julebarbara

can someone suggest a good rental agency for Izmir pickup - also is diesel fuel car more economical than regular gas in Turkey. Plan to rent for 1 week and drive the coast to drop in Antalya.
What are some suggestions for use of car in Cappadocia- should we wait to get there or book ahead- staying 4 days in Goreme -can we use bus to visit some villages and sites and maybe rent car for 1 day?
Should we split time between Goreme and Urgup or just base in one?
Last question-should plane be booked for Ist-Izmir and Kayseri-Ist ahead from the states, or from Turkish agency in Turkey -are the prices different and what airlines are best for these routes.
Thanks for any help!!

julies

I can help you out a bit. I booked our flights ahead of time from the US using the airlines' internet sites. We used economycarrentals.com when we rented in Kayseri and were happy with them although it was one of those arrangements where we were picked up at the airport and then driven a few miles to the office itself. This was also a rental where we dropped off in a different location from pickup.

I would choose just one base to stay in; they are not that far apart. Get the rental car right off the bat; the driving is easy and you'll have so much more flexibility.

A final tip: we never thought we'd be interested in a hot air balloon flight, but our flight in Cappadocia was one of the highlights of our trip.

Kris0602

We also used economycarrentals.com to pick up a car at the Izmir airport. The representative met us at the gate and the paperwork only took 10 minutes or so; the car was on airport property (although there was no office-- we did paperwork on the hood of the car). Their prices were very competitive compared to what else I was seeing out there.

Michael

We also used Economy Rentals and had a diesel. But I do not know if a diesel will be guaranteed. Click on my name and you will find my trip report which includes our driving from Izmir to Kayseri and places in between.

tcreath

We too used economycarrentals.com. Their prices were the best and we were happy with our results. Our only complaint is that they weren't at the desk when we arrived early to drop the car off, despite their promises of being there. Still, we dropped the key off on the desk and everything was fine.

Tracy

yorkshire

There are several low cost carriers (Turkey Travel Planner website lists them all), so I would check them all. Some operate seasonally. I booked from US and chose Turkish airlines, flying in to Kayseri and out of Nevsehir, as the times were best.
No need to split Urgup and Goreme. I loved Goreme, stayed at Kelebek. You can walk to open air museum from Goreme. You can also access many excellent hikes from Goreme and walk from town to town, maybe catch a bus back. Bus will get you some places--just depends on where you wanna go. I highly recommend doing the Ihlara Valley walk--it was a highlight. In that case, it is nice to hire a driver so you can be dropped off at one end and picked up at other end. Driver can stop at underground cities or anywhere else on the way. So, maybe just rent a car one day to drive around to villages on your own schedule.
good luck!

gpotvin

We used Argeus Travel ([email protected]) to book flights from Istanbul to Izmir, Izmir to Nevsehir via Istanbul and Nevsehir to Istanbul and also car rental for two days in Izmir. All flights were on Turkish Air and the costs for all this for two people was about $650 US.

Argeus was recommended on this site as well as in National Geographic Traveler I believe.

We stayed at the Kelebek in Goreme for four nights and did some local trekking on our own. We also did two day trips with a local tour company Heritage Travel (booked at hotel). The cost was 35 TL ($17.50 US-todays exchange rate is $1 = 1.54 TL) per person, which included lunch each day. Trips included Ilhara Valley, Rose Valley, Underground City, and much more. Ali Cini was our guide and he was incredible.

brenda66

you can fly from Kayseri to Izmir with Sun-express and you should be able to book these tickets before your travels as the cheaper tickets book up fast..

http://www.sunexpress.de/english/ann..._100126_0.html

you have not mentioned your planned travel dates so I just selected a random date in June..

22/06/2009 13:30-15:05 XQ9117 Kayseri-Izmir PROMO 69.00 TRY
22/06/2009 13:30-15:05 XQ9117 Kayseri-Izmir SAVER 79.00 TRY

Where are you planning to visit along the coast from Izmir to Antalya..I would suggest that you have a look at a few places like Selcuk, Kaya Koyu, Ucagiz or Cirali..if you are looking for a few places off the regular touristic track

julebarbara

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.
Brenda - we are traveling from Selcuk Oct.26 and have to be in Antalya Oct.3 -we thought of Daylan for 1 night, Kaya Koyu or Fethyie 2 nights, 2 nights Kas and 2 nights Cirali- what are your thoughts and any ideas for moderate places to stay. Also any must do's.
Thanks so much for your time and effort.