I really like to travel around Turkey. Antalya, Bodrum and Marmaris offer an escape for the sun- and beach-deprived Europeans.
But the country has so much more to offer. Leave the gated entrances of those all-inclusive hotels, and a completely different world of tranquility, stunning scenery, impressive historical sites and excellent and varying food will emerge. Traveling around Turkey to those places is straightforward and safe. The road infrastructure is good, long-distance coaches / buses connect all major cities, many local airports with frequent internal (or international) flights are efficient. It seems the whole network of flights, trains, coaches, buses and minibuses has been planned and implemented well over the decades.
Moreover, the whole transportation system is working around the clock, with little or no overnight closures. You can catch a long-distance bus at 3am and there will be somebody in the bus office willing to help you. Absolutely amazing.
In addition, English is widely spoken even in the smallest bus station in eastern Turkey. And if there is any communication issue, another person (even working for a competing bus company) will gladly help. In my experience this even happened at 1am in small towns in eastern Turkey.
In short, traveling around Turkey is straightforward, efficient and safe. It should NOT prevent you from independent travel to ANY location, even the smallest village in Anatolia. It might take time, but there is a guaranteed chain of transportation options to get there.
So what are the transportation options for the independent traveler?
(1) Flights
Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, Corendon Airlines and SunExpress are the major airlines in Turkey. Turkish Airlines is a more premium offering with the remaining more similar to Southwest, Spirit and Frontier in the U.S. or Ryanair in Europe. Safety standard are high as the airlines are using the standard Airbus or Boeing planes. Airbus 321 and Boeing 737, the same workhorses of the 21st century aviation in the U.S. or western Europe, are in operation here as well.
Given the distances, traveling around Turkey on flights will save you tens of hours (or days) on long-distances buses. You would have to travel on buses for a few days (with breaks) from Mardin in Anatolia to Istanbul. If you do not want to see all those interim places, take the plane instead. Costwise, it will be the same or cheaper than the cost of those buses and accommodations on the way.
The major hubs for the international flights include Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya, Izmir, Bodrum and Dalaman. All larger cities also have their regional airports. Some are dedicated to a single city and close to the city center, whereas some others are shared between two cities (e.g., Hatay and Iskenderun in Anatolia).
Depending on its size, the transportation choices to the city center are usually all or some of the following: (a) Turkish Railways (TCDD) train, (b) local metro / subway (e.g., great in Izmir), (c) tramway (e.g., excellent one in Antalya), (d) public municipal bus (almost everywhere), (e) Havas airport bus (almost everywhere), (f) shuttle bus, or (g) taxi.
Public services to the airports (train, metro, public buses) have long operating hours, many working almost around the clock with a short 1-3 hour gap.
(2) Trains
Travel around Turkey on trains is a very good idea. The Turkish Railways (TCDD) is operating an excellent network of long-distance and regional trains. They are modern, comfortable, clean and punctual (no customary 5 minute-delay for long-distance buses: please be on time). There is also a seat reservation system on some of them, for at least some carriages. You will have a guaranteed seat, which will probably be more comfortable than a standard airline coach / economy seat.
Furthermore, they are well integrated into the airports (e.g., Izmir) and usually arrive in the city center. Excellent news as you will not need a connecting bus or taxi.
Unfortunately, few will offer wifi on board.
The train network in western Turkey is well developed. Unfortunately, the eastern part of the country (“the East Side”) does not have it. You will have to take other options such as flights or long-distance buses.
(3) Metro / subway
Together with trains, the preferred option (when it is available). Modern, largely clean, punctual, with clearly displayed route and strong air-conditioning, no wifi. Operating largely around the clock with a 1-3 hour maintenance break.
(4) Tramway
Together with trains and metro, another preferred option (when it is available). For example, the Antalya AntRay is a modern tramway connecting all major locations with a change available for other destinations. Comfortable, with plenty of luggage space, strong air-conditioning, large and clear station display, frequent departures, safe with numerous security guards at the stations.
(5) Long-distance Coach / Bus
Travel around Turkey on coaches / buses is an excellent idea. Turkey has a well-developed long-distance bus / coach system. Especially on the longer-distance connections, buses / coaches are modern Mercedes / Volvo / VDL vehicles. Air conditioning, wifi and a stewart serving tea are predominantly standard (unlikely on Greyhound, National Express or Megabus!). Instead of the 2+2 seat arrangement prevalent on the U.S. and European buses, many buses have a 2+1 setup.
Travel Around Turkey: Many Competing Local Bus Companies
The long-distance coach bus system is run not by one centralized company, but many local enterprises competing on overlapping routes. Some long-distance coach stations are conveniently located in the city center (e.g., Denizli), but many are miles away (e.g., Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir), and you have to take a minibus (e.g., Diyarbakir, Mardin) or a city bus (e.g., Sanliurfa) for approximately $0.30 one way.
The individual coach companies are hub-based (e.g., Mardin Seyahat, Oz Diyarbakir). Therefore, the coaches from the local company start on time with no delays as they do not connect from another city. After I waited for a coach delayed by two hours at midnight in Kayseri, I have always tried to take a local hub coach just starting its ride.
There are differences among various coach companies in punctuality, comfort, wifi speed and seat arrangement (2+1 vs 2+2). The prices are generally similar, but higher for the higher-quality companies by up to 10-20%. I liked for example Kamil Koç or Ben Turizm.
The bus stations (“otogar” will become one of your first words in Turkish) are usually excellent. Modern, safe, well signed, usually operating 24/7, good air-conditioning. Many and frequent local bus connections, and with clean bathrooms (usually a low price of $0.10-0.30 applies).
Be prepared, Turkey is a vast country and the distances are long. Travel around Turkey takes time. In the end, I considered a 2-3 hour bus ride short, 4-5 medium and anything over 8 long. A special mention to some overnight buses with unstable air conditioning and blasting local music at 4am.
Finally, a longer coach ride is usually an excellent invitation for an interesting conversation with your neighbor(s). Everybody is stuck on this vehicle for hours, so why not make the journey shorter (and more pleasant) and talk to your fellow passengers? As a foreign tourist, you will be an interesting creature and many other riders will be interested in your views. Countless times you will hear the inevitable “Do you like Turkey?” / “Do you like <insert the destination>?” or “Do you like <enter the departure city>?”.
(6) Public (Municipal) Bus
Extensive network especially in larger cities. However, they usually take longer for the same destinations. Secondly, they are usually less comfortable than trains / metro / tramway. Overall, public buses are a good option if nothing else is available.
(7) Minibus (dolmus pronounced “DOL-moosh”)
Travel around Turkey cannot be complete the dolmus. An all-time favorite of millions of locals and tourists for short distances, low fares and a community spirit. Nothing binds more than a two-hour drive in the mountains on a bumpy road.
An efficient system popular in the region of e.g., Mercedes minibuses, which depart when full. It is similar to the other countries in the region (e.g., “marshrutka” in Central Asia). If your dolmus is not going where you want to go, there will be another one (or three), which will get you exactly where you want to be. It might be annoying that they are actively searching for additional passangers on the road and you might feel they are stopping every 60 seconds. On the other hand, they will drop you off at any point you wish (well, probably not exactly at a roundabout but almost anything else works).
How to travel from/to the airports?
If you are arriving in the Izmir airport, Izmir Airport – City Center, Izmir – Ephesus (2022) and Izmir – Pamukkale (2022) will help.
When you are arriving in the Antalya airport, please check Antalya Airport – City Center.
