If you are planning to visit more of Turkey than just Istanbul you are going to need to leverage some mode(s) of inter-city travel. I like to fly between cities whenever possible – its the most efficient way of getting around a big country and most of the big cities have serviceable airports. Inter-city buses are also a pretty reliable (and less expensive) means of transport. Exploring the country in your own rental car can also be a fun adventure in its own right.
Flying
Inter-city flights are generally pretty cheap with several carriers operating within Turkey. Curiously, I find that it takes about an hour to fly almost any route in Turkey. Some of the discount carriers only fly to a handful of cities so you should investigate their websites to see if they have flights to your destination. Keep in mind that domestic baggage allowances are typically less than international baggage allowances. Pay close attention when you book your domestic ticket to see what the weight allowance is (15kg is not uncommon for some carriers / routes).
- Turkish Airlines – the national carrier of Turkey flies to most major cities. Despite short flight times, THY always gives you a cold meal on domestic flights. You will get a snack box with a sandwich, a salad and a dessert – and its shockingly pretty tasty food.
- Anadolu Jet – subsidiary of Turkish Airlines that flies to all the cities in central / eastern Anatolia. A little more budget than THY (and usually cheaper) but they still give out snacks!
- Pegasus Airlines
- Onur Air
- Atlas Global
A note on Istanbul airports:
- Istanbul has two airports: the new Istanbul airport (IST) located on the European side, northwest of the city center, and Sabiha Gökҫen airport (SAW) located on the Asian side.
- Almost all international flights (except for a handful of flights from Europe) arrive at the new Istanbul airport.
- Some of the flights on discount carriers depart out of Sabiha Gökҫen – pay close attention when you are booking and be sure to factor in travel time to either airport. Read more about airport transport here.
Trains
- The train system is not as developed in Turkey as it is in other European countries and is generally not the best option for getting from point A to point B.
- That being said, the new hizli tren (fast train) has just launched between Istanbul and Ankara – making the train a much more viable option for traveling between these cities. The trip takes around 4 hours with trains running throughout the day. Non-refundable tickets start at 35 lira one way and can be purchased online. The hizli tren also operates between Ankara and Konya.
- In Istanbul, the hizli tren operates out of the Pendik train station which is on the Asian side near Sabiha Gökҫen airport. It is pretty far from the city center so factor that into your plans if you decide to take the train.
Buses
- Intercity buses are surprisingly great for getting around in Turkey. They are cheap, clean, give you free food, and have better legroom than planes – what more could you ask for? They also often claim to have free wi-fi although my experience is that service is a little spotty.
- Allow me to illustrate with an example:
- My most recent bus experience was a trip from Ankara to Istanbul on Nilüfer. Our tickets were about 30 lira each (~$15). The bus was set up with 3 seats across (two together and one on its own with an aisle in between), meaning seats are pretty wide and legroom is decent. Each seat had its own personal TV. Mine wasn’t really working but it had the potential to show Turkish movies and play Turkish music. Shortly after we departed, the attendant came around with a beverage service and a breakfast pastry. Beverages included coffee, tea, fruit juice and soda. He came through about an hour later with water. The entire ride was about 6 hours long and we stopped halfway through for a 25 minute break at a rest area. After the break the attendant came back around with beverages and mini cakes. (In the summer they serve ice cream instead of cake!)
- If you are taking the bus into a big city (like Istanbul, Ankara, or Izmir) the bus will pull into a main station from which you can take a free servis (a mini-van) to your final destination. The attendant asks you for your final destination when you get on the bus and will drop you at the right place accordingly. Note that the servis won’t take you to an exact address but will drop you at a designated spot in certain neighborhoods (e.g., Taksim in Istanbul or Kizilay in Ankara) You might then need to walk / take a taxi to your final destination. You can ask about the servis when you book your tickets. (Book your tickets at the bus station or in advance at ticket offices throughout cities).
- Some of the best bus brands are: Kamil Koҫ, Nilüfer, and Ulusoy.
Car Rental
- Depending on where you are traveling in Turkey there are some places where having a car is just much more convenient. (The Mediterranean coast for example).
- Note: one of the places where having a car is more convenient is NOT Istanbul. Its like driving in NYC but way worse. I’ve never done it and I never want to.
- Many of the major international car rental companies operate in Turkey and have branches at most airports and within major cities. You will easily find Hertz, Avis, Budget, National, Europcar, and Sixt in addition to many local operators. Book online ahead of time to guarantee dates / pick-up location / car size.
- It is now possible to rent cars with automatic transmission in Turkey (this was not true 10 years ago), but they still seem to have an overabundance of manual transmission rentals so pay close attention to what transmission you are getting when you reserve your rental.
Some trips for driving in Turkey
- Gas in Turkey is EXPENSIVE. Thanks to very high taxation, Turkey has some of the most expensive gas in the world. Last I checked, gas in Turkey was about 4x the cost of gas in the U.S. Diesel is actually cheaper than regular gas in Turkey so if your rental runs on Eurodiesel you will save a few pennies.
- Gas stations in Turkey are like those in New Jersey – the attendant fills your car up for you. You never pump your own gas. The attendant will also probably wash your windows. Tip the guy a lira for his troubles. You should be able to pay with a credit card at most gas stations.
- On major highways the gas stations are often attached to larger “rest areas” with (usually) decent bathrooms, mini-marts, and cafes / restaurants. This seems to be one of the least solid business opportunities in Turkey because you will frequently see deserted rest areas on stretches of highway with the newer, fancier model that drove it out of business just a few feet down the road.
- Turkey’s intercity highways have improved substantially in recent years. You used to find two-lane highways all over the country but those have almost all been upgraded to at least four lanes. The otoyol, is a much newer, high-quality toll-road that connects major cities like Ankara and Istanbul.
- Paying tolls on the otoyol is more confusing than it should be. Payment is done through an automatic EZ Pass type of device but there are different lanes / different types of devices. Make sure to ask the car rental company how you should pay tolls on the otoyol before you drive away from the car rental lot.
- Despite improvements you will still find some roads in more remote areas that look like they are left from the Roman times. Passing on these ancient two-lane highways is often necessary (especially if you are stuck behind a slow-moving agricultural truck) – just pass with care!
- Almost no matter where you drive in Turkey it will be impossible to escape with a clean car. Your car will quickly be covered in dust, dirt and mud. Just go with it.
- I am making a massive generalization here, but Turks tend to be crazy drivers. They are fearless and aggressive and road accidents are sadly not uncommon. They only sometimes respect road signs or marked lanes. My favorite is the “Pac-man” driver who drives straight down the middle of two lanes and “eats” the painted lane markers. This aggression particularly comes out if you are driving in major cities. Just be smart, be patient, and be very aware of your surroundings.