Trabzon

Trabzon is a city in northeastern Turkey, on the coast of the Black Sea. It is most famous for the Sumela Monestary, located 40km south of the city.

It is also a common place to get a visa for Iran. Many travellers (especially those who do not require a visa for the Schengen Zone) have reported that visas are issued on the same day with little hassle. The visa costs around 100 euros and normally doesn't require any reference number or letter of invitaion.

Hitchhiking out

East towards Rize, Georgian border (D010)

Take a bus going to the University — as there is only one university in town, it shouldn't be to hard to ask around for it; it's near the airport. The university campus lies along the highway going in the direction of Rize. Find your way down to the highway; ask around for the "Foreign Language School" (Yabancı Diller Yüksekokulu, but signed as Milli Piyango Yabancı Dil Eğitim Merkezi on the building — a pink one — itself) and just accross here on the highway, is a nice place just after 2 lanes merge, with a good shoulder for cars to stop on.

South towards Erzurum or the Sumela Monestary

Head towards the Otogar and ask for the Dolmus to Macka (2.5TL), a town which is 20Km south of the city. Once there you will encounter a junction with one road heading towards Erzurum and the other to Sumela. There are many good spots to stand in this small town and it isn't a busy road; waits to either destination shouldn't be long.

Sleep

At Of, a village 30 km east from the city situation is very calm. You can take a urban bus in front of Forum mall, it costs only 3TL (last about at 7p.m) and lead you there. In the morning you can also find easily rides to Rize or straight to Georgia, cars and trucks do stop there for breakfast and shops.

• I slept on a bench right next Of new mosque, very wide and comfortable. In the morning locals asked me why i didnt ask to go inside the mosque, they would have hosted me without any problem. They offered me breakfast and for a while confused for an international spy.. Fedecicco

Experiences

Hitchhiker Anacist:

I found there were two groups of amateur university kids trying to hitch here, it was another 30 mins walk further down before there is another place for cars to stop. Then again, it is Turkey, so try your luck on the way — drivers often have a habit of stopping wherever they like!