Driving Through Iran: Finding the Perfect Isfahan Hostel for Campers
While traveling by campers/RVs is not a foreign concept to the West, the East -including Iran- is perhaps just recently getting used to it. Because of this, you may not find everything quite as accommodating as you would hope, but in this article, we will try to present you with a proper guide on how to best enjoy your trip and introduce a camper-friendly Isfahan hostel.
This blog post will be updated frequently with new information and new content. Stay tuned for some of the most exciting parts!
Campers in Iran
Border Crossings:
The first thing you should know before entering any country is which border you will be crossing. The most popular option is the Bazargan border crossing (open 24/7), where plenty of cars, bikes, and campers find their way into Iran every day. This crossing, which requires you to drive through Turkey, also happens to be on the most efficient route from Western European countries to ours (you can get some help from this helpful map if you need to). However, if you’re planning on visiting countries on the Arabian Peninsula, you can also cross the border from Iraq. There are also border crossings to Iran from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan.
You can use the Parviz Khan border crossing from Iraq, the Nordooz crossing from Armenia, Astara (open 24/7) and Nakhchivan crossings from Azerbaijan, and the Sarakhs border crossing from Turkmenistan. There are also border crossings to Iran from Pakistan and Afghanistan. As you know, the situation in these countries is unstable, which makes their border crossings unstable as well. You should stay informed about the political climate, but keep in mind that these countries form the most efficient connection to India.
Necessary Documents for Driving Through Iran:
Upon crossing whichever border, there are certain documents that you need to present to the authorities, and documents you need to have on you whenever you’re driving in Iran. You of course need an Iranian Visa (if you’re not quite sure how to go about getting your visa, check out our thorough guide), but you also need what is known as a CPD (Carnet de Passage en Douane), which is essentially a passport for your car. It’s important to note that only the person whose name is on the CPD can be driving the car at any given time. Check this website for more information about CPDs.
Do keep in mind that entry is still possible without the carnet, but you have to pay a cash deposit or present a bank warranty/insurance policy. You don’t have to worry about getting an international driving permit -not unless you’re going to be driving in Iran for more than 6 months anyway- your driver’s license will suffice, but you do have to register it with your country’s national automobile association in order to have an international driver’s license.
Additionally, you do need to have your passport, driver’s license, and vehicle documents on you at all times when you’re driving through Iran. Now, since most hostels in major cities such as Isfahan, Tehran, or Shiraz will take your passport upon check-in and keep it until you check out, you can ask them to hand it back to you whenever you want to drive. To be fair though, if you’re driving with a camper, you could probably use the brief respite from roads, so it might be a better idea to just enjoy your time on foot!
Insurance:
Car insurance is another thing you should think about when entering Iran. Your insurance company probably won’t cover Iran (due to sanctions and international issues), but you do need third-party insurance in order to drive in the country. You also need insurance to obtain a travel visa, so there’s just no way out of it.
Unless your insurance policy specifically states that it covers Iran -not the Middle East or Asia- you should get insurance from a local company upon arrival. Hafez Insurance, Parsian Insurance, Iran Insurance, and Saman Insurance are some of the more reliable options, but you can also use travel agencies like Tappersia or 1stQuest to apply for your insurance online and not have to worry about it when you get here.
We also encourage you to read about safety in Iran in our other blog!
Planning your trip:
Now that you’re done with the boring paperwork, let’s get to the exciting part: planning your trip. Iran is filled with attractions and historical sights: The ruins of majestic Achaemenid palaces and tombs such as Persepolis or Pasargaad, the beautiful beaches of the Persian Gulf, the lush forests of the north, the urban activity of Tehran, and some of the most amazing food there is. Unless you’re planning on driving through multiple countries and are on a tight schedule, it is highly recommended to spend at the very least a month in Iran.
Since there are signs written in both Farsi and English, roads in Iran are pretty straightforward, so you shouldn’t have much difficulty in finding out how to get to a certain city. As far as which cities you should visit, most tourists put Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, and Yazd as their top priorities. But hey, you’re driving with your campers. You don’t have to worry about finding tickets or restrain yourself to any one specific itinerary. That said, you can see what other travelers like this have done during their trips and get some inspiration!
Road Rules and Possible Hazards for Campers:
You might have heard about the high rate of car accidents and the subsequent death toll in Iran. While it is true that Iranians can be somewhat reckless in their driving, as long as you adapt to their ways, you should be fine.
First of all -and this is not so true about recently built or major highways- the quality of the roads can be less than ideal. Now, that doesn’t mean you’re going to be driving in dirt patches, it’s just that the asphalt is not so great, and can make the ride a bit bumpier than you’re used to.
The speed limit on freeways is up to 120 km/h, and up to 110 km/h on highways. There are speed control cameras as well as road police situated at different points through major freeways, so exceeding the limit or other misdemeanors (e.g. not wearing your seatbelts) will result in some relatively heavy fines.
There are also police checks at the entrance of each city, where you may be pulled over briefly and have your documents checked by the authorities. This is a routine procedure, and there’s absolutely nothing to worry about. In fact, the Road Police may just be curious about you with your campers, and want to interact with you. You should of course be aware that driving under the influence is always a bad idea, but even more so when driving in Iran.
Do keep in mind that certain freeways (numbers 7, 5, and 2) are toll roads. These freeways include Tehran-Saveh, Tehran-Qom, Qazvin-Rasht, Qazvin-Zanjan, Tehran-Tabriz, Tehran-Isfahan, and more.
Fuel and Roadside Assistance while Driving in Iran:
Fuel is extremely cheap in Iran -at least for tourists. Gasoline (referred to as benzene by locals) and Diesel (referred to as Gasoil) are both found in most gas stations, and there are plenty of gas stations on all roads. It’s still a good idea to fuel up and fill any extra canister you have before hitting a long stretch of road though. Gas costs about 3.000 Toomans per Liter, but there is something called a fuel card that lets you buy a specific amount of gas each day at a discounted price. You don’t necessarily need a fuel card, because again, gas money will essentially amount to spare change for you.
If in spite of everything, you somehow run out of fuel in the middle of a road, or if you come across any other problem, if you have a flat tire and no spare, if there’s something wrong with your engine, anything, you can call roadside assistance on this number: +9896440. The other emergency phone numbers you should know about just in case are 110 for the Police, 115 for ambulance and ER, and 125 for the fire station.
Urban Traffic Rules and Campers:
The first thing you should know about traffic rules in Iran is that most Iranians who go abroad are compelled by how people in other countries completely abide by the rules. This may be a good opportunity for you to see how quickly you can react and adaptJ. And most importantly, remain patient.
The speed limit in cities ranges from 50 to 80 km/h. Most major cities have been equipped with strategically located speed control cameras and with the added surveillance of traffic police, you should take the limit seriously. As mentioned before, have your documents on you in case you get pulled over.
Helpful Services and Sites for Campers/Bikers
Online Services:
While it’s not the easiest to have access to the internet on the road, you can still use plenty of online services for navigation, planning, and finding places to stay or eat at. Perhaps the most thorough is iOverlander, a website where people traveling with their campers or bikes submit and review hotels, hostels, inns, restaurants, pit stops, gas stations, repair shops, and pretty much everything you need. The location of each place of interest is pinned on a detailed map, so you can easily inspect each city you’re heading towards. In Isfahan alone, 50 places including hostels, hotels, repair shops, restaurants, public parking spaces, and even pet shops have been listed and reviewed by experienced users.
Park4Night is a similar service that you can use to find out where you could go when you need something, which places are safe to park overnight, the price range and services of different places of accommodation, and more. While it may be a bit less user-friendly in comparison to iOverlander, it’s still useful -even if you only use it for cross-examination. A helpful part of Park4Night is the star ratings users give to each place of interest.
Journey Tracking:
This service is not necessarily practical, but it’s certainly fascinating! Polarsteps is where travelers from all over the world track their journeys, write little blogs, post pictures they’ve taken, and more. We became familiar with this website through our dear guests Yijin and Damien, who rode their bicycles all the way from Le Bono in France to Iran (approximately 6000 Kilometers). We encourage you to use this service too, and when you come by our hostel with your campers, show us your profile so that we can see where your journey has taken you!
Navigation:
There are plenty of online apps you can use throughout your journey when you’re in need of help with navigation. Two specific to Iran maps by the names of Balad and Neshan have surfaced in recent years. They’re quite thorough, but the only problem is, they’re both in Farsi. If you have a basic understanding of our language, or if you have someone in your company who could guide you, these apps would be ideal. If not, maybe it’s best to stick with google maps and rely on the help of locals when you need directions.
Physical Services:
When you need to take a break from driving or get something to eat, there are a couple of good chain rest areas in the country that can help you. One of them is called Maral Setareh, with multiple branches on highly trafficked highways, offering restaurants, supermarkets, shops, and some pretty clean public restrooms. Another good choice is Mehr-o-Mah, with similar services and quality.
Finding a good car wash in Iran can be somewhat challenging -we have especially heard some complaints from guests who traveled with motorcycles. Part of the issue may lie in communication, so we usually try to make arrangements with a specific car wash beforehand and keep in touch with them while our guests are there to ensure that everything goes smoothly. We will post a complete list of good car washes in every city soon!
Finding the right Auto Repair Shop is another challenge for travelers. We know the perfect one in Isfahan though! Read more here.
As we said, you probably will be able to figure out how to navigate the highways and freeways using the signs. Navigating cities might be a bit more difficult (especially when you consider the heavy traffic in major cities: Driving in Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz can be a nightmare on holidays), but if you find some hostel or hotel to stay at in between your driving, they probably offer maps of the surrounding area with information about different places of interest for free. With that said, let’s get to the main point of this article!
Hostels in Isfahan for Campers
Why Go to a Hostel?
Finding the right place of accommodation can be the most challenging part when you’re traveling by campers/RVs. You can’t stay in your own car all the time: First of all, Iran is in a dry and warm climate by nature. Especially if you’re traveling with a pet -and a lot of our guests do- you just can’t risk it. Then there is the issue of amenities: You need to use the bathroom, take a shower, wash your clothes, etc. A little side note, the best places for finding public bathrooms are mosques and rest areas. Last of all, as exciting as driving through Iran can be, it will eventually wear you down if you don’t get some R&R.
You should also take note that while you can easily park your car and even put up a tent out in the wild and spend your nights that way, there are strict rules against that kind of behavior in urban areas. In Isfahan specifically, while there are many parks and public spaces that would be ideal for camping, you simply cannot do that.
So, you need to find some respite between long stretches of driving, but where? You can probably rule out hotels because of their prices; driving from your home to Iran by camper is pretty expensive as is. Then there are hostels in Isfahan. We’ve already talked about Isfahan hostels in our other blog, but campers and RVs require a more specific listing.
How to Choose the Right Place:
There are four types of Isfahan hostels to choose from: First are hostels that are located in back alleys, which are obviously not ideal. Your camper won’t fit through the narrow roads, and you would have to park it on a main street nearby. This brings up the issues of security and being away from your appliances and personal belongings.
Then, there are hostels that are located nearby public parking lots. It adds another expense to your stay, but it might be a better option when compared to just parking your campers on the street. Take Isfahan’s Pava Hostel for example, which is just a few hundred meters away from a parking lot. In general, if you’re staying at hostels that are on the main streets, check with the staff to see whether or not it’s safe to park on the street.
At last, there are hostels in Isfahan that have their own parking spaces. Some of these may require you to pay an additional fee to use their space, and some may not. Another important question is: Can you stay in your camper to save some bucks, or do you need to get a room or bed? Well, there is one hostel in Isfahan that lets you do whichever you want.
Sarv Hostel in Isfahan: The Ideal Place for Campers
In Sarv Hostel, you can park your camper in our large garden and either stay in it or get a room/bed! You can read all about Sarv in our other blog, but right now, we want to directly and specifically address you and your needs!
Our guests:
We’ve had guests driving their campers or riding their bikes and bicycles from Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, and most countries on the Western front. Each of them has become a memorable part of our hostel.
Read more about our guests here!
Ivo arrived at Isfahan on October 19th, 2022. As I’m writing this blog post, I’m remembering that I actually was working the reception that day, and checked him into his room. Ivo started his journey on August 14th, 2022, and drove his bike, a BMW all the way from a village by the name of Strampoy in Netherlands to Kuala Lumpur, Indonesia.
Nico and Joska stayed with us from November 18th, 2023 until the 20th. They’re another couple from the Netherlands who started their journey with their camper, a Toyota Landcruiser on February 26th 2017, and have been on the road ever since! You can keep up with them on their blog!
Jindra and Daniel are a couple from the Czech Republic who have been journaling their travels on their website since 2014! Though they stayed with us for only a short one night (May 11th 2023), they’re a memorable part of our hostel and guests we only hope to see again!
Arnim and Angy stayed in our hostel on July 25th, 2023!
We can’t wait for you to become part of our hostel and to add you to this blog!
Our services:
Sarv is easily recognizable by its big green gate, the same gate that you will be entering through. It’s about 2.62 meters high, and campers have hardly ever been unable to pass through it. We know your toppers can sometimes cause some concern for you, but since Sarv doesn’t have a roofed parking space, there aren’t any worries there. Since many utilities in your car require electricity, you will have easy access to a power outlet in Sarv hostel. We can fit 6 campers or 11 personal cars and a pretty much unlimited number of bikes and bicycles in our parking space, so unless you’re traveling during the high season, don’t worry, we have you covered!
Guests who choose to stay in their campers can use all common areas and services of the hostel, including free breakfast, free Wi-Fi, laundry service, café, communal kitchen, shared bathrooms, lobbies, garden, workspace, and more! Staying at your camper is certainly more affordable, but you can also treat yourself to one of our private rooms, get your energy back, and hit the road! Also, if you’re traveling with your animal companion, they’re more than welcome to stay at Sarv Hostel in Isfahan!
Also check out our blog about Tak Taku Guest House, another Overlander haven in the Isfahan province!
