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Overland trip in July 1976

From New Delhi to Nice




Tony Hall's plans and notes based on Mary Barnett's log book


5th July Delhi to Amritsar

7am Leave. Arrive around 4pm - stay at Mrs Bandare's Guest House.

6th July Amritsar - Lahore

Level fertile country - allow time for border crossing.

7th July Wednesday Lahore - Peshawar (443km = 275 miles)

Industrial areas, then across fertile plains to Jhelum. Mountain road to Rawalpindi - busy fairly wide GT road to Peshawar

8th -10th July (Thursday to Saturday) Peshawar to Kabul (205kms = 90 miles)

Peshawar to customs 56kms

Khyber road, quite winding and narrow in parts, but not very difficult. Pass closed sunset to sunrise. 30 Afghanis toll payable at Sarobi (80kms before kabul) - through gorge to Kabul

Sunday 11th July Kabul - Kandahar - pre-dawn departure

Take ample petrol and food. 512 kms - 318 miles

Modern highway, Resthouse (Petrol) at Ghazni (146 kms from Kabul) Gradual ascent (Highest point 9000ft) then easy descent to Ghazni. Further descent Ghazni to Kandahar.

Pay 30 Afghanis between 19km toll and 125 km toll
Pay 50 Afghanis between 169 km toll (Nani) and 439 km toll.

Monday 12th July - Tuesday 13th July Kandahar to Herat

Pre dawn departure

Modern road. Across scrubland and desert. Road tolls payable: 40 Afghanis 32 km toll 370 and 483 km toll barriers. Hold counterfoils.

Wednesday 14th July Herat to Mashad - pre dawn departure

Cross border into Iran (121 kms before customs) 376 km - 234 miles. Toll: 30 Afghanis near Herat. Modern road across level country side. Follow river valley from Herat to Khosan (just before Afghan cistoms) Both customs seperate from borders.

Thursday 15th July to Friday 16th July Mashad - Gongan pre dawn departure. 602 kms

High mountain plateau in between Mashad and Shirvan. Descent to Ashkaneh, then step country pof Turkomen nomads. Around Dasht virgin forest of Shah's hunting reserve.

Saturday 17th July - Sunday 18th July Gongan - Tehran 305 kms

Gongan to Sari through wooded foothills of Elburz mountains - 143 kms. Sari to Tehran 262 kms (163 miles). From North of Elsburz mountains across rice growing Mazandaran plains - through hilly country, then into Tehran.

Monday 19th July Tehran - Tabriz (long but easy drive) 653 kms = 406 miles

Camp in Tabriz. Motorway to Karaj, costs 40 reals - (alternative)

Open, monotonous plain as far as Zanjan. (331 kms), Then generally mountainous country to Tabriz (4,450 ft alt.)

Thursday 20th July Tabriz - Maku (border) 287 kms = 173 miles

Resthouse at Maku. 5000ft pass, summit at 61 kms after Tabriz. Then down into irrigated plain of Maranal (71 kms) down again Khevoi (another irrigated plain). From Satam (190 kms) to Maku, narrow mountainous road with hairpin bends over 7000ft pass then descending to Maku at 4,500 ft. Distance between Maku and border, 24 kms

Thursday 22nd July Erzurum - Trabzon 329 kms - 204 miles.

Through pass 7800 ft (at 85 kms) down to Gumushane (211 kms) Bare and rocky slopes up to here then winding mountain slopes through forest (through pass 6,600ft at 262 kms,) down to Trabzon.

[Here dad gives an alternate route that we didn't take via Samsun and Ankara. Instead we took the ferry to Istanbul and slept 3rd class on the deck of the ship]

Sunday 25th to 27th [In fact we arrived, according to dad's notes, on the 23rd] Istanbul

Wednesday the 28th July Istanbul Erdine 238 kms -= 148 miles

Dual carriageway first 24 kms. Modern road - plateau, then down across sandy coastal plain Silivry at 71 kms, then undulating downs

Istanbul - Alexandropolis - in fact we went to Thessaloniki and stayed at the beach

Saturday 31st [in fact 29th] July Sunday Sofia - Belgrade 402 kms = 249 miles

Industry after Sophia then agricultural then Dragomar Pass 2600 ft - Then border customs after 56 kms after Sofia Then thro' wild country with magnificent mountain views on single lane carriageway.

Along cultivated valley of River Moraba, thro' undulating country towards Danube and then into Belgrade

Monday 2nd August [actually, 31st July] Belgrade - Zagreb 389 kms = 241 miles

Route crosses plain of river Sawa.

1st August Zagreb - Rijeka 204 kms = 127 miles

Carriageway under construction to Karlovac Across cultivated plain of river Sawa Then pleasant run across undulating partly wooded Croatian hills. Then fine view between Debnice and Felenjer (fairly close to Rijeka). Mountainous picturesque route generally tho' many quaint villages.

August 2nd August - 3rd August Rijeka - Venice 243 kms = 150 miles

Rijeka to Trieste 77 kms - 48 miles Border at 64 kms after Rijeka. Some views of many islands off coast, ascending thro' lush coastal vegetation to Corste plateau then  thro' woods to Trieste. Trieste - Venice: 164 kms 103 miles

Route 14, (alternative) 161  kms (100 miles) both cross flat plain of little interest - 3 rivers. But this one skirts Bay of Trieste with superb scenery.

Friday 4th August Venice - Genoa - 249 miles

Venice Mantua - 92 miles - 148 kms. Motorway A13 and A14. Fast, level, monotonous road.

Mantua - Piacentza 62 under 99 kms Straight level road across River Po basin Autostrada A21 between Cremona and Piacenza
Piacenza - Genoa 149 kms - 93 miles Motorway A7 & A21

Saturday 5th August Genoa - Golfe Juan (148 miles maximum)

Genoa - Savona = 31 miles - 30 kms
Winding coast road or quicker motorway.

Savona - Menton (border) 72 miles motorway (80 miles, new road) = 129 km

Menton - Nice via Cornice Inferieure, moyenne, grande - 18- 20 miles

Nice - Golfe Juan * 26 km. = 17 miles

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