7 days in Turkey
 

I have somewhere between 4 and 8 days to spend in Turkey.
I'm looking for recommended things to see and do.
I definitely would like to spend at least 2 days in Istanbul; to see Kaymakli or Derinkuyu in the Cappadocia region; and Pamukkale.
Is Ephesus worthwhile or is it redundant with many of the greek sights?

Also thoughts on tour versus independent travel. And train vs. bus.

It depends on how adventurous you are. We drove throughout Turkey, which many people are afraid to do. However, I learned to drive in NYC and in other cities. Drivers in Turkey are crazy, but if your reflexes are good you'll be fine. I like the freedom it affords. Otherwise, buses (many of them are quite luxurious) are the way to go.

One suggestion -- spend a few days in Kas and Kekova. It is a wonderful Turkish Riviera town/region with great villages, sunken Roman and Lycean ruins, excellent seafood, and tremendous scenery. Ephesus is a bit crowded for my taste. I got much more of a thrill hiking over totally deserted Lycean ruins with my snorkel gear in tow. Pamulkale (or however you spell it) is a bust, as is a lot of the western coast. Spend your time in Istanbul, and then go straight to the southern coast. Be very careful when drinking the water -- make sure the bottles are sealed when you get them. Turks have a habit of filling Evian bottles with tap water, refrigerating it, and then selling it to you. Everyone I know who has been there has gotten the bug. It is the water.

As dyed-in-the-wool Turkophiles, we appeal to you to look at the map. Turkey is the size of Texas plus Louisiana. Drive less, see more. And Turkish roads are not freeways -- mostly two-lane blacktop, often in need of repair after tough winters and blistering summers. Suggest you see Istanbul well, then go south along the Aegean Coast -- marvelous scenery, ruins, beaches. Save Cappadocia for another trip; it's 'way off the beaten path, in the middle of the country. About like driving from Houston to Dallas on back roads. It's great, but you will be beat.

Eight days is just about the shortest commercial tour I've seen from the likes of Cosmos/Globus. With that you'll just get a taster. A taste of Istanbul, but probably not two days to yourself, Troy via Canakkale and then down the Aegean Coast as far as Ephesus then back to Istanbul maybe via Bursa. Definately a whistle stop tour but quite efficient use of limited time, don't expect much time anywhere to soak up the atmosphere. Turkey is a big country, as a guide it is half hour in the air Istanbul to Ankara and one hour in the air Istanbul to Antalya. It is a good long days drive from Istanbul to Ankara and a lot of that is on good motorway (in Turkish terms). If you have only four days, stay in Istanbul. You can organise a long day coach trip to Bursa, which is worth visiting and the other days you can get to know Istanbul. I'd recommend a day exploring Topkapi and the Sultanahmet area (Blue Mosque, Aya Sofia, Hippodrome and cisterns), a day zigzaging up the Bosporus and back on the public ferry and you'll still have some time for shopping in the bazaars. If you have eight days you could investigate flying somewhere. Unfortunately a lot of internal flights centre on Ankara rather than Istanbul but you can (could!) get a flight direct from Istanbul to Antalya and use that as a base for Alanya, Perge, Side, Aspendos and Manavgat. You may be surprised at the quality and scale of ancient ruins in Turkey, the theatres at Aspendos and Ephesus are on a par with that at Epidavros in Greece. Ephesus is a vast site with many restored buildings, crowded but worth it. The normal base for Ephesus is Kusadasi but you may have to fly to Izmir and travel down. Capadoccia is right in the heart of the country, you could try to get a flight to somewhere like Aksaray or Kayseri. Once there you really need several days, with transport, to see the twisted rock formations, the cave churches and the underground cities. Pamukkale, while not remote isn't really near anywhere else touristy. You could spend a lot of your time just getting there and back. It is spectacular but I wouldn't think worth wasting the bulk of your holiday on. I have to echo the above statement, see less - enjoy more, then go back if you're hooked.

Seven days will be stretch, but it will be worth the effort. After Istanbul, I would recommend flying to Antalya. In 1995, the flight was reasonable ($50 U.S. one way) and well worth the price. There is plenty to explore in and around Antalya. Aspendos and Side are wonderful for day trip. If possible, as one post mentioned, go to Kas. Its a small town with plenty to see and do. I also bought three rugs there at a fraction of the prices in Istanbul.

WE'LL BE IN ISTAMBUL 3 DAYS STAYING @ PRESIDENTS HOTEL BEGINNING 9/27. THANX FOR THE INFO ON PUB TRANS, HOW DO WE GET FROM THE HOTEL TO THE TRAM? <BR>ALSO WHERE IS THE HIPPODROME ? <BR>THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!