Difference between revisions of "Esfahan"

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==Getting around==
 
==Getting around==
 
there is an amazing service of free bycicles available all around the city (a sort of bike sharing), first 3 hrs are free after it costs very few money. You have to leave a document, if you need ur passport a national ID card or driving license will be ok, some spot may refuse u the bike, sustaining its reserved just to iranians and not to foreigners, some other may u take the bike for free till 8 hrs!;)''Fede''
 
there is an amazing service of free bycicles available all around the city (a sort of bike sharing), first 3 hrs are free after it costs very few money. You have to leave a document, if you need ur passport a national ID card or driving license will be ok, some spot may refuse u the bike, sustaining its reserved just to iranians and not to foreigners, some other may u take the bike for free till 8 hrs!;)''Fede''
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''--[[User: Rovingsnails|Rovingsnails]]: The bike service seems to be reserved for the male side of the population only. Marta was told that women can use their own bike if they have one, although they said is against islamic law and the police would not allow the renting place to give her one. We tried just in one place though, so other women could be luckier''.
  
 
==Sleeping and accomodation==
 
==Sleeping and accomodation==
 
Esfahan has a very good couchsurfing community and u should not have problem to find a host, like generally in all iran, if u need an emergency spot to camp, all around the river (mostly on southern bank) is full of park where, arriving at night/darkness, u can easily hide urself and spend the night (somewhere there are panels written camping forbidden but as for [[Hamedan]] (check out the explanation) there shouldnt be big problems for foreigner, specially for setting off ur tent in the early morning)''Fede''
 
Esfahan has a very good couchsurfing community and u should not have problem to find a host, like generally in all iran, if u need an emergency spot to camp, all around the river (mostly on southern bank) is full of park where, arriving at night/darkness, u can easily hide urself and spend the night (somewhere there are panels written camping forbidden but as for [[Hamedan]] (check out the explanation) there shouldnt be big problems for foreigner, specially for setting off ur tent in the early morning)''Fede''
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Note #1 From an Iranian friend (also HH) you can camp in Fadak garden.
  
 
== Hitchhiking out ==
 
== Hitchhiking out ==
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=== North towards [[Tehran]] ===
 
=== North towards [[Tehran]] ===
  
The best spot is the pay-toll 15-20km North of the city. To reach this spot, take a city bus in front of Kaveh terminal (Northern terminal) to Shahin Shahr (350 Tomans in May 2012, 0,25$). Jump out of the bus when it leaves the freeway and try to catch any ride heading North, at least to the Police checkpoint North of Hesa Airport).
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The best spot is the pay-toll 15-20km North of the city. To reach this spot, take a city bus in front of Kaveh terminal (Northern terminal) to Shahin Shahr (600 Tomans in 31 december 2013, 0,2$). Jump out of the bus when it leaves the freeway and try to catch any ride heading North, at least to the Police checkpoint North of Hesa Airport).
  
 
From this checkpoint, it is less than 2 kilometers to the junction between the old road and the freeway, and another 500m to the pay-toll.
 
From this checkpoint, it is less than 2 kilometers to the junction between the old road and the freeway, and another 500m to the pay-toll.
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But trucks usualy use old road to Tehran and this route is more messy than Freeway..
  
 
Note : from the pay-toll, take a lift at least until Kashan. Don't go with a driver heading only to Natanz, because he will leave you in the middle of nowhere when he will leave the freeway to Natanz (there is no entrance there).
 
Note : from the pay-toll, take a lift at least until Kashan. Don't go with a driver heading only to Natanz, because he will leave you in the middle of nowhere when he will leave the freeway to Natanz (there is no entrance there).
  
 
Note #2 : it is possible that the bus driver to shahin shahr won't let you out at the highway, even after you insist. if this happens, continue with the bus until the city, where you will see a sign leading to the highway, it is about 1km away.
 
Note #2 : it is possible that the bus driver to shahin shahr won't let you out at the highway, even after you insist. if this happens, continue with the bus until the city, where you will see a sign leading to the highway, it is about 1km away.
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Note #3
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No need to go to Kaveh Terminal, you can also take bus Number 1 at Baboldasht Bus Terminal (going to Shahin Shahr) price is 10.000 Rs (April 2017) There is as said before a station just after the bus leaves the freeway (no need to walk to much). From there you can catch a ride to the Police checkpoint there is also a Toll point a few Km after them. Be aware stoping cars in the middle of the autoban (from Shahin Shahr) is not a great idea but since in Iran is fairly easy it will work (took us 9 minutes but in another country I would say is impossible).
  
 
=== South towards [[Shiraz]] ===
 
=== South towards [[Shiraz]] ===

Latest revision as of 19:24, 1 May 2017

Getting around

there is an amazing service of free bycicles available all around the city (a sort of bike sharing), first 3 hrs are free after it costs very few money. You have to leave a document, if you need ur passport a national ID card or driving license will be ok, some spot may refuse u the bike, sustaining its reserved just to iranians and not to foreigners, some other may u take the bike for free till 8 hrs!;)Fede

--Rovingsnails: The bike service seems to be reserved for the male side of the population only. Marta was told that women can use their own bike if they have one, although they said is against islamic law and the police would not allow the renting place to give her one. We tried just in one place though, so other women could be luckier.

Sleeping and accomodation

Esfahan has a very good couchsurfing community and u should not have problem to find a host, like generally in all iran, if u need an emergency spot to camp, all around the river (mostly on southern bank) is full of park where, arriving at night/darkness, u can easily hide urself and spend the night (somewhere there are panels written camping forbidden but as for Hamedan (check out the explanation) there shouldnt be big problems for foreigner, specially for setting off ur tent in the early morning)Fede

Note #1 From an Iranian friend (also HH) you can camp in Fadak garden.

Hitchhiking out

North towards Tehran

The best spot is the pay-toll 15-20km North of the city. To reach this spot, take a city bus in front of Kaveh terminal (Northern terminal) to Shahin Shahr (600 Tomans in 31 december 2013, 0,2$). Jump out of the bus when it leaves the freeway and try to catch any ride heading North, at least to the Police checkpoint North of Hesa Airport).

From this checkpoint, it is less than 2 kilometers to the junction between the old road and the freeway, and another 500m to the pay-toll.

But trucks usualy use old road to Tehran and this route is more messy than Freeway..

Note : from the pay-toll, take a lift at least until Kashan. Don't go with a driver heading only to Natanz, because he will leave you in the middle of nowhere when he will leave the freeway to Natanz (there is no entrance there).

Note #2 : it is possible that the bus driver to shahin shahr won't let you out at the highway, even after you insist. if this happens, continue with the bus until the city, where you will see a sign leading to the highway, it is about 1km away.

Note #3 No need to go to Kaveh Terminal, you can also take bus Number 1 at Baboldasht Bus Terminal (going to Shahin Shahr) price is 10.000 Rs (April 2017) There is as said before a station just after the bus leaves the freeway (no need to walk to much). From there you can catch a ride to the Police checkpoint there is also a Toll point a few Km after them. Be aware stoping cars in the middle of the autoban (from Shahin Shahr) is not a great idea but since in Iran is fairly easy it will work (took us 9 minutes but in another country I would say is impossible).

South towards Shiraz

Updated Dec 2012, from Azadih square, take a local bus till baharestan, it will lead you outside from the city about 15 km. when it turns left and enter baharestan quarter/village, drop off and start to hitch, u will already passed the ringroad and the majority of taxis will already have gone away, also lots of trucks go till shiraz Take a city bus to Sofeh Bus Terminal, in the south of the city. As of November 2012, they are building a metro that will also stop there, in a year or two. get past the hawkers to the other side of the highway, and walk down past all the taxis and buses on the side of the highway. many people will try to get you to take a taxi or a bus, but eventually you should find somebody going south, at least to the police checkpoint, which is about 10-ish km away? Not an amazing spot, but persist a little and you will be rewarded.