FRANK KHOO

Has anyone any information as to the best way to get from Istanbul to Cannakale and from there to visit the Battlefields? Also what is the situation like with hotels especially around the 25th of April? Thanks.

George Holt

When I finally got to visit the Gallipoli area it was on a tour and we did it en-route, left Istanbul in the morning, visited Gallipoli then on the ferry to Cannakkale for overnight before moving on to Troy the next day. Nevertheless I found it very moving to visit some of the battlefields I'd read so much about. The ace way to travel from town to town in Turkey is by local coaches. There are usually several firms offering coaches going your way so they are usually frequent and cheap. You can book a ticket at any of the hundreds of small travel agencies dotted round Istanbul or go to the Topkapi bus station (the other side of town to Topkapi Palace) and look for the best deal. Given that you'll want to travel around a bit over a couple of days you might consider hiring a car, either in Istanbul or Cannakkale. There are several hotels in Cannakkale but I would imagine rooms will be at a premium around Anzac Day. The ferry trip across the Dardanelles is quite short, half hour to an hour from memory, and ferries shuttle back and forth so they are frequent. Part of the fun of the ferry is watching them pack as many vehicles as possible on board. Cannakkale is also a good base for visiting Troy so you might consider spending a day at Troy. Note that the Turkish name for Gallipoli is Gelibolu and for Troy is Truva.

George Holt

I feel sure I've seen Truva on Turkish road signs but the map I consulted last night had Troia marked. Note also that although Gelibolu is the town that gives the peninsular its name the ferry to Canakkale runs from Eceabat (pron. ej-e-a-bat, c's are always j in Turkish.).

Denise

Does anyone know if a ferry runs from Instanbul to Cannakale. We intend driving down the west coast but are hoping we could get a ferry part of the way instead of tackling driving in Istanbul.
If not Cannakale anywhere else in that area.
Denise

Denise

WE are hoping someone could help us out here in regard to Ferries Istanbul to Cannakale or somewhere close. As we intend driving down the west coast of Turkey, we thought a ferry part of the way would eliminate driving thru Istanbul.
Denise