When people think of Turkey, they think of Istanbul and its majestic mosques, Cappadocia and its otherworldly landscapes, and the natural beauty of its Mediterranean coast. But Turkey is much more than that. Several UNESCO World Heritage sites are littered across the country as well as beautiful landscapes from mountains to sea. Thankfully, a well-developed transportation network allows visitors to get to most places without renting a car or booking a tour. While planning my trip, I had to do a lot of research to find the most cost-effective ways to travel around the country. This guide breaks down how to get to the cities that I visited. Hopefully, it will help someone out there.
How to get to Cappadocia (Göreme)
From Istanbul
- Fly: Turkish Airlines has multiple daily nonstop flights to Nevşehir (Airport code: NAV) from Istanbul Airport (IST) while Pegasus Air flies out of Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) to Kayseri (ASR). Tickets are generally cheap and can be found under $50 (one-way). Flight time is around 2 hours and a half. Call your hotel to pre-book a shuttle from either airport.
- Bus: Both Kamil Koç and Metro Turizm have multiple daily departures. You can either go to one of the two bus terminals (Harem Bus Terminal and Büyük Otogar) to get a ticket or have your hotel book it for you (if you’re already in Istanbul). The journey is long (10 to 12 hours) so book an overnight bus to save on accommodations and not lose a day.
From Izmir
- Bus: Kamil Koç offers several departures daily. Be aware that there are two routes: one that goes straight to Göreme and one that requires a bus change in Nevşehir.
How to get to Antalya
From Cappadocia (Göreme)
- Bus: Several bus companies including Kamil Koç and Metro Turizm do this route daily. Just go to bus station in Göreme and pick one. Once again, the journey is long so an overnight bus is recommended.
From Istanbul
- Fly: Turkish Airlines has multiple daily nonstop flights from Istanbul Airport (IST) while Pegasus Air flies out of Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW). If you’re staying in Antalya’s Old City, the tram takes you straight there from the airport.
- Bus: Kamil Koç, Metro Turizm, and Pamukkale Turizm all do this route. Beware, the journey is long.
From Izmir
- Fly: Sun Express flies from Izmir (ADB) to Antalya (AYT). If you’re staying in Antalya’s Old City, the tram takes you straight there from the airport.
- Bus: Kamil Koç, Metro Turizm, and Pamukkale Turizm all do this route though only Kamil Koç offers hourly departures.
How to get to Pamukkale
From Antalya
- Bus: Pamukkale Turizm has hourly departures. Other bus companies also have multiple departures. Shop around at the bus station. You’ll get off at the Denizli bus station. From there, find gate/dock 76. If you mistakenly exited the bus before it got to the station like I foolishly did, you’ll find gate 76 downstairs at the bus station. It’s not marked inside the terminal building. You’ll have to exit to where the buses are parked and find it towards the back near the exterior stairs. A dolmuş departs from this “gate” and will drop you off in Pamukkale for 4.5-5 Liras. I recommend booking a bus during the day for that one as the dolmuş will literally drop you on the main road and you’ll have to find your way to your hotel on foot. The other alternative is to book a taxi from the Denizli bus station but that will probably cost you almost as much as the bus trip from Antalya.
From Istanbul
- Bus: Kamil Koç and Metro Turizm both do this route multiple times daily. Get off at the Denizli bus station and then follow the instructions to find the dolmuş as I’ve written above.
From Izmir
- Bus: This is the same bus that you would take if going from Izmir to Antalya except you’ll get off at Denizli and then follow the instructions to find the dolmuş as I’ve written above.
How to get to Ephesus (Selçuk)
From Pamukkale/Denizli
- Train: If starting from Pamukkale, return to the Denizli bus station via dolmuş. Cross the highway to the train station (it’s literally right across the bus station). The train will take you to Selçuk. From there, you can either walk, take a dolmuş, or a taxi to the site of Ephesus. If you’re planning to go to Istanbul next via plane, book a night in Selçuk or Izmir.
- Bus: If starting from Pamukkale, return to the Denizli bus station via dolmuş and shop around the various bus companies. From the Selçuk bus station, you an either walk, take a dolmuş, or a taxi to the site of Ephesus.
How to get to Izmir
From Selçuk
- Train: Multiple departures daily from the train station.
- Suburban light-rail: Izmir has a commuter train system called IZBAN. Selçuk is one of its terminals. You’ll have to transfer at Tepeköy to get on the line that gets to Izmir proper.
- Bus: Multiple departures daily from the bus station. However, the Izmir bus station is a bit out of the way whereas both the light-rail and train connect to the metro and the airport.
From Istanbul
- Fly: Multiple daily nonstop flights offered by both Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Air. It’s a very short flight and can be booked under $50.
- Bus: Both Kamil Koç and Metro Turizm offer hourly departures.
Planning Resources
Obviously, these are just a snippet on domestic travel in Turkey. For more destinations and options, I suggest these three websites to help you plan efficiently:
- https://turkeytravelplanner.com/ – THE Bible for everything Turkey
- https://www.rome2rio.com/ – To research your transport options
- https://www.seat61.com/Turkey2.htm – For train travel
Let me know if you used this guide during your trip to Turkey by leaving a comment.
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