Turkey

wolfyboy555

I was thinking of going to Turkey this summer late June/early July. Was going to fly in and out of Istanbul and go for about 15-16 days.

Does anyone have any suggestions on where else to go other than Istanbul? I usually like to travel around countries when I am in them. I would like a mix of site seeing and maybe a relaxing beach in-between. Does anyone have experience of hiring a car in Turkey or is the train network a worthy alternative?

I know Turkey boarders some 'dodgy' countries - has any of the recent events made Turkey less safe? I assume I should just stick to the West side of the country?

Morgan The Moon

Hi,
I've been to Turkey twice in a Motorhome from Ireland, 3 months each trip. Crossed over from Greece and travelled down through Gallipoli, then across by ferry to the Asian side at Canakkale. Followed the coastline of Western Turkey past Antalya, then to Konya and Cappadocia. Through to Ankara then to Istanbul. The first trip was 2010.

Driving is O.K. but you have to keep your wits about you! Don't expect rules of the road to be adhered to especially at traffic lights etc. The main two lane routes are excellent roads but expect to come across road works etc. The police are very helpful, the Jandarma are super helpful and the Army guy's we came across were O.K.

Second Trip in 2012. We went further East across to the Turkish border areas of Syria, Irak and Iran. The Army won't let you stray into "dangerous" areas. We had a great time, saw so many Ancient sites and met many, many great Turkish / Kurdish people.

In Istanbul we stopped at a Motorhome stop directly on the Bosporus, a five minute walk from the "Blue Mosque". In Istanbul you can find tour trips by bus to all the major sites.

Go enjoy yourself ! Keep your wits about you as you would in any other country. We will be going again 2017.




Morg

wolfyboy555

Just booked my flights there. I have 18 days but discount 2 for flight in and out so have 16 days to play with really. Just starting the slow process of planning my itinerary starting with istanbul.

How long would you spend in Istanbul? I was thinking maybe 4 days after I land and then the night before I fly back? Also any recommendations of hotels / areas in the city to stay in?

Morgan The Moon

wolfyboy555 wrote: »

Just booked my flights there. I have 18 days but discount 2 for flight in and out so have 16 days to play with really. Just starting the slow process of planning my itinerary starting with istanbul.

How long would you spend in Istanbul? I was thinking maybe 4 days after I land and then the night before I fly back? Also any recommendations of hotels / areas in the city to stay in?

I would recommend you get the Lonely Planet for Turkey. Good maps in the different sections. Good lists of accommodation at different budgets. In Istanbul I would recommend to base your self close to the "Blue Mosque" "Aya Sofya" area. Easy walking distance from there to many of the main sites. In the Lonely Planet they recommend "what to do" etc in two days / three days / four days etc. I personally would find it difficult to disagree with most of the advice as to the main cultural attractions. If you look at the map vast maps of the overall country you will see it is huge! On you first trip, I would think if you decide to go east consider to go no further than Cappadocia. Base yourself for maybe one or two days in "Goreme". Take an early morning balloon flight! An unforgettable experience.

From there head to the coast to find your sea and sand etc. I won't recommend a centre to stay there are just so many excellent places to visit. Remember to consider the distances, they are vast. Good bus services, excellent air conditioned coaches do round trips. It may be worth travelling by coach then rent a car at the differing bases you stay at. Whatever, have a great trip, the people are really helpful and if they don't speak any English they soon find a friend who can.


Enjoy !

wolfyboy555

I was thinking of roughly following this plan here

http://www.luxurytoursturkey.com/images/map/luxury_map14days.swf

any thoughts?


I have read that hotels in Beyoğlu have better nightlife in the evenings than areas in Sultanahmet? I would like somewhere with a bit of atmosphere after a long days trekking around the main sites.

Looking into flights, they seem very reasonable to fly to the different main areas in the above Itinerary. Cappadocia is definitely on my list after seeing the photos and reading about peoples experiences.

Morgan The Moon

That suggested tour will take in most of the main sites for that part of the country. Hiring a car will give you a fair amount of flexibility to detour if you wish and time allows to catch some other places as well.

I still recommend you get the lonely planet. Every place on the suggested tour is well documented for accommodation possibilities and eating places etc. Not sure if you would need to pre-book to save time . When I went through in the Motorhome- Camper I do not have to worry to much about booking ahead and time was not a restraint in seeking out unknown areas.

Cappadocia is probably the one place were pre-booking is required if you want to stay in a "fairy house" it has to be in "Goreme", that will place you in the centre of activity and there is good night-life and buz.

What you have read about "Beyoğlu" is spot on, a very very full on part of Istanbul. If you have the stamina go for it. Make sure you get a place to get some sleep if you decide to. Don't miss the Bazaar's or the famous "Bosphorus" fish sandwich. Four days will probably be quite adequate to see most of the sites by foot.

Have a great time.

crushproof

Shame you only have 2 weeks, Turkey is an incredible country with so much to offer. As mentioned, you might want to check internal flights, they're extremely cheap. I flew from Istanbul to Cappadocia for only €10 last June with Pegasus. Night buses are also really cheap and would save you a nights accom also. Check out Metroturizm.
The further east you go the more authentic and friendly the trip becomes. I spent 2 months travelling Turkey and saw some amazing things and met wonderful people.
Couchsurfing is big in Turkey, and it's very easy to come by a host. I stayed in a great place in Cappadocia where I got to sit down to a traditional family meal each night, definitely won't get that in a hostel / hotel. Also surfed in Antayla, Van, Trabzon (had a gigantic Ramadan feast there in my hosts top notch restaurant) and Istanbul, no issue finding a host, many are happy to have guests so they can improve their English!
As Morgan said, it's the people that make the place, they are ridiculously friendly, even without a word of English! Don't be surprised to to have a whole family paraded out to you when drinking some chai with a shopkeeper! It's incredibly safe, even in south east, although you do see alot of Syrian refugees and there are still army checkpoints (although this is more a legacy of the Kurdish question).

Highlights of my trip were - Istanbul (4 days) - Cappadocia (Stayed in Uçhisar, 10 mins from Goreme, oh the Uçhisar to Goreme Valley of Pigeons walk is amazing) - Lake Van - Patara Beach & Ruins (On the Med) - Abandoned city of Ani (way way east, on border of Armenia

Any questions please ask, all I can say for now is go go go!

wolfyboy555

crushproof wrote: »

Shame you only have 2 weeks, Turkey is an incredible country with so much to offer. As mentioned, you might want to check internal flights, they're extremely cheap. I flew from Istanbul to Cappadocia for only €10 last June with Pegasus. Night buses are also really cheap and would save you a nights accom also. Check out Metroturizm.
The further east you go the more authentic and friendly the trip becomes. I spent 2 months travelling Turkey and saw some amazing things and met wonderful people.
Couchsurfing is big in Turkey, and it's very easy to come by a host. I stayed in a great place in Cappadocia where I got to sit down to a traditional family meal each night, definitely won't get that in a hostel / hotel. Also surfed in Antayla, Van, Trabzon (had a gigantic Ramadan feast there in my hosts top notch restaurant) and Istanbul, no issue finding a host, many are happy to have guests so they can improve their English!
As Morgan said, it's the people that make the place, they are ridiculously friendly, even without a word of English! Don't be surprised to to have a whole family paraded out to you when drinking some chai with a shopkeeper! It's incredibly safe, even in south east, although you do see alot of Syrian refugees and there are still army checkpoints (although this is more a legacy of the Kurdish question).

Highlights of my trip were - Istanbul (4 days) - Cappadocia (Stayed in Uçhisar, 10 mins from Goreme, oh the Uçhisar to Goreme Valley of Pigeons walk is amazing) - Lake Van - Patara Beach & Ruins (On the Med) - Abandoned city of Ani (way way east, on border of Armenia

Any questions please ask, all I can say for now is go go go!

Thanks. I have just booked flights back from Cappadocia for the night before I leave Istanbul to go home. Looking to book two more flights now. I was thinking of this rough itinerary

Fly into Istanbul late Thursday 9th July and stay until Tuesday 14th (4 full days)

Fly to Izmir early on Tuesday 14th (not sure how long to spend here??????)

I was thinking of driving to Antalya - would this be feasible??

Maybe spend Sun 19th to Tues 21st in Antalya (3 full days)


Fly from Antalya to Cappadocia late Tuesday 21st and stay there until late flight home Sat 25th (4 full days here)



That leaves me with Tuesday 14th to Saturday 18th to explore region around Izmir. Any advice regards this? Explore around here then maybe drive to pamukkale and the head onto Antalya.

Also is Kusadasi worth going to if I am going to Antayla. Are they more or less the same thing??

Thanks in advance.

K.Flyer

wolfyboy555 wrote: »

Thanks. I have just booked flights back from Cappadocia for the night before I leave Istanbul to go home. Looking to book two more flights now. I was thinking of this rough itinerary

Fly into Istanbul late Thursday 9th July and stay until Tuesday 14th (4 full days)

Fly to Izmir early on Tuesday 14th (not sure how long to spend here??????)Q

I was thinking of driving to Antalya - would this be feasible??

Maybe spend Sun 19th to Tues 21st in Antalya (3 full days)


Fly from Antalya to Cappadocia late Tuesday 21st and stay there until late flight home Sat 25th (4 full days here)



That leaves me with Tuesday 14th to Saturday 18th to explore region around Izmir. Any advice regards this? Explore around here then maybe drive to pamukkale and the head onto Antalya.

Also is Kusadasi worth going to if I am going to Antayla. Are they more or less the same thing??

Thanks in advance.

From Izmir I would recommend you make the trip out to Ephesus (Efes). Try to hook onto an English speaking tour, some of them are great and can really bring the place to life.
Nearby Selçuk is a nice typical Turkish working town where you can enjoy the Turkish hospitality.
Kuşadasi is like Temple Bar on steroids and is typical of what Turkey is not.
Driving in Turkey is great fun... but can be risky, especially driving at night. We hired a car for a few days there many years ago. We drove from Kuşadasi to Gümbet and the trip back late that night will haunt be etched into my memory forever.
Hire from a top reputable company and check that the lights all work properly
Turkey is huge, diverse and addictive and the people are fantastic. (been over more than 10 times) so enjoy it.
Ephesus Wiki

crushproof

I'd skip Kusadasi, no point at all staying there.
Selcuk, close to Ephes is a nice traditional town, we stayed there two nights and met lovely people(great baklava btw!). You can get a bike or walk to Ephes from the town, make sure you get there early before the crowds though (and the heat!). It's defiantely unmissable and much better than staying in Kusadasi. Unless of course you enjoy dingy Irish bars full of Brits on their Bacardi Breezers.
To be honest I was disappointed with Pammakale, the water doesn't run freely anymore and the only pools you can go into are manmade. It's nice to see but it's nowhere near as amazing as it looks in photos.

Good idea getting a car from Izmir to Antalya, you'll see alot more of the coast with a car. Highlights would be the Bozburun Penisula near Marmaris (although it's a hair raising ride!), Dalyan, Kas, Patara Beach (alot of nice inexpensive pensions in the village nearby), Cirali beach and then Antayla itself. 3 days in Antayla is too much though, it's quite small to explore so I'd say two days max.

To be honest, you're spoilt for choice between Izmir and Antayla, it really is a beautiful part of the world.

Probably too late now but 4 days in Capp is probably overkill, you can see the sights within two days really and there's no much do around either unless you have a car. Actually, I think there is a day tour to some older villages and an deep abandoned salt mine...I could be thinking of somewhere else though!

wolfyboy555

I have my flights booked internally now. I just have a week long gap from flying into Izmir early Tuesday morning and flying out of Antalya late the following Tuesday. Any advice on what way to split this week up?

crushproof

Izmir > Selcuk (Ephesus) > Dalyan > Kas / Patara > Antayla

I really wouldn't take out a night to go Pammakale, if you really want to go there are dozens of tours.
In Dalyan there's some excellent river rafting, it's a great day out so if you're into that I'd recommend staying there.
Head down to the harbour in Kas and haggle for a day out on a yacht, the closer to departure time the better price you'll get. Try get one with max 12-15 people, much better than sharing with 40 others and the price isn't that different. You'll be brought out to some spectacular coves with unbelieveably turquise waters.
Patara beach is pristine white sand, stunning setting with enormous, well kept Roman ruins beyond the beach. The village of Gelemis near Patara is a gem. The Rose Pension is delightful.


What are you interested in? History / Nature / Chilling out?

wolfyboy555

Interested in a mixture of everything really. Still looking at booking a car although I am weighing it up with just flying from Izmir to Antalya as it is so cheap in comparison.

Would day excursions be possible to your recommended places from Antalya? As we would save on the one way car fee doing it that way.

crushproof

I defiantely think you should get a car. If you base yourself in Antalya you would be take 4 hour round trips on a coach to places. Much better getting a car and having your own free time to do what you want.
Of course you could simply get a regular bus and work your way along the coast. The bus service in Turkey is amazing and very regular. If you are going to a small place there is always a connecting bus waiting. I definitely think you should stay around Kas / Patara for at least 2 nights, it's a stunning area.
Cirali beach is close to Antayla, maybe a 50 minute drive, so you could do that as a day trip from Antayla, either by bus or car.

wolfyboy555

I am just after booking flights from Izmir to Antalya last night as the flight was only €20 and looking to save a few quid. Didn't want to fork out for the one way fee.

So that has left me with:

All day Tue,Wed,Thursday in Izmir region.
Fri evening and all day Sat,Sun,Mon,Tues in Antalya region.

Is Izmir city worth a visit itself? Or should I do 2 nights Selcuk and maybe day trip to Pammukale and then fly to Antalya.

I would be open to renting a car in one of these areas only. Is Selcuk and Ephesus easy to navigate to from Izmir on bus? If so maybe I should rent one in Antalya and go to one of the areas you have suggested.