Hopa to Kars

Grrr,I do wish guide books would give bus company names,times etc.!
I have looked extensively and can find no direct bus from Hopa to Kars.I think you will need to first take a bus from Hopa to Artvin(they run regularly) and change there to the bus to Kars.
From Artvin >>Yeşil Artvin Seyahat have a bus at 12 noon for the 3 hour journey to Kars,cost 35TL.

The other option if you have the time is to do it in stages using local co-op minibuses-Hopa>>Artvin>>Ardahan>>Kars.

Thanks, Sarikanarya! You are very helpful! :)

I took such a direct Hopa - Kars bus once...but that was at least 6 years ago, and I haven't the faintest idea if the bus still runs. At that time, though it was, indeed, a once-a-day route that left Hopa in the mid-morning.

If you do go from Hopa to Kars, it would be useful if you'd return here and post current information about timings and routes.

If I do find out. I will post an update here :)

Okay, so this is what we did.

Took the a matrushka on the 101 bus route to the Sarpi border.

Crossed.

Took a minibus into Sarpi.

Took a minibus from Sarpi to Hopa.

Took a minibus from Hopa to Artvin.

Took a minibus from Artvin to Savsat.

Took a bus from Savsat to Ardahan.

Took a minibus Ardahan to Kars.

We left our guesthouse in Batumi at 7am and we are now sitting in our hotel in Kars and it's 5pm.

That was an amazing race. Thank you Sarikanarya for all the tips!

That's useful info for anyone following that route in future.It sounds as if the local bus connections were good too with not too much hanging around.Thanks for the feedback.
And wasn't that an amazingly scenic ride!!

Yes, it was. It reminded me of Mongolia and Switzerland put together. In fact one could start at whitewater rafting business over there. But right now I am glad the place is bereft of tourists. One thing else I noticed though is the lack or absence of money exchange places. Something to take into consideration. Fortunately some of the took dollars. :)

Every time you have a good idea.....someone else has beaten you to it!The Coruh River up there is a hotspot for WWR,it is rated as one of the top 5 rafting places in the world,so that says a lot about how spectacular it is.
You're correct,in rural area's due to the(thankfully)small numbers of foreign tourists change offices may be hard to find.But you can change money at any bank and also any post office(PTT),they are found often in quite remote places.
Enjoy the rest of your time here in Turkey!

Thanks, Sarikanarya!