Iran
Visas, Embassies & Border Crossings
If you bring your own car
into Iran and are staying for more
than 14 days you now have to get
Iranian number plates. On
the border they just tell you that
you have to go the police station
and get them. What you have to do is
go to the office giving out
carplates. You don't have to bring
your car. Expect it to take several
hours. I paid 250 000 rials. This
has nothing to do with insurance or
being a tourist. It applies to
everybody driving a car with foreign
number-plates.
Jan
Isaksen, Norway (Oct 05)
Bajgiran border -
The info in the LP is not all
correct. For instance, the distance
between the Iran and Turkmen borders
is not 30km as in LP but hardly 5km.
There are no buses
or minibuses, but there are
occasional cars that will take you
across. We had little problems
crossing the border but had to pay
for our car (that we didn't have!).
Everybody has to pay US$10 for the
car, so this seems to be an
officially approved bribe. At the
moment however, the country has
closed its borders because of SARS.
Marc
Glaudemans & Marijke Dijkgraaf,
Netherlands (Jun 03)
Iranian visas are
easy enough to obtain in
Ankara, Turkey, provided
you can get a letter of
recommendation from your embassy.
The Iranian embassy is open 8am-4pm
(with an hour lunch break), closed
Fridays and Sundays. The phone
number is 468-2820, and there's a
nice, helpful English-speaking
Iranian man who works there. Tourist
visas take about one week to
process, cost US$50, and are good
for a month in Iran. Transit visas
cost only US$30 and take less than a
week to process, provided you can
show your visa for the next country
on your trip (like Pakistan, for
example).
Anna
Piller, Turkey (May 03)
We had no problems getting a
visa in Zagreb, Croatia.
Staff were very polite. We just
needed to fill in one form for the
visa. After that we had to wait 7
days and than we got the visa. We
payed around 50 euro. Also, if you
are in hurry I think that there will
be no problem with issuing the visa
more quickly.
Boris
Josipovic, Croatia (Apr 03)
The border crossing into
Iran is a breeze on the
Iranian side (took me 5 minutes) but
on the Turkish side
they rely on their computers to
enter your name in and they have
power only sporadically. I waited
for an hour until the power came
back. On the Iranian side you get an
immigration card but no customs
form.
Ralf
Schwate, Germany (Apr 03)
The Turkmenistan Embassy
takes up to 10 days to issue a
transit visa - better to try and get
this in Islamabad or Delhi
where they can do it in 3 days for a
surcharge.
Tanya
Paterson (Feb 03)
Bushehr: visa extension
is now available in the police head
office at Qods Square. I got mine in
2 days, but it is a business visa as
I am here for some months working
for a Dutch company.
Wendy
Gootjes, Netherlands (Feb 03)
The visa situation
appears to be somewhat erratic with
some people getting their visa in a
matter of days while others had to
wait up to six weeks. It took us six
weeks to get our visa mainly, I
think, because we applied in France.
We had to use an agency here and
they would only forward the
application for us because we could
prove that we had a house in France.
They initially advised us to return
to Australia and apply from there!!
We paid 75 euros each for their
service. They were helpful but this
is rather high. The visa charge was
an additional 60 euros and we had to
pre-book a % of our hotel
accommodation with them. A Norwegian
we met had no problem but an English
woman waited over 4 weeks, as did
another French couple. A young man
cycling around the world applied in
Ankara and got it after only 3 days
for US$30.
We were informed by another couple
that the transit visa
that they picked up in Ankara could
not be extended. They had 5 days to
get to Pakistan!
Margaret
& Michael Clark, Australia (Feb 03)
Travel Tips
The new 'Iran cheques'
make dealing with such
large numbers of rials much easier,
a lot easier to carry around than
huge wads of notes. They are
available in 1 million and 500,000
rial denominations.
Philip
Walker, UK (Sep 05)
Shiraz: Do make it a point and taste
the local biscuit delicacy
called Youkheh. I was
absolutely hooked. I can only
described it as like an chinese egg
roll biscuit, but the biscuit is
much lighter and is rolled tightly
into many layers which are filled
with icing sugar.
Mong-Yang
Loh, UK (Aug 05)
In order to climb Mount
Damavand, foreigners are now
requested to pay US$25 at the start
of the trail (Gusfand Sara,
3035m). While it is possible to
escape the fee by starting from
Reyneh, we were checked at the main
shelter (4250m) the same evening by
someone from the Indian
Mountaineering Federation.
Marc
Laperrouza, Switzerland (Aug 05)
Things are changing fast in Iran. I
have been travelling around alone as
a woman. The dresscode is
changing. Outside Tehran
you can easily get away without
socks in your sandals. Your trousers
don't need to cover your ankles and
your shirt should only go down below
your elbows. Of course you should
still be wearing a scarf, a bandana
is not enough yet. Be aware that at
very religious places you should be
wearing more.
VERY IMPORTANT: DO NOT GIVE
THUMBS UP SIGN. This is the
Iranian f**k you sign by ten. It is
considered extremely rude and bad
behavior even though most Iranians
can see if it is given with a smile
that it is purely ignorance. This
piece of information is really
missing in the guidebook.
Tove
Gronbaek Jensen, Denmark (Oct 03)
I am a vegetarian.
Vegetarian food is very difficult to
find in restaurants and I
got sick of eating rice, tomatoes
and bread all the time. I started to
buy vegetables at the market and
then cook it up at the kitchens of
the hotels.
Anthony
Paine, Switzerland (Aug 03)
In Esfahan bazaar
some carpet sellers can take
visa. The transaction is
done via a phone call to Dubai -
which adds 8% on to the value of
your purchase. I found that hotels
gave pretty bad rates. If you must
change money on the street make sure
a local goes with you. I got ripped
off badly, and was threatened
verbally when I complained. His
excuse was "I need commission, its
dangerous here, lots of police
around!"
I was informed that since 11
September 2001 all banking
connections between Iran
and UK have been suspended.
Since I ran out of money during my
trip I can confirm the necessity of
bringing enough dollars in cash,
since the alternatives are very
complicated. I eventually had money
transferred from home to the Foreign
Office in London then to the British
Embassy in Tehran. But that process
takes up to a week.
The dangers posed by the
traffic in Tehran cannot be
overstated! Crossing the road is a
daily battle of wits, and can get
very annoying for the person used to
being able to cross the road safely
at traffic lights and zebra
crossings. Vehicles ignore all road
regulations, driving as if
pedestrians are an obstruction to
them. Motorbikes are the worst
culprits, riding on the pavements
and the wrong way down the street. I
nearly got mown down by a bus whilst
trying to cross the road. The bus
was hurtling its way towards me
against the flow of traffic and
straddling two lanes.
Alex
Melbourne (Apr 03)
While driving past the US
embassy, the tour guide I
was with insisted that if the
military guards see you
taking photos they will
make arrests. I returned to the
embassy a week later with some
students I had befriended and they
kept saying that it was absolutely
no problem to take photos. In the
end, I made them ask the guard in
the guard tower - and he agreed! So,
it's worth it to ask.
Sarah
Ohring, USA (Mar 03)
A very interesting object on display
at the museum in the Vank
Cathedral in
Esfahan was a bible verse
(Proverbs 1:2) sculpted on a strand
of hair, which can be viewed under a
microscope. But the entrance fee is
an exorbitant 25000 Rials.
Betty
Sam, India (Feb 03)
Dress does vary somewhat.
In Tehran we saw young women in
sandals with painted toe-nails!
Jeans are de rigeur among the young.
The flowing, all enveloping shawl is
undergoing change. Some women wear
ones that are made of lace, others
are dotted or have flower sprigs in
varying dark shades. The headscarf
is going ever further back on the
head. Many women complained to my
wife about the necessity to wear
hejab. There is an increase in the
number wearing simply a coat over
the trousers in the Syrian/Jordanian
fashion. One woman we spoke to said
that in her home town she would have
to wear the black cloak but
elsewhere she could be more relaxed
and just wear the coat. In Tehran
some of the outfits look just like
trouser suits. A number of older
women are also knotting the long
shawl under their bust to give more
use of their arms for lifting and
carrying. It all appears to be in a
state of flux.
Margaret
& Michael Clark, Australia (Feb 03)
Moving About
The Trans Asya Express from Tehran
to Istanbul consists almost entirely
of Iranian passengers most of them
do not intend to ever return back.
The general excitementabout their
immigration is big and some are
planning on how to continue from
Turkey to Western Europe, legally or
illegally. A western passport is a
source of much curiosity, as is
western money: As always, it is well
worth it to choose carefully the
compartment in which you sleep and
the people to whom you show your
passport.
Noé
Wiener, Switzerland (Jan 06)
Be careful of being ripped
off if you are
hiring a taxi on your own.
After a while you get to know what
kind of price to expect for a
journey, but I came across several
taxi drivers who demanded a lot
more. Agree on a price before you
get into the taxi, and decide
whether it sounds reasonable or not.
Alex
Melbourne (Apr 03)
If you travel on a domestic
flight, try to reserve
ahead. Flying is a popular form of
transportation, meaning that in Iran
flights were crowded and we had to
switch to land transport a number of
times.
Pavel
Luksha & Oyuna Dougarova, Russia
(Feb 03)
Scams & Warnings
Probably the most dislikeable thing
about our whole trip was the fact
that most times, even after having
agreed a price with �??tour�??
operators or taxis, they would try
to get more out of us at the end of
the tour. This always left a bad
after-taste!! Make sure that you
have agreed upon exactly what your
tour costs and what you are paying
for before you start, including the
maximum length of time.
Cathy
Stokes (Apr 05)
Beware of the robbers and
pickpocketing in the bazaar.
Before arriving we were warned by
one man that there are a lot of
thieves in Tabriz. We didn't care
about it, but we should've cared.
One man attacked us with a knife
near the bazaar at 8 pm. We gave him
some money and he went away. We
reported the case to the police. The
policemen were polite, but were not
able to find the thief.
Boris
Josipovic, Croatia (Apr 03)
We didn't pay one entry fee whilst
in Yazd - perhaps
they don't charge anymore - although
one old man tried to sell us a
ticket to a park in
Shiraz whilst visiting the mosque
next door to our hotel. Luckily a
local came up to us and said that it
was a false ticket and not to pay
the IR30,000 he was asking. There
may be a scam going on with false
tickets because it was also tried on
when we were in Esfahan.
Tanya
Paterson (Feb 03)
Gems, Highlights & Attractions
There is a new sight in
Esfahan: The Ali Gholi Agha
Bathhouse. Itīs a beautiful
restored old hammam. It is well
worth a visit, espacially if you
donīt visit the Sultan Mir Ahme
Hammam in Kashan. English speaking
guides are also available. Admission
IR 10.000. The hammam is located in
the Masjed-e Sayyed Street, about
500 m west from the Takhti Junction.
Dietmar
Krumpl, Austria (Nov 05)
Whoever is planning a trip to Iran -
visiting the city of Bam
is an absolute MUST! Besides the
famous and amazing citadel in Bam,
there are two other ancient
fortresses in the same area
that are not mentioned in the guide
books, probably because they're off
the beaten track (although they're
close to Bam). You simply drive
eastwards from Bam, on a side road,
which is partly paved, for about 20
kms, alongside date plantations.
You'll reach a village called
Darestane-e-Payin, where local
villagers live inside a unique
ancient fortress made of mud. The
people are really friendly and gave
us fresh thin bread which was baked
in front of us on stone.
From there, you continue straight
for another 5 kms until you reach
another ancient fortress,
which, is even more impressive -
similar style to the Bam fortress,
but completely deserted (amazing
overnight stay!). There are no signs
in the area, but it is easily
reachable; you simply drive
eastwards. We were told that the
name of this fortress is
Darestan.
Martin
Jameson, Australia (Jun 03)
Persepolis is not
to be missed. One of the world's
great ancient sites.
It's amazing how little we know
about Darius, only picking up the
story from the Greek side, but here
is evidence of a great civilisation
that comes to life before your eyes.
The nearby tombs and reliefs at
Naqsh-e Rostam and Naqsh-e Rajab are
sensational, both in the dramatic
appearance of the mightly tombs
carved in the rock and the
fascination later Sassanik carvings,
telling of the Romans being
defeated.
John
Sharb (Nov 02)
Yarns, Fables & Anecdotes
I met a bus ticket seller
who sits in a small booth in
Tehran. I first met him in
2001 and he is still there. He
helped me find the right bus and
always had a smile. I would stop for
a chat. He would share an apple with
me and a few nuts. In an effort to
respond I gave him a postcard from
home and offered him a banana I had
bought for our farewell. He would
not accept the banana saying "my
house is near, but yours is far". I
guess that says a lot.
John
Whittaker, Australia (Dec 02)
In Tehran, even the
pickpockets may be
generous to tourists. Some men
pushed and shoved behind as I queued
at a bus station kiosk. A moment
later I found my wallet - and the
men - gone. I raised the alarm, but
in apparent futility, not having
seen the faces of the pickpockets.
As I made a final search, a gruff
looking man approached, talking
curtly, before indicating I should
follow him to a quiet corner. There
he gave me another, battered wallet,
holding the contents of mine and not
a coin missing. He indicated I
should get lost. I did, confused.
Was he a thief with a conscience or
a samaritan who had given the hard
word to the real culprit? Either way
it was a crime undone, a bizarre
extension of Iranian hospitality.
Wayne
Erb, New Zealand (Dec 02)
Although I intended to wait to
purchase a carpet
until I reached Tehran, my final
city in Iran, I somehow did not
resist and ended up buying one in
Esfahan. From there
the seller helped me send it to a
hotel in Tehran where I intended to
stay. After doing this, the worries
began. In fact, I had not reserved
the hotel and they did not expect me
there at all. Moreover, it was a
cheap hotel although the carpet
dealer claimed all would be fine. I
was really surprised and relieved
when I arrived at the hotel, to find
that they had received the parcel
and were able to hand it over to me
the next day. What was interesting
was that whenever I shared my
worries about getting the parcel
with Iranians they felt offended, as
if I suggested someone would steal
my parcel. It seems that hotels are
very honest.
Ivana
Bezecna, Slovakia (Nov 02)
On at least three occasions we were
invited home by
people we met accidentally in the
street or in the bazaar. They did
not care that there were 16 of us.
We accepted the invitation of a
family in Esfahan, and spent a nice
evening drinking tea, chatting about
our families and dancing. We were
also able to see the elegant Iranian
women, otherwise covered by standard
clothing when they are outside their
home walls.
Davide
Chiapasco, Italy (Oct 02)
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