Bicycle Touring The World: England to Turkey by Plane
My latest bicycle touring update, cycling around the world in Istanbul, Turkey. Bognor Regis, England, to Istanbul, Turkey by air. After two weeks at home, it’s time to get back on the road. It’s been a lovely couple of weeks, catching up with family and friends. Julie and I had a few days away in the West Country while my bike was serviced at SJS Cycles in Bridgewater. The rest of my time has been spent mainly down the pub, purely for medical reasons, of course. I’m still pretty sore from my accident and get confused at times (nothing new there!) But generally, I’m feeling okay. Getting back on the bike might help me get over my aches and pains.
The flight over from Gatwick was smooth with no problems. I was sitting next to a Chinese girl who was getting a connecting flight to China on the plane. And a Pakistani girl who was flying on to Afghanistan to see her husband. He had been deported from England. Both were good company and made for a quick flight.
Back To Turkey
I was met at Ataturk International airport in Istanbul by a taxi from the hotel, making things a lot easier for me. Arriving at the hotel felt like a second homecoming, as it’s the same hotel I’d stayed in twice last year! All the staff remembered me, which I’m not sure is good or bad! Even Ahmet, the barman, remembered me. He called me the gin and tonic man!
I plan to stay in Istanbul for two nights before moving on and heading for Georgia. One fly in the ointment, though. It’s Ramadan. Meaning food and drink during the day could be a problem. And it’s only six days in with twenty-four more to go!
Tour Information
It’s been years since I took this ride, but the memories (and the data) are all archived:
- Photos: See my photos on Flickr
- The route: View my journey around the world
- Videos: Check out my YouTube videos
- Tour page: Ride overview
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Subscribe to my blog and follow me as I continue to travel around on my bike. Plus, as a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can always buy me a beer. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.
If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page.