Turkmenistan Travel Forum

Hi friends, I am planning to make a big trip through Central Asia next summer and would like to cover all 5 ex SU countries. Did anyone make a trip like this? I plan to travel by myself on budget. Maybe a stupid question but how much money should I plan for spending in 6 weeks? I have to make it a cheap trip. What are the best means of travelling? bus? Where should I start and where should I end? I am very grateful for all kinds of advices! Thanks a lot, Silvia

hello fellow members .. anyone knows how to get a visa support to Turkmenistan?
any recommendations?

I would appreciate input about traveling to Ashgabat.
1-Is it possible to rent an apartment and if yes how to go about it ?
2- Any recomends for budget hotels in Ashgabat.
3- For how long can one get a visa being a US citizen.
4- Any reliable local contacts as I have read on the blogs that it is very helpful to have a local contact ( friend/s ) .
5- Do's and Dont's .
Would greatly value the advise.
Sy

I would appreciate input about traveling to Ashgabat.
1-Is it possible to rent an apartment and if yes how to go about it ?
2- Any recoomends for budget hotels in Ashgabat.
3- For how long can one get a visa being a US citizen.
4- Any reliable local contacts as I have read on the blogs that it is very helpful to have a local contact ( friend 0.
5- Do's and Dont's .
Would appreciate the advise.
Sy

I plan on travelling to Ashgabat - Turkmenistan this coming summer 08. Could any one please guide me on :
1-HOW and from Whom (reputable agency )to get an invite for at least a month or more visa ?
2- Name of Budget hotel or can one rent an Apartmnet to stay and where to find info on such ?
3-Places and people to avoid.
4-budget eating places
5- other useful tips such as medical care, police traps, custom and Immigartion dealings , Night life and Hookers .
I would appreciate input and guidance from all you wonderful fellow travelers.
Thank you

Hi Everyone,

Can anyone help me with this:
I am planning a trip to turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, arriving in Ashgabat and travelling to Uzbekistan by the road. I want to know if anyone has already taken the road from MARY to KHIVA in Uzbekistan with a border crossing arround DASHOGUZ ?
how is the road and how is the border checkpoint ?

many thanks

Orhene

Anyone headed to Turkmenistan in mid-June?

Would like to join an organized tour, but can't afford to travel on my own in Turkmenistan.

Preferably i'd like to start in Ashgabat, and end at the Uzbek border near Bukhara.

Should i try for a transit visa instead?

Unfortunately, plan on flying into ASB. Would it be possible to pick up the transit visa at the airport after arranging it prior to arrival in ASB?

Thanks!

I will be traveling to Ashbagat ,Uzbekistan on April 21 and returning from Almaty,Turkmenistan approximatelt May 7th. Could anyone help me cheap fares from Frankfort or Rome airports?

I will fly standby to either FRA or ROM. Or is it better to justl fly from New York. Any help is appreciated.

Gday all,

I was just curious about the ferry service of the Caspian Sea. Would it be possible to catch a ferry from Baku to Turkmenbashi to Aqtau in the space of 2 weeks? i have read some info. on VT postings, and was just curious to here a little more about the experiences anyone has had.

thanks guys

hi VTers,

I feel honored to be the first person ever to post a query in this fourm. Anyway, I hope to make it a good one, so here it goes:

Has anyone taken the ferry from here to Baku? I've read that it's very inconsistent (to say the least) and wondered what experience VTer have had with this and this route/ferry in general. (I'll be traveling on a bit of a tight time frame, and don't have days to wait in Turkmenbashi for a ferry to arrive.....)

Thanks...and, I so hope that this inaugural Turkmenbashi forum posting gets a reply!

Anyone applied for a Turkmeni visa (and got it) in Turkmeni Embassy in Baku?
I see someone else posted the same question months ago, but still no answer.
Thanks!

Any T-14s for Peace Corps out there or T-13s that are currently serving?

Can anybody help em to get in touch with a special friend.

I have a mobile number but do not know the code for international calls to a mobile. +993 1 and the number does not work.

Can anybody help.

Regards,
Keith

Hi there where would be the best place to apply for a Turkmen tourist or transit visa
-Moscow
-Almaty
-Uzbekistan
-Kyrgzistan ?

-Any recomended places for letter of support? and any idea how long visa processing is?
Many thanks -and if anyone wants to meet up in Central asia /Iran in July/August 2005 let me know! :)

Can I get a visa in China close to the Veitnam.

I'm hoping to travel from Uzbekistan across Turkmenistan, to take teh ferry accross the Caspian Sea to Azerbyjan.
Any advise on getting a 5 day transit visa for Turkmenistan. Can I just do this in Tashkent or at the border?

I will spend few days of November in Turkmenistan, visiting Ashgabat, Konye Urgench and Merv. Does anybody can tell me what to bring with me? And maybe someone is visiting the same places betwenn 2 and 10 of Nov.?

I am currently in Iran and will go through Turkmenistan in September (Transitvisa for 5 days 01.09.04 - 06.09.04).

Which transportation can I take? Are there any direct crossborder services or do I have to get somehow (how?) to the border, walk over it and take a local transportation there? If yes, how dies it work? Where can I change money (What is the rate) and how much does the transportation cost to the capital?

Anybody going the same way or want to join?

Thanks for every help!

Thomas

Dear Travellers,

I have never seen a beer can produced in Turkmenistan. Is there any beer can produced there? Which brands? Thanks, Andre, from Brazil

I planned to travel through the CA Republics in Sept. coming from Iran going to China, visiting Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan & Kyrgyzstan on the way. First inquiry about the procedures & cost was quite off-putting, leaving me with the impression that Turkmenistan does not really like tourists by making it difficult/expensive for foreigners to visit.

From Turkmenistan consulate in Istanbul I learned that they are asking for 91$ for a 1-month Visa from a German (I read that there are cheaper 1/2 week visas, but they say all are the same price). For letter of recommendation they gave a tel-Nr. of a travel agency in I-bul which where asking for 240$ (including 91$ visa fee), procedure will still take 16 days. There is supposed to be another fee of 10$ to be paid to immigration upon arrival. To pay 250$ without having anything seen of the country? That makes more than 35$/day for planned 7-day-stay – much more than my daily travel budget.

Did I just bumped into the wrong consulate employee and travel agency or are these common costs for visiting Turkmenistan? I'd like to see the country & meet the people (knowing also some Turkish), but if they intend to prevent travellers to come to Turkmenistan by causing such high entering costs - they might succeed. And given the fact that there is no way around Turkmenistan coming from Iran overland and wanting to continue to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, this might also prevent to see the whole region. How do the procedures and cost look like in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan? I heard its easier and costs less, but I have no precise figures yet.

WHO CAN HELP?

1. ARE THERE CHEAPER WAYS TO GET IN AND AROUND TURKMENISTAN?
2. IS THERE REALLY JUST THIS EXPENSIVE 1 MONTH VISA?
3. DO YOU KNOW OTHER TRAVEL AGENCIES OR INDIVIDUALS FROM WHOM I COULD GET THIS OBLIGATORY LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION MUCH CHEAPER? (I heard and read about figures around 20 to 30$ before)
4. ANY WAY POSSIBLE TO GO AROUND? FROM IRAN TO KAZAKSTAN OVER CASPIAN SEA?

Thanks for any help

Before you say anything. I know it will be still quite around beginning of September, but I will be travelling through coming from Iran (or if I cannot get a Visa from Aserbaichan) continuing to Usbekistan, Kirgisistan and into China, so I cannot change the date...

My questions are the following - thanks for any help

1. LETTERS OF INVITATION
I read an invitation letter is asked for applying for a visa. Does anyone know where I can get one cheap. I heard some travel agencies send you one, but asking for around 30$ - quite a sum for just a few lines. Anybody knows a more inexpesive way?

2. APPLYING FOR OTHER CENTRAL ASIAN VISA IN TURKMENISTAN

I would like to apply for the visa of Turkmenistan before I go, but would like to apply for the VISA for Usbekistan and Kyrkyzistan in Turkmenistan, because it is supposed to be cheaper and faster. Does anybody has done this in Turkmenistan and for the countries mentioned above or has some information?

3. TRAVEL MATE FOR CENTRAL ASIA IN SEPTEMBER

Anybody you around the area in September and might want to join? Or any local resident or expatriate living there reading this? Please contact me, would be great to meet in Central Asia and - if chemestry is right - even make trips together.

what kind of fast food & pizza restaurants are there in turkmenistan?

OK lost my turkmen fuzzy black afro sheep hat anyone there or going there??? I will pay a hefty price fo rone to be mailed to me!!! Kevin kevcatdoc@aol.com

Has anyone recently travelled in Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan? Is it safe for a solo traveller on a tight budget ?
Thanks.