geetika

Ok, we've decided on dates and I'm starting a new thread for your suggestions/comments. Our schedule is as follows:

Sept 28 - arr Istanbul 11am, check into hotel
Sept 29 to Oct 1 - Istanbul
Oct 1 - overnight bus to Denizli
Oct 2 - arr Denizli, rent car, check into hotel and visit Pamukkale/Aphrosidias
Oct 3 - take bus to Antalya, check into Belek Calista resort hotel
Oct 3 to 6 - Antalya, with day trips to Aspendos, Perge and Side
Oct 6 - morning flight to Istanbul, to connect to our international flight at 6pm

Otherchelebi, I know you suggested I keep Pamukkale for next June when we plan to visit Turkey again, but unfortunately I'll be with some others who aren't too keen on going there, so will have to do it on this trip.

Have a few questions for my Fodorite friends. First, your suggestions for a hotel at Pamukkale, we're not looking for anything very fancy.

I guess I'd better book a car at Denizli and Antalya for our day trips, any rental companies to avoid? Do you suggest a diesel vehicle? Any other dos and don's?

We'll get the museum pass for Istanbul, can this be bought online? Plan to get our visa too online so that we don't have to wait in line on arrival.

Had bookmarked several Turkey trip reports, will go through them in detail for more tips and ideas.

Thanks in advance!

MarnieWDC

geetika:

I am a newbie to this Forum, so I cannot answer most of your good questions. I am, in fact,learning from the posted answers to your questions.

However, I can tell you that getting the E VISA on line is easy and trouble-free.

On the other hand, after much effort, I found out that getting the MUSEUM PASS is not possible on line: you can get it either from your own hotel concierge - or a neighboring hotel desk - or from mobile vans that sell the pass near the sites.

geetika

Marnie, thanks for the tip that the museum pass can't be picked up online, will check with the hotel when I make reservations.

otherchelebi

Just one comment :

The trips to Side, Aspendos and Perge can be done in one day from Belek, where you will be about midway between these sites.
The roads are excellent but busy with frequent traffic signals, low speed limits and radar.

Leave Side to the end so that you can have very scenic dinner there before you return to Belek.

Do not forget the shorter days at end of september and early October.

If you can do Pamukkale and Aphrodisias in one day, Side, Perge and aspendos are a piece of cake.

New tangerine crop and possibly pomegranates should be available by that time around Belek area.

There is also a pear like squash that the locals call prickly squash "dikenli kabak" which is great when grilled in quarter inch thick slices.

Ask if there is a local market on any of the days you are anywhere within reach. Always a good experience. We just came back from Alacati, Cesme where I took my daughter's in-laws from Detroit who had never seen a produce market a kilometer or longer and the continuation of clothing housewares and such for another kilometer with some terrific buys including great bamboo/cotton bathrobes and towels that they bought and at least two fruit they had never seen and some vegetables also.

kja

I was very pleased with the Venus Hotel in Pamukkale:
http://www.booking.com/hotel/tr/venus.en.html

geetika

Thanks for the suggestions Other & kja, will certainly look at the Venus hotel in Pamukkale, note that it gets good reviews. Is one day too little for Pamukkale and Aphrodisias, should I take a day away from Istanbul and spend 2 days in the Denizli area? Will be in Istanbul 4-5 days again next June,so don't mind if I have less time there this trip. BTW, I know the squash pear, DH loves it!

otherchelebi

Take afternoon bus to Antalya. That should give you half a day at Pamukkale on arrival and half at Aphrodisias with an early start.

Stay at Pamukkale for the excellent sunset.

MarnieWDC

Mundane question:

"Do not forget the shorter days at end of september and early October."

Approximately what time is sunset in Istanbul and Cappadocia and Pamukkale in the last week of September/early October ?

otherchelebi

The easiest is to go for the prayer times on the web.

The following is in Turkish, but the dates are there, so you have no problem.

September 30, sunset seems to be at 18:58.

The first figure on the chart is when the first semblance of dawn appears.

Second is when the firest sign of the sun appears

the last is a prayer time whose relation to the sun is unbeknownst to me

But, "Aksam" means evening and that is when the sun totally disappears behind the horizon, even though dusk will continue for a while depending on where you are.

http://www.haberler.com/denizli/namaz-vakitleri/

you can click on any city to get the exact times.

kja

another way to find sunset/sunrise times, good for almost any where:
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldcloc...my.html?n=2252

Just set the city and date.

Croesus

For sunrise/sunset times etc, I use this website:
http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/grad/solcalc/

I also find it useful for seeing what direction the sun will shine at a certain time to get the best light when photographing sites.

geetika

Other, if I take the overnight bus from Istanbul won't I get to Denizli early enough the next day to see Aphrodisias that morning and Pamukkale in the afternoon? Another option would be to take an evening flight to Denizli on Oct 1 and set out first thing the next morning. Only, not too sure how long it would take to pick up the car, drive to our hotel at Pamukkale.

Also, your recommendations for car rental companies please

otherchelebi

Difficult question because the answer depends on your stamina, ability to sleep on overnight buses, age, arthritis levels and joint health, plus various personality traits. I could not presume to know all that and respond accordingly. Neither would I recommend it as a lecturer on RISK because of the possibility of reduced attention and concentration for driving and perceiving sights.

Since you will be renting only locally and from the bus depots, pick small local car rental agencies. Take diesel cars if you do not mind manual shift. Do not rent Fiats, Kias and Hyundais which are either underpowered or too low or both. Renault cars are usually trouble free and have good ground clearance.

Any rate from 70 to 100 TL /day unlimited mileage is good.

One problem with small local agency cars is that they most probably will not have sufficient liability insurance and also collision damage cover nor the possibility of providing you with those even if you are willing to pay for them.

If you are security andliability conscious you should go with Hertz, Avis, National, Budget, Eurocar after checking their rates and specials on-line.

geetika

Thanks for the detailed reply Other! DH & I are in our fifties, active, with no particular health issues, we usually try and pack in as much as we can see/do. Guess we should be able to take one overnight bus trip, so that's probably what we'll do. Thanks also for the tip about cars to avoid, want to tie up all our booking by next week.