I have arranged to arrive in Bodrum for a trip around the Aegean sites with Explore. They have now cancelled the trip. I am wondering whether to bail entirely or do it on my own. So questions I have are:
Would I be able to travel by bus from Bodrum to Istanbul via Ephesus, Izmir , Pergamum in a week or 10 days?
How easy is it to get buses? Are they frequent? How long will the journey between places be?
Are these recommended sites or should I aim for somewhere else?
This will be in August (only time I have). Do I need to book in advance?
I am a woman aged 60, used to travelling solo. Will there be any hassles?
Thanks for your thoughts

gertie: That's a shame that Explore has cancelled your trip. It sounds like it would have been a great trip.

Turkey is probably not the easiest place to get around on your own by public transportation, but it's very far from being the most difficult. Turkish people are quite hospitable and I think you will be made to feel welcome. I do think you will want to make some bookings in advance, because August could also be a time when many city-dwellers in Turkey take resort holiday breaks, not to mention foreign visitors. But it might be sufficient to book something at your starting point for a few days, and Istanbul at the end for a day or so.

It's not very practical advice, but there are two books you might enjoy reading before your trip. One is from the Travellers' Tales series (Travellers' Tales Turkey). The other is called Tales from the Expat Harem, which focuses exclusively on foreign women's experiences travelling in and living in Turkey. Sometimes it's moving, sometimes it's hysterically funny and it's always interesting.

Have you considered booking with a different tour organiser who will be running a tour from Bodrum (or nearby) at around the same time?

Yes Kate, I had thought of that but have been unable to find a tour starting in Bodrum or nearby. They all seem to start in Istanbul. Any ideas?
Thanks for your helpful reply.

Long-distance buses in Turkey are comfortable and frequent - at least hourly on main routes. Izmir and Istanbul have huge bus stations with rows of ticket offices for rival companies. The buses have an attendant who looks after passengers, even serving tea or coffee on some journeys.

Thanks Geoff. Do you think I could do the route I have in mind by bus in a week/10days? With time to see places on the way?

I admire your desire to go ahead with your trip on your own! I believe it is very doable - but now you have to work out the details. I think GeoffHammer has good input.

In my research on Turkey, I came across a bus that you could get on and get off. It has a standard route but the on and off part was the attraction.

I will look a bit but my memory of Turkish research is that it is endless!

I don't know if you have experience with Turkey. I have been twice and if this is what I wanted to do, I would certainly feel it is possible. I would start with a Turkish TA (maybe Pasha?) and go from there. I think they could advise you on segments. As far as 'in a week or l0 days'...I don't know. The worst that could happen is to have to rearrange and possibly drop a place - or spend more time. search for Eurotraveler (sp?) since she posted a Turkey trip report)

Keep us informed and share your results with us - it sounds like something I would like to do.

gertie, Good luck to you. I found Turkeytravelplanner.com quite helpful in arranging my own upcoming trip to Turkey. There are many Turkish travel agents recommended on that site. I have used ANKARA TRAVEL, based in Kusadisi, to help with the Bodrum portion of my trip, and been very pleased .

If it helps at all, we are flying from Istanbul to Izmir on Turkish Air, again arranged by the TA. It's about an hour flight. From there, we've arranged for a pickup and guided tour of Ephesus.( I think Ephesus is about an hour or so from Izmir airport.) We are staying in the area overnight, then driving to Bodrum the following morning.

Another great resource is the tripadvisor forums on Turkey. There's plenty of info from travelers on Istanbul, Bodrum, and many other places inbetween.

Hmmm, if it's a one hour flight from Istanbul to Izmir that might mean too much overland travel. I wonder if it would be better to stop in Izmir and maybe go back through the Greek Islands to Athens (which is where I started the original trip). I've been to Istanbul before, the main reason for the trip was to see the Aegean sites in Turkey.

I think there are ferries or hydrofoils from Kusadisi to one or two of the Greek Islands. I want to say Kos and Samos, but I could be wrong! I'm guessing that Kusadisi is about an 1.5 from Izmir, since that's where we're basing for the night after seeing Ephesus. Anyway, good luck!

Thanks everyone for great advice. Things I had no idea about. At the moment I'm thinking of Bodrum-Selcuk-Pergamum-Izmir. Ferry to Chios then Piraeus and flying back from Athens-London. 10 days enough?

I did a road trip along the North Agean coast two years ago, with visits to Pergamum and Ephesus. I highly recommend a stop in the small port of Foca which has easy acces to Pergamum. I would think this is relatively easy to do by bus..if you want more information on Foca let me know. We stayed here and I recommend it highly:

http://www.focantiquehotel.com/english/index.html

Two good sites on Turkey are www.travelturkey.com and www.turkeytravelplanner.com. The first one mentions the hop-on-hop-off bus and it is Feztravel or feztraveler.

Lots of transportation information on these two sites from fares to time to distance.

Happy Travels

Hi all,

I recommend you to take a bus tour from Bodrum to Istanbul. And again I strongly recommend you to stay Istanbul at least 3 days. Because there are a lot of places to see. I have been living in Istanbul for 2 years however, I still cannot say I have seen all of the Istanbul. You can see many examples of various cultures. For example St. Sophia , Topkapı Palace and so on. During your Istanbul trip you should stay at a hotel which is in old city-Sultanahmet-. You can look at www.tripadvisor.com and i know a hotel which is on the top 20 list that is ada hotel istanbul. It has a website if you want to visit it www.adaistanbul.com

I would like to help if you have further questions...

Wintersp, thanks for the Fez Travel Hop On Hop Off website. A whole bunch of options I had no idea about. What a great site. Here it is.
http://www.feztravel.com
Looks like a trip for another year though. But this summer's trip is coming together and I'll report back if/when I actually make it.

Hi Gertie,

I'm a seasoned traveler of Turkey, and have made the bus ride from Istanbul to Bodrum and back about 6 times.
I highly recommend taking the trip on your own, of course exercising the same caution a woman traveling alone normally would. Most Turks are incredibly hospitable and would give you the shirt of their backs, but like everywhere in the world, there are those that take advantage of tourists, but this is quite rare, especially when compared to other major cities or touristic places.
I feel that 10 days is wholly inadequate for a trip that covers that much ground. You could do it, but you wouldn't be allowing enough time to soak in the sites and enjoy yourself. I recommend spending half the trip in Bodrum and half in Istanbul. Each busride will be approximately 8-10 hours. As far as the bus companies, there are 3 that I highly recommend: Ulusoy, Varan, & Kamil Koach are all very comfortable and very dependable. Getting a bus ticket is a breeze. You can purchase a one way or round trip, but I'd advise to do so immediately upon arrival as these popular lines fill up quickly during the high season.
In my opinion, Bodrum's surrounding towns are much more enjoyable than Bodrum centre. Gumbet, Turgutreis, Cesme, Ortakent, etc. are a bit slower paced and seem to reflect a more genuine Turkish environment, though Bodrum centre is a must see. The Aegean Sea won't allow you to spend less than 5 days gazing at it's beauty. Oh, and the sunlight in this area is so beautiful that everything seems to glow, resonate even, with light, and the air itself seems to shine, making everything seem more clear. I've been to many places and have never witnessed anything like it. If you partake in alcohol, make sure to have at least one glass of Raki, an annisette flavored concoction that old school Turks refer to as "arslan sut" or "lion's milk". Yeni Raki is the brand I prefer. This will make a beautiful view of the Aegean even more beautiful.

What is there to say about Istanbul other than it's the most magical and charming city in the world? Giving istanbul less than 5 days would be a mistake, and as it is your first trip, the obvious stopping points are recommended: Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Kiz Kadesi (maiden's tower), etc. Also I recommend sipping cay ("chai" or hot tea) or a sutlu Neskave (Nescafe with milk) at the Pierre Loti cafe, which offers the most exquisite view of the Golden Horn. I also wouldn't miss taking a ferry (about 30 min) across the Bosphorus to the Asian side of Istanbul. as it's not everyday (or anywhere else in the world) where you can be in on 2 continents and still be in the same city). Also, make sure you see the "flower passage" and have some coffee at my favorite Istanbul neighborhood, Ortekoy, while overlooking the dock.

Have a great time, but be warned: After visiting Turkey, don't be suprised if you ind yourself feeling nostalgic about it and wanting to return. in fact, go ahead and buy your ticket for next year as well!

Only thing I would add here is, traveling in Turkey by bus is incredibly easy -- don't worry, just go! I think the Turkish buses are some of the best in the world.

vagabund soul, I enjoyed your information on Istanbul and the other places. Could you please give me the name of a couple of hotels and restaurants in Istanbul. My husband and I are planning to go there in September

Thanks

Istanbul Hippodrome is really beautiful and great city, and saw the amazing and exciting hagia sophia. All tours in istanbul regular tours available expert, or a travel agent www.packagetoursturkey.com private or speacial tours. you need to see the Blue Mosque and istanbul grand bazaar bazaar and of course, corn. you can really taste food resturantları Turkis from tripadvisor.com the hotel is in the www.istanbulhotels.com