FLYING TO TURKEY

Istanbul: From Frankfurt: 2 hours 50 minutes(1935 km),
from London 3 hours 45 minutes(2635 km) and
from New York 10 hours(8404 km). 

International airports:
Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bodrum, Antalya, Dalaman, Adana, Trabzon. 

TRAVEL BY TRAIN

There are trains from all over Europe with connections and through Greece or Bulgaria. Young travellers may take the "Inter Rail Youth Pass", which is also valid in the whole of Turkey. Most trafficked routes of Munich-Salzbug-Belgrade- Sofia-Istanbul or the Vienna-Zagreb-Sofia-Istanbul, connect most of Europe to Turkey. The Thessaloniki-Istanbul train line is usually for visitors arriving from Greece. 

TRAVEL BY SEA

Car ferries are also open to passengers., Most lines offer a comfortable and convenient travel, while you enjoy the sight seeing on the Mediterranean Blue. 

Passenger Ferries : In addition to car ferries, passenger ferries also have regular services to the ports of Trabzon, Samsun, Istanbul, Dikili, Izmir, Cesme, Kusadasi, Bodrum, Marmaris, Antalya, Alanya, Mersin and Iskenderun. 

BY BUS

Possibly the most economical way to get to Turkey is by bus. The bus companies offer luxury services from Athens, Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna, London and other places on the routes. 

TRAVEL WITHIN TURKEY

BY AIR

There are airports at the following locations: All airports are served by Turkish Airlines. Several are served by other Turkish and international airlines, too. Most of the locations are 1-1.5 hours away from Istanbul.
Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Antalya, Adana, Dalaman, Bodrum, Konya, Kayseri, Trabzon, Samsun, Erzurum, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Van, Erzincan, Sivas, Elazig, Mus, Batman, Siirt, Sanliurfa, Tokat, Malatya. 

BY SEA

Turkish Maritime Lines offer several coastal services with their Adriatic Line subsidiary, providing excellent opportunities for sightseeing; they also operate a car ferry between Mersin and Magosa. There are also services between Istanbul and Izmir, with overnight accommodation and ferry routes along Turkey’s northern Black Sea coast. A frequent car ferry crosses the Dardenelles at Gelibolu, from Canakkale to Eceabat and Gelibolu to Lapseki. 

Turkish Maritime Lines offer discounts of 15 % on single and 25 % on return passages 
for international routes and 50 % for domestic routes to holders of ISTC cards. 

BY TRAIN

Rail fares are comparatively cheap. Many trains of the Turkish State Railways (TCDD) 
have sleeping cars, couchettes and restaurant cars, but there is no air-conditioned accommodation. Fares are more expensive for express and mail trains, even though express trains are relatively slow, and some routes are indirect. Steam engines, such as the Anatolia Express which traverses eastern Turkey, are retained for tourist trains on some routes. Tickets can be purchased at TCDD offices at railway stations and TCDD-appointed agents. TCDD offer discounts of 20 % to holders of ISTC cards.Children under 7 travel free; children aged 7-11 pay half fare. Discount fares are available for Students (10 % off), Groups (30 % off for groups of 24 or more),Roundtrips (20 % off) and Sport Teams (50 % off for groups of five or more). 

BY CAR

There is an extensive road maintenance and building program; 1400 km (900 miles) of motorway are under construction. Traffic drives on the right. In case of an accident, contact the Turkish Touring & Automobile Association (Turkiye Turing ve Otomobil 
Kurumu). Tel: (0312) 213 9761. 

BY BUS

Coach: Many private companies provide frequent day and night services between all Turkish cities. Services are often faster than trains and recent competition between operators has led to lower fares. Tickets are sold at the bus or coach companies’ 
branch offices either at stations or in town centres. One should shop around the ticket offices for the best prices. Coaches depart from the bus stations (otogar) in large towns and from the town centre in small towns. 

URBAN

Bus and trolleybus: Extensive conventional bus (and some trolleybus) services operate in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. There are buses in all other large towns. These are generally reliable, modern and easy to use, although publicity is non-existent. Tickets are bought in advance from kiosks and dropped into a box by the driver. Taxi: There are many types of taxi, shared taxi and minibus in operation. Taxis are numerous in all 
Turkish cities and towns and are recognisable by their chequered black and yellow bands. Metered taxis are available. For longer journeys, the fare should be agreed beforehand. 

A dolmus is a collective taxi which follows specific routes and is recognisable by its yellow band. Each passenger pays according to the distance travelled to specific stops. The fares are fixed by the municipality. The dolmus provides services within large cities to suburbs, airports and often to neighbouring towns. This is a very practical means of transport and much cheaper than a taxi. Taxis may turn into a dolmus and vice versa 
according to demand. Ferries: There are extensive ross-Bosphorus and short-hop ferries between the parts of Istanbul. In 1988 a second bridge over the river was 
opened. Metro: There are plans to construct a metro system in Ankara.
 

A. Up to three months: Germany, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain,Barbados, Belgium, Belize, United Arab Emirates, Denmark, Morocco, Fiji, Finland, France, Granada, South Korea, Holland, Iran, Switzerland, Iceland, Jamaica, Japan, Canada, Qatar, Kenya, Kuwait, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Monaco, Norway, Oman, St. Lucia, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Chile, Trinidad, Tobago, Tunisia, Vatican City, New Zealand, Greece, Ecuador and Sweden. 

B. Up to two months: Republic of Croatia, Republic of Slovenia, Yugoslavia, Romania and Moldova. 

C. Up to one month: Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Kazakhistan, Kyrgyzistan, Turkmenistan and Republic of South Africa. 

For the countries mentioned in above clauses, and Bulgaria, a transit visa is not required.

Nationals of the following countries require a visa:

A. Up to three months: Nationals of Austria, United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Israel and Portugal can obtain a sticker visa at border gates. 

B. Up to one month: Nationals of the Commonwealth of Independent States (except Azerbaijan, Kazakhistan, Kyrgyzistan and Turkmenistan), Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia can obtain a sticker visa at border gates.

C. Miscellaneous: A visa is required of nationals from the United States of America.This visa can be obtained in advance from Turkish Consulate General offices ar at the port of entry into Turkey for a $20 US fee. Nationals of Guatemala can obtain a visa for up to 15 days at border gates. Nationals of Jordan, at most for 30 days. Nationals of Indonesia can enter the country for two months by obtaining a visa at no charge at the border gates.

D. Other: Nationals of all other countries require a visa, which can be obtained from the nearest Turkish embassy or consulate.

BOOKS ABOUT TURKEY

Turkish Reflections : A Biography of a Place by Mary Lee Settle (Paperback - June 1992) 
Our Price: $10.80 / Average Customer Review:

Teach Yourself Turkish Complete Course by Asuman Celen Pollard, David Pollard Contributor (Paperback - February 1997) 
Our Price: $13.45 / Average Customer Review:

Lonely Planet Turkey (6th Ed) by Tom Brosnahan, Pat Yale (Paperback - July 1999) 
Our Price: $17.56 / Average Customer Review:

Fodor's Exploring Turkey (3rd Edition) by Diana Darke, Fodor's (Editor) (Paperback - October 1999) 
Our Price: $17.60 / Average Customer Review:

Dorling Kindersley Travel Guides: Istanbul (Dorling Kindersley Travel Guides) by Deni Bown (Paperback - May 1998)
Our Price: $19.96 / Average Customer Review: