BKD

Going this summer with family of four (14 and 16 year children). Flying in and out of Istanbul. Please suggest some itineraries. I was thinking about 4-5 nights in Istanbul, couple of nights in Cappadoccia, and then somewhere on the coast, maybe Bodrum? Perhaps slip over to Rhodes?? Help! Thanks.

rhkkmk

bodrum is quite nice....it has a real small town feeling...there is good shopping and the restaurants are quite nice there....we have been there twice in the past...

we flew from istambul to izmir and rented a car there and drove from there to bodrum and then across to anatalya and then back....quite nice really...

you can take a boat from bodrum to kos, greece which is quite nice as well...

propertravel

Istanbul, fly Cappadocia, flt to Izmir directly, hire a car drive to Sirince or Kusadasi, visit Ephesus drive to Bodrum.

You could easly plan your itinerary with such outline.
Happy travelling,
Murat

Weadles

We're visiting Turkey for the first time this July with our kids, 19 and 16. Going to Istanbul for five days, Ephesus for 1, Bodrum for 5, and Marmaris ( on the way to Rhodes) for 1.

I did a lot of research, and can highly recommend Turkeytravelplanner.com for help. It was fanastic!

Through that site, I found out about the Su Hotel in Bodrum, which is relatively inexpensive but nice, and only a few minutes away from the Western Harbor and Bazaar.

In case you're interested, the hotel rents some stone cottages and apartments that have full access to hotel facitilites ( swimming pool etc.)
We rented one of these that's in town for about 200E. Don't know if they have any left for your dates, but it's worth checking.

Since you asked about Rhodes, we were there last summer, and it was the highlight of our 3-week trip to Greece. We loved it so much, we're going back! There are two boats a day from Marmaris, one in the morning ( around 9AM) and one in the late afternoon ( around 4 PM). The trip takes about an hour.

I forgot to mention that I also used the services of a travel agent, Ankara Travel, that was recommended on Turkeyplanner.com. They have been wonderful to deal with, and helped to arrange airport transfers, guided tour of Ephesus, hotel stay in Kusadisi ( 1 night after we visit Ephesus) and boat tickets.

Good luck!

BKD

I have spent a lot of time on turkeytravelplanner.com and have found it to be a great resource.

Couple of questions: hotels in Istanbul? Sultanahmet or Beyoglu? Seems like there are pros and cons to each district.

The drive from Izmir to Bodrum by way of Ephesus: is that a fairly easy drive or am I going to be pulling my hair out?

Anybody know of a reputable gulet operator in Bodrum that can do a one night or two night trip?

Thanks.

bobludlow

Sultanahmet keeps you closer to the Topkapi Palace and the biggest mosques. Beyoglu feels more European with boutiques, cafes, office buildings, city squares, etc. Pick the one that intrigues you more.

Turkish drivers have a high rate of accidents but I don't think that there is anything especially difficult about the drive through Ephesus to Bodrum. It is a generic highway.

Bodrum has a great produce market by the bus station. You can get a slice of lahmacun (Turkish pizza) in a cafe along the side and enjoy the scene. There is also a small supermarket there for items you can't find in the market itself.

"Reputable gulet operator" - are you kidding?

Greece and Turkey go out of their way to make the cross-border trip to Rhodes as difficult as possible. But you will be surprised at how Greek-looking the Bodrum architecture is. Probably because it was full of Greeks before the big population exchange of the 1920s.

sonal123

Hi.
I read Weadles reply with interest.I am going with my 18 and 19 yr old kids in May for 13 nights in turkey and 16 nts in Greece.
In turkey I plan tobe in Istanbul for 4 nts, Cappaduccio 3 nts, 2 nts Selik(1 day bergamum, 1 day ephesus).Then after Seluk,I have 4 days free, on the 4th night I have to be on Maramris to catch the ferry to Rhodes next day.
My question to you guys is what should I do in the 4 free days after Seluk?
I could consider to spend them in bodrum in a beach resort which has a lot of activities as kids would enjoy Bodrum.
But all guide books rave that blue voyage and Olundenze are unmissable highlights.So I am tempted to take the 6 hour bus journey from Seluk to Fethiye, spend 1 night in Oludenze and then take the 2 days Blue Voyage cruise Fethiye to Marmaris.
Kids say a gulet cruise with "nothing to do', may get boring.
Any suggestions from those who have travelled with teenagers in this area?Will teens enjoy the 2 day gulet trip and oludenze option compared to Bodrum?
tks
sonal23

cindybug

I highly recommend contacting Ali at [email protected]. A small group of "girls" were under his care for a week visiting numerous sites with his driver. Ali made the whole trip spectacular as he is well educated and versed in history, religion, etc and always know great places to eat. I cannot think of enough superlatives to describe his talent. He will be available for short or long tours.

Weadles

Sonal123,

I thought of booking a Gulet cruise, too, but nixed the idea because I think my kids would be bored to tears. From what I've read, you spend the day sailing, pulling up to small coves, swimming, and eating, which sounds great for me and my husband, not so great for kids. Also I worried a little bit about how other passengers might react to having teens around.

So for your extra 4 days, you might want to look through Turkeytravelplanner.com for ideas, and/or contact one of the recommended travel agencies on that site. I chose ANKER TRAVEL ( not ANKARA TRAVEL, as I previously posted), and worked with an agent named "CEYDA", who was unbelievably knowledgeable and helpful. The company is based in Kusadisi, so they seem to know that area around Epehsus, Kusadisi, Bodrum, Marmaris, very well. Good luck!