Border Crossings
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Greece-Turkey--****
Turkey-Iran-- **
Iran-Pakistan-- ****
Pakistan-India--***
NB You will find queues of trucks at all border crossings. Always go past them. Even if you shouldn't have done so, someone, somewhere, will put you right and you will probably have jumped to the front, or very near!
We would have liked to show you pictures of the various border crossings, but due to military 'shyness' we decided it best not to risk the spying charges!! Hope you appreciate the alternatives....I particularly like the camels.....
Greece
- Turkey
The actual border is the River Exros, but the border
post is usually referred to as being at Ipsala. The Greek
border post is literally right on the end of the motorway. Just drive under
the canopy and present your passport at the police office. They will
enter the details on their computer system, and off you go to Turkey!
Over the bridge, and into the 'Customs compound'.
This is a busy and crowded place. You will find the administration
building on your left. As you enter the door, look for the 'bank' window
in the far left hand corner, to the left of the rails where you queue for
passport control. You will have your passport stamped, then probably
be asked to go to a table in the centre of the room to fill in a 'tourist
questionaire'. Next stop is the 
customs
desk (to the right of the passport control) who enter your carnet details
on the computer system. From here to the office behind you, to your
left, where the carnet is stamped. Everything conveniently in one
room! Unique! If you do not have a carnet de passage, the custom
man on the computer will issue you with a red printed form. This
is a temporary import licence. Don't loose it. Even if you
have a carnet, you may well get this certificate instead of having the
carnet stamped.
Out of the admin building and the gate is to your left. There is a bank just near the gate. You may wish to change money here, as its quite a long drive to the next ATM/Bank/Cambio.
Welcome to Turkey, where everyone is a millionaire!!
Turkey-Iran
Entering Iran from Turkey can only
be done at the crossing east of Dogubayazit. Entering the
compound you must show your passport to the Turkish guards, then find the
police post, which is about 100 metres on the left from the main gate.
Again show your passport. Another hundred yards on the rightyou will
see an archway. Drive under it and park up on the right hand side
of the small yard there. You will see a 
building
on the right, with steps going up into it. Through the door and on
the left is a chain link partition, with two doors in it. Passengers
go through the one on the right, and present their passport at the small
window. Driver of the vehicle will enter the building and turn
right and go to the first office on the right. After that, both
will go through the left door in the chain link partion and present themselves
to the custom officer in the office in the left hand corner. All
uneccesarily complicated, and probably changed by the time you actually
get there!!
TOP
.
East of Zayhedan is the crossing
into Pakistan. Much simpler than entry to Iran, crossing into Pakistan
(Taftan) from Iran (Mirjaveh) is completed quite quickly and easily.
Entering the compound stop at the gate house. After initial scrutiny
of documents, they will (if you ask) show you to the next port of call,
a small office on the left of the bonded warehouse on your right, a hundred
metres down the road. Again more document examination and stamping,
and onto the customs house, another hundred metres on your right, next
to the small roundabout. From here, back across the roundabout and
stop at the immigration building. You can't miss it, the border guards
will make sure you go there!
TOP
The Waggah Border is one
of the worlds tensest border crossings. The Indian and Pakistani
armies face each other across a mine field, and tanks and troops stand
poised to plunge these two countries into a potential nuclear conflict.
The actual process of crossing for a tourist, is
surprisingly easy considering this
military standoff. Nuclear war might be seconds away, but the business
of tourism must be allowed to go on!! Arriving at the Pakistan side
of the border, there is a red and white pole across the road (sometimes
raised..) but you must turn right to the small buildings about 50 metres
away behing the hedges and trees. Don't expect a queue!
One of the offices is marked 'customs', the other.
'passports'.
Simply go to passport control. Then next door to the customs.
Vehicles are rarely searched.
Try and ignore remarks about 'gifts'
etc., there's no queue, no reason for stopping you, so no need to part
with any of your property! Follow the little road back to the main
road, turn right, through 'no mans land' and straight on to the Indian
soldier on the Indian side.
Until recently, this was one of the world's most sensitive
border crossings. Even now, with the threat of a nuclear backed argument
decreasing, at least for the time being, this is a crossing to be taken
seriously. You will pass through 'no mans land' being carefully watched
by heavily armed Indian soldiers. Stop where indicated by the Indian
border guards. They will tell you to park outside the main building,
where you can present your passport to the official at the reception desk.
He will stamp your passport, and direct you to another customs officer
who will process your vehicle documents. Next step is to park your
vehicle across the road in the inspection shed. Customs men will
search it, (thoroughly!) give you a gate pass, and off you go. Its
is usually quiet, but getting busier now that relations between India and
Pakistan are improving. This border post must be one of the most
honest and straight forward in the world, and a credit to the Seikh personell
who staff it. The sign says:
India, The Largest Democracy in the World, Welcomes You!
If you get the chance, try and get to see the closing
of the border in the evening. There are pavillions so that spectators
can view the proceedings! It is quite a lighthearted spectacle, considering
that these two countries have been to war and that both have nuclear weapons.
When we crossed here, there was a massive military build taking place on
both sides!
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