nitinb

Hi,
On Dec 23rd or 24th, we take the overnight bus from Istanbul to Capadoccia and reach there sometime around 8am. I have 3 questions:
1. Should we reserve the bus from Istanbul to Capadoccia or we just get to the bus station and get on it?
2. Which town should we get off in from the bus so that we can hop on the earliest balloon? How should we plan it if we have only one day in Capadoccia?
3. Can we get to the area from where the balloons take off and just hop on to balloon with any company?

Any help planning this would be highly appreciated.
Thanks.

Sassafrass

Balloons fly depending on weather and winds. So first, check now to see which companies (if any) will even be flying Dec 23/24.

No you can't just go to the site and get on a Balloon.
You reserve and pay ahead of time.
Each company has different take off/landing sites - not easy to find on your own, I think.

Most companies pick people up at around 5:30 to 6:00 AM, from their hotels. They might also have central pickup is different towns - don't know about that. I doubt very much if you can arrive by bus at 8:00 AM, and get a taxi or hire a car and drive to any of the meeting places or take off sites in time to get on a flight, even if they let you do it. We were back in our hotel well before noon, early enough to have a late breakfast at the hotel.

In order to be there for a balloon flight, consider flying to Cappadocia the evening before and staying in a hotel there, rather than taking an overnight bus.

Based on Recs by others on Fodors, we used Butterfly Balloons and were super happy with our choice, but there are several good companies. Look for some threads or trip reports here on Capodocia where there are several discussions about the balloon flights.

Ian

Sassafrass nailed it. Goreme is closest to the launch sites which are typically west or southwest of town but they vary day by day depending upon weather. And if is bad, they won't fly at all. By 8 AM, the balloons are landing.

Ian

nitinb

Thanks guys for all the comments, I appreciate it.
You have convinced me to spend atleast 2 days in Cappadocia. So, I will get there at 8AM on first day and book the balloons for the following morning. With this new plan, I have some additional questions:
1. Which town will be the best one to stay in if we wanna stay in those chimney/cave hostels?
2. What other places can we visit in Cappadocia in 2 days? I found these 2 suggestions to spend 2 days in Cappadocia:

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTop..._Province.html

http://www.captivatingcappadocia.com...w-to-spend-it/

Would these be good choices?
Pls let me know, I appreciate your help.
Thanks,
Nitin

Michael_Hart

Just go without reservations. Lots of choices - bargain for price. Buses leave Ist at 2030 & 2130 - you will have 5 different lines to chose from. Stay in Goreme or Avanos. You will have over 100 places to chose from - BARGAIN for rate. Same for Balloon - balloon can be very expensive - BARGAIN.

Sassafrass

Nitinb,

There are many of the cave hotels. Based on recs from a couple of other travelers I respect highly, I stayed in hotel Esbeli Evi in Urgup. It is really quite luxurious - one of the best hotels I've ever stayed in anywhere. I usually do everything myself, but this time I let the hotel do it. They took care of us in every way - from sending the shuttle to the airport to getting cars and drivers - all at prices lower than I had been quoted earlier. Even the dinner they had sent to our room the first night was not only wonderful, but half the price that we paid when we went out on our own. This was without doubt the best experience I have ever had at a hotel. A hotel like this in Italy would be double the price, so if you want quality, this is a good place to have it.

Other people I talked with, however, also liked their hotels, so read some of the other posts about Turkey and Cappadocia for other recs.

Michael Hart, just curious.

They are arriving by bus, without car. Is there a tourist office nearby? Are they to call hotels to bargain or what? Do they get a car and drive from hotel to hotel or will there be reps from some of the hotels waiting at the bus station? It just seems to be a time-wasting effort, but if you have done it in Cappodocia, it would be helpful to share some details for people who want to "fly by the seat of their pants", so to speak.

I arrived by air. Yes, there were plenty of hotels, but the hotel sent a shuttle for me. I did not have to waste any of my precious time looking for a place. Also, I was able to get exactly the hotel I wanted, in the place that I wanted. Most of the time, when I just arrive without a reservation (and I do actually do that often because of certain last minute travel), I end up spending as much as I would have and getting a less desirable place. I try now to at least have a list of my top three or four choices.

How do they contact balloon companies and bargain? The days I went, the balloons were full and there was a waiting list of people wanting to go. Had I waited, and not reserved, I would not have been able to go. I also wanted a particular balloon company that had a perfect safety record, may not matter to others though.