcharge. If it didn't have S&S couplers, taking all these buses would have been very difficult

Was a very comfortable bus. Wanting to avoid the problem of the Gaziantep --> Istanbul journey, we got seats right at the front.

Bus station. Each shop is a different bus company offering various routes within Turkey but also into the EU and Georgia too. A very comprehensive network.

Complimentary refreshments on the bus (excluding the peach bought at a shop in the station)

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