Help with planning a trip to Turkey?
 

Hi all! I'm planning a trip to Turkey for next summer. I wanted to spend there 2 or 2 and half weeks. My plans are to spend some days in Istanbul, some in Cappadocia, go to Bodrum or another beach in the south and do a yacht cruise.<BR><BR>My questions are:<BR>- How many days should I stay in Istanbul<BR>- How many days in Cappadocia<BR>- How do we go from Istanbul to Cappadocia and how long does it take?<BR>- Where is the best south beach and place to spend some days?<BR>- Does anyone have some suggestions or experience with yacht cruises or cruise companies in Turkey?<BR><BR>Sorry for so many questions and thanks for any replies.

Teresa, I thought three nights was enough for Istanbul. You may opt for more if you get in late on day one from your international flight. I then flew into Cappadocia(kayseri). Our guide picked us up at the airport to take us out for a day of sightseeing before dropping us in Urgup at the end of the day to check into our hotels. I would have preferred to get to Urgup on our own and then do the sightseeing. I would check with turkish airlines, they should have a bus that will take you there for around $8. I used that shuttle service twice while I was in Turkey and it was very convenient. I was there for three days but could have easily done 4.<BR><BR>The only place I went to with a beach was Marmaris, and I was only there for one day. It was nice, very commercial though.

hi there,<BR>answers,<BR>minimum 3 nights and 1 night at the end.<BR>2 full days in capadocia to really feel it. but can be also finshed in 1 day if you go on a guided tour.<BR>&yacute;stanbul - capadocia by ovenight bus 12 hours to goreme or urgup.<BR>by plane to kayseri 1 hour or so and as debbie says you can take airport shuttles. or if you can make it on thursday you can fly direct o nevsehir..<BR>this is new and rare . check it our clearly..<BR>best beach is patara and didim ( near the didyma ruins ( oracles' temple )<BR>Cruise companies vary alot . 2002 was an expensive year for yachting . ( dont know the reason ) just getting more and more popular...<BR>daily rate starts from around of 80 $ per day depending on time of the year full meals included.<BR>have a nce holiday<BR>hakan<BR>www.turkishpeople.com<BR>

Dear Teresa,<BR>in 2 1/2 weeks, you can have a great trip. I would say at least 4 nights in Istanbul (3 at the beginning and 1 at the end is a good way to do it). <BR><BR>I would do no less than 3 nights in Cappadocia; it's such an unusual area that to rush through would be a shame, and you do have the time. Definitely fly from Istanbul to Cappadocia (Kayseri); it's relatively inexpensive (around $85) and is less than an hour's flight. If you are not renting a car, then staying in a place like Urgup would be a good idea; it's the "large" town in the area, but believe me, it's still a small place. I worked with a guide, who took us around for 2 days, but you can also take a tour; there are numerous agencies in town that offer them.<BR>If you rent a car, you can drive to the coast; I don't think there are any direct flights between Cappadocia and the area around Antalya or Bodrum. You can fly back to Istanbul, though, and then take a flight to whatever town you start the cruise in; this seems like a long way to get around, but it's probably easier than taking the bus. <BR>About cruises-- you might want to do a search for "Blue Voyage" or "gulet cruises"; there are a lot of different companies out there, and you can go for a week for very little or quite a lot. The amenities will vary. Most have a weeklong minimum; some offer cruises for 3 or 4 nights. <BR>

Thank you all very much for your replies:)<BR>I already checked the net and it really is inexpensive to fly to Cappadocia. With all your suggestions and help I'm now able to plan my trip better.<BR>Many thanks again<BR><BR>Teresa

I would allocate at least 4 full days to Istanbul-1 day to do the Bosphorus cruise, 1 day to visit the sites in Sultanahmet (Topkapi, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia), 1 day to see the sites in Taksim (Dolmabache Palace, Galata Tower, shopping district), 1 day to shop at the bazaars.<BR><BR>I would allocate 2-3 full days to Cappadocia. If you fly into Cappadocia from Istanbul, even if you get the early morning flight, you won't get near the sites until midday. Depending on where you are booking from, the tickets may be cheaper if you either go through a travel agent in Turkey or buy at the airport when you get in. I had a tight schedule so I arranged in advance with Cappadocia Tours who delivered the tickets to our hotel in Istanbul. We also booked a day tour and hot air balloon ride through them.<BR><BR>We paid $85 each way from Istanbul-Cappadocia and from Antalya-Istanbul. The rates on Turkish Airlines website were the same but it would not allow me to book from the US at those prices unless it was within a certain time frame (72 hours?).<BR><BR>I couldn't find any direct flights from Cappadocia to Antalya so we drove. I think you will find that most flights from Cappadocia will be routed back through Istanbul.