We have the last leg of our trip to Turkey to nail down - leave Izmir on Fri Nov 6 for Istanbul. We found lots of flights but are also considering a combination of train + ferry. But I found this online:

"The 6 (Altı) Eylül Ekspresi (September 6th Express) between Bandırma and İzmir, used to be coordinated with the İDO fast ferry between Bandırma and Istanbul, allowing you to travel between Istanbul and İzmir via fast ferry and train in less than eight hours—about the same travel time as the bus—but in greater comfort at a fare similar to that of the bus trip. However, these schedules are no longer coordinated, making this a longer journey (9 to 13 hours—the bus takes 8 to 9 hours, the plane less than an hour), which is not so convenient."

Any personal experience of the train/ferry combination? Comfortable? Scenic trip or not? Comments?

Thanks for your help in advance.

Honestly, I'd fly and I'm usually a train person. We did the reverse round trip from IST to Izmir and flew AtlasJet which I can highly recommend. The price was right, the 45 min flight came with leather seats, nice attendants a short film and a hot snack and beverage-it was like flying back in the 1980s.

Much easier and relaxing than the train/ferry IMO.

"it was like flying back in the 1980s"

Emily, that's my choice, it's my two friends who thought it would be nice to see some countryside. But we are doing a lot in 2 weeks so I think I am with you...

Anybody else?

Turkish Airlines is very good, too. We flew this route a few years ago and were on the ground in less than an hour, which gave us more time for sightseeing in Istanbul.

I show details at http://www.seat61.com/Turkey2.htm#Istanbul_to_Izmir - with the links to double-check the schedules for train and for ferry at the appropriate website.

By train and ferry it will be fun, relaxed and interesting - part of your vacation. A flight is a bit of a cop-out, more what you'd do on a stressed business trip than on a real visit to see Turkey.

If you had not been in Turkey for weeks, then I'd do the train. But like Emily above, the short hops of Turkish Airlines are as much of a cultural experience as anything else. These peeps can find a way to feed you even if you are only in the air for 30 minutes.

Just like my Turkish aunt!!!!!

If you had more time it might be interesting to take the train and ferry. But since you only have two weeks with what sounds like a busy itinerary, I'd opt for the flight.

Thank you, everyone. I agree that if this leg was at the start or mid-point of our trip, I would opt for the train and ferry but as we fly home early the following day, I will be voting for the flight.