Getting around by bus and coach Route de la soie

For the visit of the valley you will find many minibuses and cabs to Marguilan at the bazaar (count less than 50 000 soums for Marguilan). Buses to other cities in the valley leave from Yor Mazar station, as well as cabs to Kokand (60 000 soums and 1 hour drive) and Tashkent (200 000 soums and 5 hours drive). Some cabs to Andijan as well (count 40 000 soums and 1 hour drive). By cab, think of negotiating the return trip.

The Rome bus station is located just across the street from the Roma Tiburtina train station in the northwest of the city. It can be reached by metro line B from Termini station. This is where all the main bus companies (Flixbus, Itabus...) from Italy and abroad serve Rome. From Paris, it takes about 20 hours of travel by bus to reach Rome, few trips are direct and it is often necessary to make a change in Turin or Milan. A very long trip in perspective, therefore!

New name, new identity, new color. Ouibus has become Blablacar bus, a subsidiary of the carpooling company Blablacar. The principle remains the same however, more than 300 routes throughout Europe and many departures from Marseille, with possible connections if the journey is not direct. Embark on a fleet of comfortable buses. You can bring 2 pieces of luggage and benefit from Wi-fi on board. An economical and environmentally responsible way to travel. Booking is simple, the application or the website allow you to quickly get your tickets while the international ticket office at the bus station can also help you.

This ultra-comfortable bus company serves all of Egypt from several bus stations in Cairo. It is necessary to book your ticket at least 2 hours in advance, and ask which station to go to depending on the destination you have chosen. You can book your ticket via the Internet, the prices differ according to the category of bus. Whatever the initial travel time, take into account that there are often delays due to checkpoints on the road. Nevertheless, this company remains reliable in its estimates.

The bus station of the North, or Kanaker, on the road to Sevan, is more readily used, as its name suggests, to get to the north of the country. Short trips, like Sevan (1h30), or a little longer: Dilijan or Alaverdi (3h30), by bus or minibus, marshroutka. The bus station has been redone, and even if we lose some folklore, we gain in comfort. A buffet is therefore planned for waiting passengers, with local specialities. As in the bus station of Kilikia, collective taxis offer their services.

The garaj'Pullman serves all destinations in Syria. Located in the fast lane connecting the large cities of Damascus, Homs, Hama. To go to the city centre, you can count between 50 and 100 LS by taxi.

As in Damascus, there are about companies. Al-Ahlia, Zeitouni and Qadmous are best rated for the quality of their services and punctuality. Damascus (250 LS), Homs (150 LS), Hama (100 LS), Simoen (125 LS), Hassaké (250 LS), Qamichli (300 LS), Deir ez-Zor (200 LS), Lattakia (150 LS), Tartous (205 LS).

To go to Turkey, several companies are grouped near the Al-Karnak square. Some price ideas: Antioch (250 LS), Ankara (1 700 LS), Istanbul (2 250 LS).

This small bus station in the heart of the city, opposite Bab Antakia, is very convenient because it combines the minibuses that cover Aleppo and its region over a radius of 100 km. From here you can take a public transport for St-Siméon via Deir Aza (150 LS) and also for other dead cities.

At the beginning of this garage, it is also possible to leave for Lebanon (Beirut and Tripoli, count 6 000 LS for a private taxi, 2 000 LS for a shared taxi) or Antakia on the Turkish border (3 000 LS). Head to white and yellow cars.

All routes indicated are daily. When two fares are indicated in parentheses, the lowest is in the second class and the other in the first. Due to the low price gap, it is better to opt for the first class cleaner and sometimes equipped with bunk.

Damascus: 4 h (140 LS), 5 h 40 and 16 h 45 (200 LS or 240 LS).

:: 6 h and 17 h 30 for fast trains, 6 h 48 and 15 h 50 for slower trains (135 LS or 160 LS).

If there is a train trip to Syria, it is that one! 6 h 48, the station chief makes great gestures, the retardataires rush into the cars, the fantastic epic begins. From the exit of Aleppo, a green tunnel is formed around the train. Trees, olive trees, grenadiers, scattered on the gentle slopes of the hills. The time of the journey is believed to be carried in the heart of Provence or in Italian Tuscany. The best option: the 6 h 48 train that allows you to attend sunrise!

Deir ez-Zor: 16 h 10 (176 LS).

:: 23 h 15 (275 LS).

Turkey, Gazientep: Tuesday and Friday.

The bus terminus is located below the Principe train station on a wide esplanade. Itabus (www.itabus.it) guarantees daily connections to several Italian cities (Florence, Milan, Naples, La Spezia, Pisa, Rome, Siena...). The journey may be longer, but the prices are unbeatable. As for connections with France, Flixbus (www.flixbus.fr) provides direct services to Marseille, Nice, Lyon and Montpellier. However, to reach the region's coastal towns, the train remains the best option.

Also known as Kilikia Avtokayan, the station serves all destinations in Armenia and beyond (Tbilisi, 6am, Tehran, Athens, at least 55h). Remote Armenian localities in the south, such as Sissian (4 hrs.) and Stepanakert (5.30 hrs.), but also in the north, such as Alaverdi (3.30 hrs.), are served daily by modern buses or the less expensive Marshrutka or Gazelle minibuses, but the collective taxis offered at the bus stations are hardly more expensive. There are stops in Yerevan (Cascade) and the bus station has a buffet.

Since 2018, all regional transport has been brought together under a single name: Zou! So we no longer speak of TER or LER, or Cartreize and Varlib buses. From now on, the Zou! logo will adorn the fleet of buses and the many trains that criss-cross the Provence region. Dozens of connections between the main towns, with stops in the secondary towns. The territory is well criss-crossed. The buses will allow you to reach places not served by trains. Very attractive prices.

Buses can't leave Osh, the roads are too bad and the passes too high for the engines. Shared taxis and minibuses meet at Alisher Navoi Street, at the old bus station, and serve Bishkek (around 800 soms in minibus and 1,600 soms in shared taxi, 10 to 12 hours drive depending on the vehicle and the season, fares are also higher in winter), Jalalabad, Uzgen and Sary Tach. To make the Osh-Naryn road via Kazarman, prefer a 4x4 vehicle, some portions of the road are still being developed.

This bus station is located far from the city centre and can be reached by metro via the M1B line (Yenikapı- Kirazlı). It is necessary to count one visit every 10 minutes. Buses from the town hall also go there: from Taksim (83-O), Beşiktaş (28-O), Mecidiyeköy (500-ES, this one comes from the Asian side) and Eminönü (91-O). It is the largest bus station in Istanbul and it is from here that most buses depart for major cities. Choose your bus company upstream because it is difficult to make your choice on site because of the reelers.

Departures to Almaty (Kazakhstan) and Kyrgyzstan: Cholpon-Ata, Karakol, Naryn, Talas. Buses and minibuses follow one another inside the station, while shared taxis are confined to the back or the entrance. There are no buses to Osh, as the road is too dangerous. There are some shared taxis here, but they also meet near the Osh bazaar, closer to the city center. Negotiation is the order of the day with the taxis, which see the tourist arriving from afar.

A fleet of luxury Neoplan, for a comfortable and functional trip. Hot drinks and snacks are offered throughout your trip, and you can watch movies or play video games. They serve about the same cities as Varan (normal, they are two big competitors) and the prices are almost identical: not necessarily cheap! But since the family that owns the company is from Karadeniz, they offer destinations in the Black Sea region, including the beautiful city of Trabzon.