📅  20th July 2025 📍Ankara

From Mosques to Mountains – Istanbul, Bolu & Ankara at Dawn

The night was short, but Istanbul’s morning light greeted us through minaret silhouettes and historic mosques as we made our way toward the port. After a quick breakfast overlooking the Bosphorus, we boarded the ferry—and with that crossing, something truly special happened: we left the European continent behind and officially entered Asia.

Traffic was surprisingly light as we swept eastward out of Istanbul, gliding onto a well-maintained highway that led us to Bolu. Here, at one of the largest charging hubs of our entire tour—located at the Bolu Highway Outlet Service Area—we found speeds and capacity beyond anything we had experienced before. With multiple DC fast-chargers up to 450kW, it was the most powerful station we’d used in Turkey, and it refilled us—both car and crew—swiftly.

With a full battery, we continued to Ankara. At Doğuş Oto in Ankara—a major Volkswagen partner—we were welcomed warmly and plugged into one of the fast‑chargers in their lot. It couldn’t have been better timed. As evening set in, the city lights danced off the sleek glass façades of high‑rise towers—Ankara in its golden hour glow.

On our way out of the capital, we stumbled across an old friend: a classic VW Beetle parked at a roadside café. We couldn’t resist hopping in for a short spin—nostalgia on wheels amid our high-tech journey.

Next stop: Batumi