We are searching tips for a good route from Lar (Fars) in Iran towards Armenia. Anybody out there who can help?
Also we search for a good and cheap place to stay in Lar.
Thank you!
Iran | good route from Lar (Fars) towards Armenia
土, 2014-03-15 08:01
#1
WS Member
Iran | good route from Lar (Fars) towards Armenia
Hi,
I never have been there. I heard about border between Turkey and Armenia. It is closed. You could go maybe directly or through Georgia?
This interesting site:
www.crazyguyonabike.com
www.rad-forum.de (also with English part).
Let's have a good ride
Regards Sebastian
Sebastian yep we know about the closed T-A border but we're not going to Turkey. The question is about a route to Armenia from Lar in Iran.
Unfortunately I can't advice re places to stay in Lars as I didn't stay there.
However I did cycle from throughArmenia into Iran and down to Bandar Abbas in December. In terms of routes you have a few key decisions to make:
The main one being are you keen to see Iran's key cities? If you haven't been before then Shiraz, Yazd, Esfahan are a big draw - and easy enough to navigate by bike. On the rung down are Kerman, Tabriz and Qom each of which has its own special identity.
Tehran is an exceptional case as an unusually historyless city for Iran and extremely big and sprawling. Personally I wouldn't mind skipping it if I had a do over but if you plan to visit then taking a train or bus in and out would be my preference. Perhaps the only exception would be if you we're exciting north towards the Caspian.
Option:
NW towards Firusabad (interesting archeology) This leg will involve some fairly high climbs in the beautiful tail end of the Zagros mountains. Easy to stick to non-main roads.
North to Shiraz before exiting NW via Persepolis/Pasargarde. From here you can either head east for a 2-3 day pedal to beautiful desert Yazd before heading back West towards Esfahan. This ride is lovely and the main roads should you chose to use them aren't unduly busy and have large shoulders. The road immediately north out of Yazd towards N'ain can be a touch brutal n places but nothing too horrendous.
Alternatively you could cut out Yazd/the desert and head straight north to Esfahan.
I chose to take a coach from Tehran to the outskirts of Esfahan so can't give much advice on this section.
Then it's a choice between the busy Tehran-Tabriz corridor (gives an option to visit the Castles of the Assasins) or go the north route along the Caspian coast (wet) before cutting up to the border.
Reaching the Armenian border if you approach from the west having circled around from Tabriz rather going over the high mountain range then you arrive via the very pretty Aras valley (quiet road too)
Do let me know if you have any more specific q's.
My blog is at blackdogbicycling.blogspot.com and has some further info on that leg if my tour.
Have a super time. Iranian's are very friendly, many speak excellent English and the country is diverse, beautiful and full to over flowing with history. you'll have a blast.
Thank you so much Tom! Sadly we can't watch your blog it's blocked in Iran.
But we have enough info now.
Hi Tom.
Good to see you entered Iran! Great pics on your blog.
I also intend on cycling through Iran on my forthcoming tour but heard varying stories fro Brits concerning the visa, I'm aware of initially obtaining the visa authorisation number (I intend on using stantours.com) but wondered where you obtained your actual visa from.
Thanks for any help, mark.
Hi Mark,
Glad you liked the blog. I got my visa for Iran in Ankara. I had an authorisation number just like you are intending to get and with it was able to get my stamp in 3 days (should have been two.) They dragged their heels a tiny bit but no problems.
Most people I have talked with recommended Trabzon as the easiest place in Turkey to get the Iran visa but naturally these things can change.
Hope tha's useful. Have a great trip!
Hee Tom and Mark - why don't you contact each other in a private message?
This our question not yet answered and chatting about other stuff certainly doesn't help ;-)
@Mark Stantours is very good and as a british do take the number!
Sorry Blanche & Douwe, realise you don't want this topic flooded by visa issues but figure it would be useful for others to know.
British (and Canadians) now have to book a fully guided tour in order to get an authorisation number for their visa applications - guessing you applied for your visa authorisation pre Nowaz.
Stanford's won't be able to help any Brit's unless they're willing to give up the cycling independently idea.
Indeed it is very helpful for others and therefore a own tread with suitable title will help others to find this info much better. A shame Britisch and Canadians can't get in anymore independently.
To return to the topic of this tread my question:
By now we have the answer ourselves.
We cycled from Lar over Konj, Qir and Firuzabad to Shiraz. This was nice and quiet even in the midst of Noruz.
From there the road started to get a lot more bizzy but we found good sides roads most of the time and continued via Somarq and Nir to Mehriz. From there we were happy to take a bus to Esfahan and the to Kermanshar as the traffic was really bad. Then some really god and quiet cycling in Kurdistan via Javanrud, Paveh, Howraman, Marivan and Saquez. Bus again to Tabriz (NICE city!) and Jolfa. The following few days we will continue from Jolfa on the bike to Armenia.
That's exactly the route I planned today between Lar & Shiraz (that's as far as I've got with planning) Wish I'd read the post before I spent the time doing it but good to know you recommend it.
Have a great ride in Armenia.
I spent quite a while in Iran.
Look on my page and map where I came through.
Interesting is the following:
Yazd, Abarkuh, Meybod, Nain
The road along the river which marks the border to Armenia is very pretty.
Stunning scenery.
Lar. I stayed with locals....I always knocked on doors....they were more than happy to have me as a guest.
The small road from Lar towards Shiraz was nice.
All the best Heike
www.pushbikegirl.com
Hi Heike, weren't you recently not also in Oman?
We are about to leave Iran as soon as I finish my video - see our tips for the route above - the answer to our own question ;-) Nice to hear that our last bit from Jolfa into Armenia will be a nice one ;-)
Now lets pray for lesser traffic in Armenia!
Blanche