IRAN

[Robert Laudensack]

I noted that for Iran there are only highways for planning and there is no Offline map for Iran?
I plan to go there in 3 weeks what can I do?

[Nomko Nomden]

Besides your question, do you think that with the current (political) climate in the Middle East it is very wise to go there for a holiday or tour?

Which map are you using? Or want to use to plot your route(s)? There may be a difference between OSM, HERE and the TomTom map in showing the smaller (country) roads.

[Rob Veerman]

@Robert-Laudensack I'm going there too and will probably arrive there October 7 (hoping the situation will allow it). You could download an OSM map on your phone. Have a look at maps.me, but you will probably know that site.

[Robert Laudensack]

@Rob-Veerman thx i'll try that

[Robert Laudensack]

@Nomko-Nomden i wanted to plan and navigate

[Rob Veerman]

@Robert-Laudensack And if you use a Garmin device like a Zümo you could install an OSM map (which are free) on your Garmin. I just downloaded and installed such a map on the device. Then you can use your phone off line as a GPS and also navigate with the assistance of your Garmin.

[C.A. Kielen]

@Robert-Laudensack. How was your Iran trip? How did you solve your navigation problem. I am planning to go there in a few month. Only OSM and Google has detailed maps for Iran.
Maybe it is possible to make the routes in OSM and then convert the route to a track. And then ride the route offline in the Myroute app as a track.

[Nick Carthew]

I'm all for adventurous travelling but for me, I would be giving Iran a wide berth at the moment!

https://news.sky.com/story/craig-and-lindsay-foreman-british-couple-detained-in-iran-are-named-as-family-significantly-concerned-13309761

[Rob Veerman]

I visited Iran October 2024 (entered through Armenia and left it some weeks later at the Turkish border) on a motorcycle with my wife as a duo passenger. All went very well, no problems at all, hotels were fine, food was good, petrol very cheap and the people are extremely nice. Forget all the stories about politics and ayatollahs, it's no problem travelling there and the people are really very friendly. Don't pay too much attention to the people that never visited it and are citing newspapers. You do need a Carnet de Passage for your vehicle (in my case a motorbike). For navigation I used my Garmin and Open Street Maps installed on my Garmin Zumo XT.

[Nick Carthew]

@Rob-Veerman Citing newspapers! The worrying story of Craig and Lindsay Foreman has been covered by all news channels.
Here's an extract from the British Government website:
*Risk of arrest, detention and a death sentence
There is a very high risk of arrest, questioning and detention for British nationals and British-Iranian dual nationals. If the Iranian authorities accuse you of security related offences as a British national in Iran, there is a risk that you will be sentenced to death.

Holding a British passport or having perceived connections to the UK can be reason enough for the Iranian authorities to detain you. If you are detained in Iran, you could face months or years of imprisonment.*

So, no thanks, in my eyes it just ain't worth the risk.

[C.A. Kielen]

@Rob-Veerman Ok thank you. I am looking forward to see Iran I have heart/seen so many good travels story's from Irak and Iran. I am planning to go from Turkey to Kurdistan Irak and in the federal Irak to the south. Then in Iran back to the north into Armenia and then Georgia.
Rob how did you get there? Did you drive all the way from your home? Maybe I take the car night train to Edirne in Turkey.
Are there any "must see" places?

for the people who have second thoughts:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPL5BLEetsUERzVAC_2UkPMu21TuvuQDA
https://www.youtube.com/@krikkosadventure/search?query=iran
https://www.youtube.com/@ItchyBoots/search?query=iran
https://www.youtube.com/@MarcTravels/search?query=iran

This is what really is happening in Iran. And yes I think when your from the UK or USA you probably run into more risk.

[Rob Veerman]

@C-A-Kielen From The Netherlands through Turkey into Georgia, then Armenia, from there into Iran, doing some trips in Iran, back to Turkey (most eastern border) all the way through Turkey again along the south coast and the west coast of Turkey, through the north of Greece (took the ferry at Igoumenitsa to Brindisi (Italy), then through the mountains of Italy up north, into France and the fast way back by the highway back home to the Netherlands. In total it was around 18.200 kilometers.
Itchy Boots (Noraly) stated that from the Kurdish part of Irak you better first cross into Iran and go from Iran a bit more south into the Federal Irak. She did that very recently, which you will probably have seen on her YouTube channel.

[Rob Veerman]

@Nick-Carthew Don't take it personal, my remark was not meant at your posting, but more in general terms. The moment you step on your motorcycle you are already taking a risk (and then I am not even talking about going abroad where people are riding on what is called 'the wrong side of the road'). When we rode from Alaska to Ushuaia and had to cross Mexico we were warned by many Americans not to go there. The many Mexicans we met were very friendly and helped us out. If you avoid some places and political activities things will (hopefully) go fine.

[richtea999]

@Rob-Veerman said in IRAN:

When we rode from Alaska to Ushuaia and had to cross Mexico we were warned by many Americans not to go there. The many Mexicans we met were very friendly and helped us out. If you avoid some places and political activities things will (hopefully) go fine.

The risk for UK (and US) citizens is considerably greater than for other countries, and it's not just casual hearsay, it's real.

An innocent tourist can be a very useful pawn in a government-level political game, and unfortunately it's very cheap and easy to charge and incarcerate them.

Any US-Mexican diplomatic discord is nowhere near at the same level as UK and Iran. The problem in Mexico, as far as I understand it, is individual rogues / no-go areas, not the government.

[C.A. Kielen]

@Rob-Veerman That is a lot of kilometers. Turkey itself is already a lot of km from west to east and back. I think I will make almost the same tour but in the opposite way. I hope to find a truck to transport the bike, otherwise it will be the car night trains, but that is very expensive.
Yes I have seen the episodes of Noraly crossing those borders. Krikkos (mentioned above) had the same problem. I also had planned the same route.
But in the "FB Overland Middle East group" there are several people reporting that recently it is possible that you can enter federal Irak with your Kurdistan Irak E visum direct from Kurdistan. They past the border between Kurdistan and federal Irak somewhere on the road between Duhok and Mosul. It was not more then a common security check. I will try that route first.

@Nick-Carthew I think with regards to your government American and British people are not so welcome in Iran. You also have special visa requirements for the two country's. So yes It is possible that the risk for you could be higher.

[Robert Laudensack]

@Rob-Veerman fully agree aout the iranian people

[Robert Laudensack]

So i did go to iran, and loved it - see my trip here https://www.polarsteps.com/RobertLaudensack/13540507-iran-2024
to navigate I used mostly google Maps and as backup mapy.cz for offline situations where I lost the internet and had to restart navigation like in the lut desert. myrouteapp is good until the turkish Iranian border, but the completely useless due to the lack of maps.
I only use mobile phone to navigate. my main device is an Oukitel WP22 with an huge accu an its very robust, as backup I had my Samsung Galaxy S20 in a love mei ruggedized case

[Rob Kelley]

@Robert-Laudensack I wouldn't recomend it https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/feb/18/britons-craig-and-lindsay-foreman-detained-in-iran-charged-with-espionage

[Rob Veerman]

@Rob-Kelley I would, having the Dutch nationality.

[Con Hennekens]

I was typing an opinion on countries like Iran, but I removed it in order to keep tis forum cosy...