UK-Istanbul

[Roger Conway]

Hello there,

I am planning to cycle to Istanbul from the UK in late August. I'm in the process of doing some planning now, and wandered if anyone had any experience with maps. Common sense/experience tells me that ill need maps on a 1:200,000 scale in order to get the sufficient level of detail. Does anyone know if there is a "one stop shop" whereby all the maps for the different countries can be bought in one go?

Or will I have to buy a separate one for each country? There are several countries in Eastern Europe that I suppose I won't be spending that long in at a time, so I was wandering if there was any good maps on the 1:200,000 scale that anyone was familiar with which were on a sub region scale, ie one map on this detail for South East Europe, etcetera....

Any help would be much appreciated. Or any other random advice for this type of cycle as I've never done such a long one.

Regards & thanks

Roger.

 

[MarkF]

Good luck Roger, I want to do that trip one day.

I've used 1:200,000 maps touring North Europe, Portugal and across Spain, nothing else, I have bought all of them from Ebay, all mint, £2-5 inc postage.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TURKEY-Na...23698?pt=UK_Books_maps_GL&hash=item232a1bd9f2

 

[grolyat]

If you can get to London, Stanfords near Covent Garden is the Mecca of the map world. they have everything.
http://www.stanfords.co.uk/

 

[Brains]

Depending on your route, but if you were basically thinking of following the Rhein and the Danube all the way then get the esterbauer Bikeline books, they are available in English for most of the way

 

[User169]

....

Any help would be much appreciated. Or any other random advice for this type of cycle as I've never done such a long one.

Regards & thanks

Roger.

OK.Random advice alert!

Get yourself a copy of Patrick Leigh Fermor's Time Of Gifts and follow the route he took (on foot) in 1933/4.

 

[Herr-B]

OK.Random advice alert!

Get yourself a copy of Patrick Leigh Fermor's Time Of Gifts and follow the route he took (on foot) in 1933/4.

That's a name I recognise, I've read a lot of books concerning his wartime activities. Obviously not just a wartime man of action.

I've no intention of cycling or walking to Istanbul but have added that book to my 'to get' list.

Thanks.

 

[Monsieur]

Good luck Roger, I want to do that trip one day.

I've used 1:200,000 maps touring North Europe, Portugal and across Spain, nothing else, I have bought all of them from Ebay, all mint, £2-5 inc postage.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TURKEY-Na...23698?pt=UK_Books_maps_GL&hash=item232a1bd9f2

Cheaper on amazon

 

[hoopdriver]

If you can get to London, Stanfords near Covent Garden is the Mecca of the map world. they have everything.
http://www.stanfords.co.uk/

+1 for Stanfords in Covent Garden.

THe Danube Bicycle Path is great - or at least it was a few years ago when I did London-Istanbul. It's a great trip by the way

 

[ayceejay]

Keep an eye on the political situation in Turkey.

 

[Binka]

There's a really good London to Istanbul travel blog on crazy guy on a bike.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1&doc_id=10993&v=2qX