34
edits
Changes
→From Şekerpınar close to Gebze
If you drive highway look around and ask your driver to let you out in place where you see a Istanbul in walking distance than ask local people for bus/metro. For example Paşaköy. You should have some small local cash to pay for ticket. Or walk :)
Update 2022: ''Definitely have some lira before hitchhiking into Istanbul. Both times we did it we were left far away from the city center so you will have to get on public transport and for this you should buy an Istanbul card instead of a one-pass unless you're literally just passing through the city. The city is absolutely huge and getting an Istanbul card is a must unless you want to pay double every time you enter public transport (15Tl for 1-pass tickets vs 7,67tl for a ride with the card). Even though you have to pay for the Istanbul Card itself, after 5 or 6 rides it's already much better to have had the card, we learned this the expensive way. You can buy the card on kiosks and you only need to buy one as you can use it for as many people as you want. When the funds run out topping it up is as easy as placing the card on the ticket machine white illuminated area and uploading tl into it. Blackriding sadly seems to be impossible or at least improbable as every entrance and exit of the tram or metro is guarded and the bus drivers only open the first doors.''
Also you can get out at fuel stations and ask there for ride to city
If you want to be at E8O highway emergency line faster get out from bus at Kamiloba stop and walk 1.6 at Çakılyolu Sk street.
A good middle option seems to be taking bus 303 to station Selimpaşa from where it's about a 30 minute walk to the E80 or about a 40 minute walk to the first gas station on the E80 and catching a ride is easy. The first few cars will go to Silivri but you are bound to catch a ride going towards Edirne relatively quickly.
==== Getting to suburbans of Istanbul ====
For those who rather not try hitchhiking through the overgrown western suburbs of the city, a slightly more expensive but a lot easier way to follow this westbound route to Greece may be to take the morning train to [[Muratlı]] from Sirkeci station in central Istanbul, and then hitch your way forward to Greece via [[Tekirdağ]] from there. See [[Muratlı]] article for full details.
Once you have passed the border, try to stay in the car which took you through, as the first 20-30 km on the Greek and Bulgarian side is are one of the worst places to hitchhike in Europe. Local people there are afraid of stories about immigrants from Iran and Afghanistan etc. so it's especially hard to get a ride. Check the article on [https://hitchwiki.org/en/Kapitan_Andreevo-Kap%C4%B1kule_border_crossing Kapikule-Kapitan Andreevo border crossing] if you're going towards Bulgaria as it can be difficult.
==== From parking on motorway O4 ====
'''Rest Stop Nr. 1:''' Take bus 19, 19C, 19Y, 19T or just ask which bus is going to 'Ferhatpaşa the stop you have to get off at you will see a road going in a circle like a big roundabout its Flat Prof Dr Necmettin Erbakan Park from there search Mirkelam Dinlenme Tesisleri İstanbul rest stop (40.98854931087875, 29.192601039813262) on E-80 / O-4. When arriving from the bus stop you will find the gas station completely fenced and you might think about climbing or cutting it. But there is a 'legal' open door in the middle of the fence. The gas station itself has alot of traffic also for long distances. ''Mirrorworld used this spot in 2022 and in just 30 minutes waiting time he was offered rides to Eskisehir, Ankara and finally also to Samsun. Best spot ever.'' '''Rest Stop Nr. 2:'''Take Metroline M4 in direction Tavsantepe and get out at Pendik Istasyonu. Change to Busline KM18 and get out at Mehmetcik Vakfi. You're just next to a big highway reststop, where you will also catch all the traffic coming from SAW Airport. Coordinates: 40.92008 29.35054
==== From Şekerpınar close to Gebze ====
If you want to avoid 30 km of urban hitch hiking, from the last stop of 112 take bus 134BK (other 134 buses may work as well) which leaves across the road from where 112 ends. Ride until the end and transfer onto 133Ş and ride it until the last stop. You are then in Şekerpınar and can walk the 2km to the main motorway Anadolu Otoyolu E8O
'''Update 2022:''' There is no reststop or gasstation at the Otoyolu at Şekerpınar. The highway is a really huge one with cars going very fast. Walking or trying to hitchhike on the highway in this part of Turkey is definetly not recommended. You can take the onramp though, but you will only be able to catch traffic coming from Şekerpınar and other surburbs.
'''Other 2022 update''' There is no rest stop but the lane of the enterance becomes a shoulder lane in like 50 meters.Move a bit away from the lane so the cars from that enterance can see you and thumb all the highway cars and you'll have a ride in no time. As the police in Turkey are completely ambivalent towards thumbing on the highway catching a ride is pretty easy as long as you don't mind super-fast cars flying by you.
==== From Bostancı Köprüsü (Bostancı Bridge) ====
You will find many beaches on Prince islands, but many of them are privatised. You should walk away from the towns to find some wild beach.
Büyükada island wild camping - you can get by paid ferry there (Kadıköy, Bostancı or Kartal). Be aware that the forests are sometimes closed due to wild fires and the police might be even more strict if you're caught camping (not to mention the danger to yourself if there ever was a fire). You can camp on the top of the island between Aya Yorgi Manastırı and the communication tower. You will have some shade from the trees and a nice wind (at least during summer). You can take one of the small buses to get closer from the ferry. BA-2 is the one that will get you the closest but is stops at 9 pm, otherwise you can take the BA-5 that runs until 11-12pm12 pm. Be aware that you should not drink water tape on the islands. OGM (nature protection) may bother if you stay late in the morning, but you should not get fined, turkish or foreigner.
== Nomadwiki & Trashwiki ==