The helplessness turns

Many variants go through my head and all have a hack, so I reject this again. In this situation Verena speaks a word: “Let’s go to Sudan via Iran”. This word immediately makes my sad thoughts clearer. In this euphoria into, but again the latest news about the tense situation of Iran with the US or vice versa. Can we dare? We do not want to be in Iran, if there should fall bombs. In conversation with a friend, we come to the conclusion that it is only saber rattles and so we dare and apply for the Iran visa. We can enter Turkey without a visa.

Iran visa

The Iran visa can be applied electronically today. The necessary documents and the procedure seem a bit complicated, which is why we return to the visa service, with which we have already had very good experiences, to the AVS Allvisaservice in Bern. For the visa is required:

• Passport valid for at least 6 months beyond the travel date
• Visa application signed by hand
• 2 passport photos a) without glasses and b) woman with headscarf
• European fingerprint sheet with impressions of all fingers (this has been done by the forensic service of the glorious Zurich cantonal police)
• When entering by land: A travel plan with entry and exit points
• Confirmation of health insurance valid in Iran
• Confirmation of residence

The required documents may of course differ and the above listing is without guarantee.

To speed up the procedure, we drive to Bern, handing over the documents to the AVS. During the waiting time, we drive into the mountains and stand at the Sustenpass.

Six days later, we can pick up the visa in Bern, an opportunity to visit our federal capital once again. The public transport is included in the price of Camping Eichholz, which is very convenient.

Now let’s go – but where exactly?

In mid-July we will drive to Ancona (Italy), where we ship to Greece. Then we cross Turkey, Iran, from Bandar Abbas we take the ferry to Sharja, United Arab Emirates. And while we’re there, we also want to visit Oman. Then we hope for a transit visa for Saudi Arabia, to Jeddah, from where we will ferry to Sudan and thus find our original route.

Meanwhile, the joy of the new route is big, very big. We are looking forward to traveling through Anatolia to Iran and then to the spectacular sights of Iran. The “detour” – if there is such a thing while traveling, because the detour is also a way. The detour from the original route is about 8000 km.