You can fly between most of the major cities in Turkey quickly and easily with nationalcarrier Turkish Airlines (www.thy.com) or local airlines Atlasjet (www.atlasjet.com), Onur Air (www.onurair.com.tr), Pegasus Airlines (www.flypgs.com/en) and Sun Express (www.sunexpress.com).
By far the most popular and convenient way to travel inside Turkey is by coach; every town and city has its own bus station (otogar) with numerous companies and their clean, modern coaches offering tickets to just about every corner of the country. Some of the names to look out for are Kamil Koc, Metro (www.metroturizm.com.tr ), Ulusoy and Varan (www.varan.com.tr/english). Tickets are reasonably priced and journeys are comfortable and fast on air-conditioned buses with regular rest stops. Booking can often be made on the day at the bus station where each bus company has its own office, though on public holidays it is advisable to book in advance. Alternatively, you can buy tickets from local travel agencies.
Trains of the Turkish State Railway (www.tcdd.gov.tr) serve a number of Turkey’s cities with the noticeable exception of the western and central Mediterranean coasts. On some routes there are comfortable sleeping car trains. A high-speed Istanbul-Ankara express which makes the journey in just six hours has recently begun operating.
Driving is possible in Turkey with an international driving licence and is on the right-hand side as in continental Europe. You should have a copy of your licence, together with your passport and insurance documents, with you in the car at all times as you will need them if you are involved in an accident. All of the major international car rental companies, as well as a number of local ones, have offices at airports and all major centres.
Turkey has a good network of well-maintained roads; there is a 50 km per hour speed limit within urban centres and 90 km outside. Turkish road signs conform to the International Protocol on Road Signs, and archaeological and historic sites are indicated by yellow signs. Petrol stations are plentiful, often open 24 hours and many have food and other facilities attached. Unleaded (kurşunsuz) petrol is readily available.
A ferry journey is a pleasurable must when travelling from one side of Istanbul to the other. Ferries operate between Eminonu, Karakoy and Besiktas on the European shore and Kadikoy and Uskudar on the Asian side. There are many routes serving the Marmara region around Istanbul and some routes go further afield to Bursa and Izmir (www.ido.com.tr). Daily car and passenger ferries run between Turkey’s Mediterranean coast (mostly from the port of Tasucu near Silifke) to Girne on the northern coast of Cyprus (www.fergun.net). By Local Bus All towns and cities have plentiful local buses which are cheap to use. In Istanbul you can purchase a smart ticket (akbil) for a small deposit which, once loaded with credit, can be used not only on the buses but the metro, tram and ferries. By Dolmus Bright yellow minibuses (dolmus) are useful alternatives to local buses and run on standard routes posted on the front screen of the vehicle. A cheap method of travel, payment is by cash and if you are sitting at the back of the minibus other passengers will be happy to pass your payment down to the driver. You can board and get off where you want. By Taxi Taxis are plentiful and are best boarded at designated taxi stops. Payment is according to the on-board meter. All taxis in Turkey are required by law to have an on-board meter. The day time rate (gunduz) is 50% higher between midnight and 6am (gece). However, set prices are more common for intercity journeys which are posted clearly at the taxi stop.