2 women driving in Turkey? Should we?
 

My friend and I want to travel to Turkey this November, mainly Istanbul and Cappadocia. We have rented cars and driven in Europe and Great Britain, so we don't have a problem with that. While we are definitely not "fearful travelers" we are wondering about safety for two women driving. I have read previous threads concerning safety within Istanbul but what about highways, etc. Istanbul on our own is no problem, Cappadocia is where we have questions. We could take a package tour there for a few nights, but we really like the freedom of a car.

Any women out there who have driven in Turkey and what was your experience like? Thanks

From my Lonely Planet - Turkey guide book, page 98 "You need to know that Turkey has one of the world's highest motor vehicle accident rates, with tens of thousands of fatalities each year and tens of thousands of injuries each year." "Turkish drivers are impatient and incautious. They drive at high speed and have an irrepressible urge to overtake. To survive on Turkish highways drive very defensively and avoid driving at night and never let your emotions affect what you do."

I decided that a literal quote was better than my summary. My younger brother teaches college in Turkey and pretty much agrees with the above.

As long as you stick to rules, regulations and speed limits there is no problem. You may be frustrated in traffic jams in Istanbul but once you are outside Istanbul you will enjoy driving. Especially in Cappadocia, a car is a real freedom to wander around.

Enjoy your driving in Turkey.

I don't think this is a good idea. We drove along the Aegean Coast in July, and while most of the roads were fine, some were not. Also, outside of the major cities, you will find that very few people speak English, so if you run into any kind of mechanical or other problem, it will be difficult. Also-dare I say this?- there were some instances when my daughter and I felt uncomfortable wandering around alone in Istanbul. I think this problem would be compounded on the road.

I live part time in the middle east and as a women I would discourage you from doing this. I would be curious to know if Anatolian is a male driver who is used to driving in the Middle East. My DH drives me everywhere but there are times I close my eyes, hard to do if you are driving. And I also agree with Weadles as far as away from the cites. You are a braver person than I to attempt this, but with that said if you decide to do so, I wish you a wonderful experiece and do not discourage you from going to Istanbul..

I sincerely hope that my post won't discourage anyone-women in particular- from visiting Turkey. We had a mostly wonderful trip. The Turkish people are incredible hosts, the food is amazing, and the scenery and sightseeing are some of the best in the world. However, women need to be especially respectful of cultural differences, and in some cases,we probably were not.

I'm the original poster. I would not drive a car in Istanbul. We were thinking of flying to Kayseri and renting a car at the airport. This way I would be out of heavy city traffic. I've driven in Ireland, England, and NARROW roads in mountain villages of Spain as well as Mexico, downtown Chicago and Los Angeles. I always use maps and figure, that if I get lost, that was what I was meant to see.

I was more concerned about social attitudes, etc. Were women drivers acceptable in smaller villages? Thanks again.

I'm sure that you're an excellent driver, but I still think it's a bad idea, and I do think you'll find yourselves -at the very least- the subjects of a lot of curiousity and perhaps unwanted attention in the smaller villages.

rfb:


I would strngly recommend that you DO drive, especially in the Cappadoccia region. It lends itself to self drive. I have driven 1000's of miles in many parts of central and western Turkey, some rather remote...my wife has also driven...in fact she did most of the driving on a few of our visits ....courtesies were evident everywhere...so based on her experiences in petrol stations, etc, I feel confident in agreeing that you drive it.

Turks are among the most helpful and friendly of any country we have been to, and driven in.

Go and enjoy..just be aware of your surroundings...a bit of advice that applies everywhere other than your own driveway at home!

Stu T.

Thanks Stu T. My concern was that we were two women alone - our husbands don't want to go to Turkey - go figure!.

I have no idea where that quote from BigRed above comes from. We didn't drive in Istanbul (or any other large cities), but we drove from Cappadocia to the coast at Antalya and followed the coast up to Kusadasi. Driving in Turkey was not only pleasant, but one of the least frustrating, crowded, or seemingly dangerous places in Europe we've ever driven. We found roads very well marked, in great condition, and very uncrowded. I can't speak about two women traveling together but alone, but I really don't see that being a problem at all.

Due to a missing sign in Cappodocia however, we did get lost trying to follow the directions to our hotel in Ugrup. We stopped in the middle of nowhere at a crossroads and simply asked the next car "Ugrup?" pointing one way and then the other. The locals who obviously didn't speak any English, smiled and said "Ah, Ugrup!" Then happily pointed us in the right direction. We did that two or three times until we found our way again. People were wonderful there.

>>>our husbands don't want to go to Turkey - go figure!.<<<

Good reason to leave them home...but not to worry...as I said, I would have no qualms about my wife driving with a lady friend.

stu t.

Many years ago--late 60's--two other young women and I drove through Turkey. We went through Istanbul, Bursa, Ismir, and down to a beach town (sort of) called Cesme. On our way to Cannakle, our car finally quit for good. I think the low octane gas damaged the engine.

There we were, in the middle of nowhere, when three Turkish men in a Mercedes came along and pulled us about 75 miles into Cannakle. They had no chain, so they used a rope to tow us, at one time, even buying a rope from a young boy who was using it to tie a basket on his donkey.

We arrived in Cannakle about midnight to find that there were no hotel rooms available, as it was some kind of holiday. The hotel manager routed out a couple of men and asked them to share a room, and he gave us the room of one of the men.

The only person in town who could speak English happened to be the auto mechanic who repaired our car. Repairs took almost all of our money--and mind you, this was before credit cards were common.

After three days, the car was repaired--temporarily, as it turned out.

The Turkish people were great, and my memory of the roads was that there was no problem with them. I assume that our problem with the gas was a fluke. It was an unforgettable experience!

What I'm seeing online at various travel websites regarding driving in Turkey is not encouraging. Here's an example:

http://www.frommers.com/destinations...349020156.html

I think for the most part those who oppose driving in Turkey have not actually driven themselves..those who have can assure you that it is not as bad as the rest seem to say..of course there are precautions to worry about..but defensive driving is the key..

Other than that driving inside Istanbul or inside any large city might pose a few problems when it comes to traffic.

Really I do not think that you have to worry about the roads as they are well travelled and for the most part double lane highways. The government in the past few years have really inproved the highways making travel very easy. You can however do all this by bus but like I said before you will have better mobility by driving a car and the buses will also take longer to travel from one destination to another.

however I would not bother to drive from Istanbul to the cappadocia area..not that much to see and you are wasting time..fly to Nevesehir / Kayseri and then rent a car there...I never recommend driving in Istanbul as the traffic is to congested..

here are some tips from the Turkey Travel planner..

http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/t...d_warrior.html

http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/t...veDriving.html

http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/t...ing/index.html

The other tip is have a mobile phone always when you travel and the phone numbers of the places you are staying at..that way if you get into any problems or lost...you can contact the hotel/pension for help..

Also you have also posted that you have driven in Spain and Mexico..cannot see you have any problems..

bachslunch, that Frommer's article is downright idiotic. They compare driving in Turkey to driving in London or New York? I'd say the closest comparison I have to the bulk of driving in Turkey is taking back roads in rural Iowa or Wyoming. You might get stuck behind a tractor there too. Hey, most of us are talking about driving in the bulk of the country, not Istanbul!

But any travel article that suggests the best way to tour the country is in a bus and keeping your window curtains closed so you don't see anything is way beyond "stupid".

Great story, Peg. Have you been waiting for just the right post on which to share it? The wealth of experience here is unmatchable.

rfbk50
We just returned from a great travel experience. Four days of that were spent in Istanbul. We loved it! We found the people to be a real joy! However, I just wanted to add that I'm so glad you are not driving in Istanbul, we just stood and watched in amazement and actually took pictures. They drive within INCHES of each other. DH and I even commented that the drivers were men. I think we counted one woman driver in the 4 days we were there.

We have driven quite a bit in Turkey. The major roads are generally good, but some of the smaller ones can be in poor condition. The things to watch out for are:

* people tend to take a curve halfway in the oncoming lane. Be sure to honk before a blind curve if the road is narrow.

*the shoulder can be non-existent or a sheer drop in the mountains.

* there can be traffic of wildly different speeds on the roads (farm equipment, etc.) so be aware and ready to slow down quickly.

* there can also be livestock in the road unexpectedly (herds of sheep or goats).

*gas stations can be infrequent and many only take cash. Gas is about the same price as in France (expensive!)

*just in case, get an emergency contact number from your rental car agency and be sure to have a cell phone that works there.

In my experience, there is often very little traffic outside the cities, so the driving is easier than in other places. If you've driven in rural Mexico you have a very good idea of what to expect.

As two women travelling together, you will attract attention, but not much more than if you were travelling with just your spouse. It's more the fact that you're travelling independently that raises curiosity. Cappadocia is hardly a stranger to tourists, after all.

Great story, Peg! Was that the genesis of your screen name?

My experience is a bit outdated, but I did a self-drive trip in 1998 with another female friend and it was a terrific experience. As other posters have meantioned I found the people to be warm and friendly. We got perhaps the occassional odd look but never one that I found in any way threatening. As for the roads they were as expected, generally small with little traffic but what traffic there was could be aggressive (you know passing on blind hairpin turns).

My input as a male, travelling i 2 cars with another family.

I was there last August with a rental car. I had a standard, so bear in mind that is the most common. Rented via Economy Car rentals, who used Decar as their supplier. Very good service.


We drove into Istanbul every day (staying in suburb). Yes, if you are not comfortable with city driving, it will be stressful. There is a lot of traffic and people do not follow the lines in the road. So you could get 4 lanes of traffic in 3 marked lanes. But...once you find the rhythm and rules of traffic it was quite fun. No accidents, no bumping, people very much followed the "rules" of the road.


Other issues were street signeage (not always easy to see) and finding parking was a bit challenging (until we found our secret spots).

Since were mostly headed to major sites, not an issue learinng the route. We also went to Asian side. Bit more hectic, bit narrower roads.

In essence, it helps to be a confident driver.

We then drove to Capadoccia and then westward along Med. The roads to Ankara were superb, as good or better than back home. High speed but no aggresive drivers. In Capadoccia also fine, did do a couple of gravel roads. Lot less traffic.

Along Med roads can get windy and scenic (not always guard rails), but you will be going at a slower rate anyways.

I can't speak about safety. I was travelling with one woman and three girls, no issues I can think of apart from realizing to dress appropriately in certain locales. even then, when we visited Blue Mosque (women in shorts)they supplied wraps.

A car gives you freedom.

Hope this helps,
Mike

The USA averages about 1.1 vehicular deaths per 100 million kms driven. Turkey about 22.0.

There's a wonderful book called "The Towers of Trebizond" by Rose Macaulay, which describes the female narrators travels around Turkey sometimes with her aunt,on a camel. Its not the same as in a car, but I think it will be a a good way to get ready for your trip.

"However, women need to be especially respectful of cultural differences, and in some cases,we probably were not."

I think this quote is inappropriate. It should read that women need to be wary in countries with backwards attitudes towards women. This describes most muslim countries. Sorry, if the is not politically correct and no, sorry not all cultures are equal.

thank you ronnie, I too was bothered by that comment.

I also think for this poster it would be nicest if women who travelled alone in Turkey without men would be best suited to answer, I see alot of posters here who either are men, or travelled with men, and I think their experiences may be different then women on their own.

Frankly I also hope OP'S are older mature women instead of two young attractive college coeds,, ( not that we older women are not attractive, I just think in certain countries young ladies get hasseled,or should I say hustled a bit more.

I personally would not be happy with the accident statistics some posters are quoting..

Search Pippa Bacca, recently raped and killed in Turkey, as she was hitchhiking her way across Turkey dressed in a wedding gown as part of an appeal for peace. And yes, this should not stop anyone from visiting a beautiful country, but it does raise concern about being a woman alone on the road.

Milena , I searched and read about Pippa.
Very sad but not even a bit surprising.
Sorry , a woman alone has to be CAREFUL no matter what country she is in.. and hitchhiking is dummber then dumb.

Human nature will never change, people are good and people are evil. A woman alone at a gas station hitchhiking is certainly putting herself in a stupid position ,, and a person with evil intentions is thrilled that someone is so foolish.

I don't think one should compare the two situations to closely. Being alone is never as safe as being with another woman, and as I said that goes for any country.

Hi - original poster here again. Well I wish we were college students but I am 59 and my friend is 64 (but young at heart) We just went zip lining in Puerto Vallarta mountains.

I can drive a manual, but hope I can find an automatic despite the higher cost and I will leave my wedding dress at home (like it would really fit after 40 years)

I will take my St. Christopher's medal with me and hope for the best. It's the hot air ballon ride in Cappadocia that gives me the shivers. Thanks for all of the input.

Driving as two ladies should not be a problem; avoiding night drive is my main suggestion male or female.

Common rules & common sense is always helpful for safe driving.

There was a comment about gasoline stations not accepting credit card sounds like an urban legend to me :-) I havent pay cash at gasoline station at least since 5 years. Credit card at gasoline stations are commonly used....

It is true that Turkish drivers are not always the best drivers but should not hold you out of your plans.

I would not suggest anyone to drive in ýstanbul. If you need to drive in a city and need to find a location and you feel uncomfortable, my suggestion is to ask a taxi to drive you while you follow him and pay his fare on arrival to location.

Happy Travelling,
Murat

Hi Murat
I just wanted to tell you that we are back from Istanbul and the 'testi kabob' you recommended for dinner was the best meal we had while on vacation! Delicious! I also found out that the 'Raki' in Turkey has anise and is very much like Ouzo, while the 'Raki' in Greece does not have anise added. Liked both!

Hi CD,
I am glad you did enjoy the testi kebab.
Just a correction :-)) Ouzo is very much like Raki......
I like them both too. Raki in Crete is more closer to our version and relaxes all body and sould if drunk with right people and right food....

Glad to hear you had a nice time in Turkey,
Cheers,
Murat