Travelling To Turkey

All the major airlines fly into Istanbul and Ankara while low cost flights connect with all international airports in Turkey and northern Europe.

Turkish Airlines (THY) provides a large network of domestic flights from the intemational airports of Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Trabzon, Dalaman and Antalya to all of the major Turkish cities. For timetables, prices and reductions, enquiries can be made at THY agencies. There are excellent bus connections to and from all airports and city terminals.

Major airports in Turkey include:

Istanbul (Atatürk and Sabiha Gökcen)
Ankara (Esenboga)
Izmir (Adnan Menderes)
Adana
Trabzon
Van
Erzurum
Bursa
Samsun
Antalya
Dalaman
Milas-Bodrum

The wide network of the Turkish State Railways, totalling some 8,697 km, connects most major cities. The trains are modern with couchettes, restaurants, and lounge cars offering first and second class service.

Bus travel is a popular means of transport within the country and every town will be linked by a service. They are run by private bus companies and coaches depart from city bus stations or the town centre in smaller regions.

Yellow taxis are numerous in all Turkish cities. The fare shown on the meter reads according to the distance travelled.

The 'Dolmus', a special service found only in Turkey, is a shared taxi which follows specific routes and is recognizable by its yellow band. Each passenger pays according to distance traveled and can get off at specific stops. Fares are relatively cheap and are fixed by the municipality. The 'dolmus' serve large cities and will go to suburbs, airports and often to neighboring towns. This is a very practical means of transport and cheaper than a privately hired taxi.

Turkey has 8 430 Km of coastline and 15 principal state-owned ports. The main ports are; Samsun, Haydarpasa (Istanbul), Izmir, Izmit, Trabzon, Mersin, and Iskenderun and run extensive passenger ferry services.