Driving - UK To Turkey

[Dave100456]

I am considering drving next year to my boat in Marmaris in order to take out some items too heavy/large for hold luggage on a plane.
I'd be grateful for advice regarding customs/import duties and road entry into Turkey with my personal but newish boat items (solar panels, dinghy, machine tools for fitting out, etc). What are the land border controls/proceedures like for a UK citizen arriving in a UK vehicle?
If anyone has made this trip, can you say which routes to take or avoid. Is the car ferry from Greece a better alternative in terms of customs?
Thanks
Dave

 

[satsuma]

As far as I am aware, the items will be liable for import duty, even any power tools etc may also be liable!, unless you can smuggle them through!
The car, may require you to leave a deposit (or bond) at the border/customs, for the duration of your visit?

 

[binch]

As far as Greece

Have twice driven to Greece but not the Turkish bit
After Hungary, the roads deteriorate and I do not recommend driving through Makedonia. It is only a few miles but they are known to find all foreign green cards etc and make you take out an expensive insurance.
The second time, we spent a week-end in Venice and wentt down to Igoumenitsa by ferry.
Roads across Greece west to east, are slow and dangerous. The danger comes from Greek truck drivers.
Good luck.

 

[tri39]

I suspect it will be simpler to first sail the boat to Greece or Italy if you want to drive out.
This was the very reason I moved my boat up the Adriatic to Monfalcone.
In fact I did drive round Turkey in late '71. It's still a long way now the roads are much better!

 

[Appleyard]

PM'd you.

 

[r_h]

Roads across Greece west to east, are slow and dangerous. The danger comes from Greek truck drivers.
Good luck.

I understand the new motorway sections are now open, which makes driving across Greece considerable faster.

 

[Dave100456]

Driving & Customs

I was hoping to bring my posessions (dinghy, aircon unit, UV panels) into Turkey without paying import duty in addition to the VAT I have already paid when I bought these goods in UK. I'll also be taking the boat away from Turkey in a couple of years and presume I can't get any duty back!
Do any of you have experience of customs tarifs in respect of carrying your own goods into the country?
Cheers
Dave

 

[duncan99210]

Don't even think about it. Turkish customs will charge import duty on everything and you won't get anything back after leaving the place. Much better to pop over to mainland Greece with the boat and drive car there. Best route is from Italy by ferry to Igonoumitsa or Patras - good roads to east from there.

 

[nimbusgb]

Igo' to Athens is probably an easier drive than doing the same distance in the UK!

 

[Dave100456]

Thank you all for the advice. Perhaps the drive is not worth it given import duty implications.
Dave

 

[vas]

not quite sure where Marmaris is, from a previous post of yours I gather it's somewhere south nearby Antalya so close to Rhodes, right?

If so, I'd drive to Ancona, ferry over to Patras 14hrs, drive 2hrs to Pireaus, boatferry to Rhodes (12+hrs). Then find a way to cross over to Turkey, get your boat to Rhodes, load the stuff and off you go. No customs, no miles to no end, relaxing trip.
FWIW, road from Igoymenitsa (west near Corfu) to Alexandroupolis (border to Turkey and 4hrs from Istanbul) is now all open (bar 10km or so) so proper motorway, decent relaxing driving. Did it again last month.

cheers

V

 

[superboots]

I have done this several times - maybe 6 - using different routes. In summary the most comfortable - but not the most expensive - way is to drive to venice and take the ferry to igoumenitsa. From there it is all superb motorway to the Turkish border - you can do this in just 8 hours and so far only for 5 euro tolls ( they are building new toll stations but very slowly!)
For Turkey you will need car registration and green card insurance. I've never been asked to show my driving license! Strickly speaking if you have been in Turkey within the previous 12 months - with or without car - you will not be allowed to bring the car in but I have never heard of anyone being prevented from doing this. A more likely problem is if the car has been in Turkey within the last 12 months but that does not apply to you. You will get a 6 month permit for the car but as your visa is for only 3 months you will in effect only be able to use the car for the 3 months as to renew your visa you will either have to take the car out with you or leave it in customs bond. If you have a marina contract you could apply for a residence permit which could then mean you could use the car for the full 6 months but not longer.
As for your stuff - providing its coming across a land border in your car there do not seem to be any problems. I have come fully loaded with boat stuff including out boards,electronics etc and no one has looked or asked any questions - worthwhile though to have your transit log - fully completed.
I was thinking of doing a supply run for next season but no longer have a UK car to do this- maybe we could combine and make a joint enterprise?

 

[Dave100456]

Superboots-pm sent

 

[Swagman]

Why not drive / ferry to the closest Greek island and leave your car there?
A week later sail your boat over to the island, fit your gear, take the boat back to Turkey?
JOHN

 

[superboots]

pm replied to

 

[bateau57]

Have Done It

I caught a ferry to Dieppe and then drove in a VW Transporter from Dieppe to Ancona in Italy (15hrs non stop other than fuel). Then an overnight ferry from Ancona to Igousmenitsa, Greece. Then drove to Ipsala on the Turkish border. That took 6hrs on by far the best roads so far yet the Greeks had not built the toll booths. Then we went through the dreaded customs at 3pm. They were great to be honest I showed them my Yacht Transit Log and used the words Yacht in Transit which they understood. I had 12 8x4 sheets of marine ply, 2 8x4 sheets of polyisocarnate insulation for the fridge, table saw, planer, band saw, all sorts of tools, 600AH deep cycle batteries, new mattress for the V-berth, 20kg anchor, new fridge compressor and evaporator, 5hp outboard motor, RIB and more (we were a bit loaded down you might say). The guy took one look and could not shut the door fast enough. He linked the dinghy, RIB and vehicle to my passport and let us through. No costs other than car insurance (green slip) which you buy there for around £30. Drove past Marmaris and had a customs agent move the dinghy and outboard to the boat inventory and that was it really. I can say I did not expect that and my backup plan was to turn around and catch a ferry to either Kos or Rhodes, sail the boat to meet the van and and then take it all back into Turkey on the boat. In the end it was dead easy but you sure hear some horror stories.

Driving in Turkey is interesting as road rules as merely a suggestion unless you are doing 130kph on a deserted road in a van. Be careful (cost €120 on the spot). Carry some cash is my suggestion.

I am doing it again this year and I will have some furniture I have made for the boat (to finish), lots of teak work, new sails and other stuff. I need to bring all my tools back.