willois123

My girlfriend and I are going to Istanbul in early October and we were planning to go to Ismir and the tourist sites down there _but_ her grandfather came to the US from Amasya, near Samsun on the Black Sea. We're thinking of just renting a car [outside of Istanbul] and driving to Amasya. Is there anything to see along the way? Any advice?
Thanks

otherchelebi

There is a great deal to see on the way and back from Amasya, depending on the route you take and how much time you have available.

- First, find a map of turkey.
- There is the direct route to Amasya, which you can do in a longish day, about 7-8 hours drive. Take the Istanbul-Ankara motorway, 120+10%k/hr. Take the samsun exit as you get close to Ankara, after the toll exit. Follow signs to Amasya after Corum, the land of leblebi (a type of chick pea eaten as a nut)
- One indirect route could be the one on my recent trip report:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-of-turkey.cfm

Continueing from Sinop on the coastal highway instead of returning via Boyabat, and then up to Amasya from Samsun.

- A second alternative would be to drive through Safranbolu, famous for restored Ottoman houses, to Kastamonu to Amasya through Boyabat, all inland.

- On your way back, i strongly recommend that you visit Alacahoyuk and Hattusas/Yazilikaya, possibly staying that night at Bogazkale, or pushing further to Ankara so that you can visit the Hittite museum and the capital of Turkey the next morning before you drive another five hours or so to istanbul.

- The highway speed limit is 90+10%k/hour.

- Amasya is a lovely city with the meandering Kizilirmak in the narrow valley, a castle and Roman tombs, a good museum, Ottoman buildings and restored riverside mansions operating as hotels.

- This will also be the time for the small but very aromatic famous Amasya apples. Try their okra also (dried if the fresh ones are out of season)

- Make sure that the car rental company provides you with a fixed OGS device on the car or a KGS card with some credit to get you through the tolls. The bridges across the Bosphorus will not let you cross with cash.

willois123

Thanks, Othercheliebi, this is a great help. Do you have any recommendations on where one can pick up a rental car on the Asia side of Istanbul so we don't have to drive in the city?

otherchelebi

The easiest place to pick a car would be sabiha Gokcen airport.

You can take a Havas bus from Cumhuriyet caddesi just 50 meters from Taksim Square, on the wide boulevard across from the high rise marmara hotel and next to the taksim park, a little after McDonalds.

willois123

Thanks - greatly appreciated.