Hi, Sinan
I'm loving your posts! And my husband and I love Turkey! We were there 2 years ago and had the best trip of our lives.

I am glad you are enjoying your own country right now!
Paule

Sinan,
As you know, Americans are a bit shy when it comes to even trying other languages..But I intend to at least try the end of this month month in Turkey. TEA + SAKE + CURE for my first lesson... I'm sure that the written will be much more clear than the spoken! Getting tapes soon....
We will be travelin to the area of Selcuk, Ephesus and will certainly visit Kusandasi as you suggested, as well as to the middle and maybe the eastern part of Turkey... My concern is; To rent a car or To use the bus system? ... many have suggested that driving is a problem (Have driven in Paris, Rome, NYC,etc) is it worse than these cities?... I would not be driving at night. I would appreciate your advise. I would prefer to rent a car ...much more freedom!... and then find tours in the cities that we visit. Please suggest a good mode of transporation... I intend to followi your advise...Jimar [email protected]

Hi Jimar,

When you rent a car you don't have any problem BUT the big cities. So especially in Istanbul I don't want you drive, In Izmir you may not stop so you can use highway to pass Izmir, In Ankara if you are drive carefully you don't have any problem.

You can find many rent a car agencies everywhere so they have different price and different cars the most important things is INSURANCE OF CAR AND YOURSELF just incase.

There are many BUS TRANSPORTATION in Turkey NOT TRAIN except Between Istanbul - ANKARA. If you want to use BUS for your transportation here are some companies web page.

http://www.varan.com.tr/main.asp
http://www.kamilkoc.com.tr
http://www.pamukkaleturizm.com.tr/saatler.html

They don't have ENGLISH page but If you write an e-mail they can reply. OR you can write me to help you.

Have a nice days from COLD KUSADASI

Sinan Akdeniz
[email protected]

My friends went to Turkiye in June. The said they had no problems driving, althought they did not drive in Istanbul. One word of caution for Jimar... the fuel is quite dear.

Last hours in Turkey,

I am leaving my country and when I get back to NYC I will give more information about my trip in Turkey.
Thank you all for your reading my POSTS

Sinan Akdeniz

Have a good trip Sinan !!

Sinan, it is a real pleasure to read your posts. Thank you for sharing your country with us!!

Oh, aqua parks in Kusadasi... It has changed in past ten years. SINAN, how well do you know Istanbul? I am going at the end of November, and what I would like to find is a hotel which has rooms with balcony. (I smoke, but I want and can do it only outside.) I have done searches, but it is hard to find such a hotel in any town in this world. If you (or anybody else) knows, I would be grateful for the information.

Sinan,

Thank you for your wonderful posts! We live just outside NYC, so welcome back!

HI everybody. I AM BACK TO NYC. It is so funny this morning I was in Istanbul and now I am in NYC. Thank you all againg for your nice thought about me. I WILL CONTINUE TO EXPLAIN MY COUNTRY from NYC. Any question(s) is WELCOME.

TO ELINA

To smoke is not problem in Turkey. We have a law that yYOU CAN NOT SMOKE IN THE BUILDING but you will see when you go to Turkey they will smoke and many people don't care so you don't have any problem in Turkey UNLESS 5 stars HOTELS. When I was in Istanbul I stayed at HALI HOTEL and I recommend you as well this hotel if you reserve your hotel in old building you can get small balcony to smoke FACE TO BOSPHOROUS. Here is their web page:

www.halihotel.com

I hope this will help if it not let me know.

WELCOME BACK AGAIN
Sinan Akdeniz
[email protected]

sinan
Would appreciate your help. We intend to travel Europe next yr. via Eurailpass. From Greece, what is the best way to Istanbul? I want to visit Istanbul and Epheses and then back to Greece to pick up on our Eurailpass. Thanks for your help and glad you had a wonderful time at home!

Hi CD,

I think "Eurailpass" ONLY WORKS between Istanbul and ANKARA because in Turkey we don't have nice RAILWAYS. But we have nice BUSSES that you can use CHEAPER and FASTER then TRAIN. I heard that there is TRAIN between GREECE and TURKEY you can use train here then use BUS in Turkey when you get to EPHESUS you can use FERRY back to GREECE from KUSADASI.

Have a nice trip and if you have any other question let me know

Sinan Akdeniz
[email protected]

Welcome home to the USA Sinan. You are a definitely a world treasure!

Sinan
How do I find out about the busses and the bus schedules? From Athens, can I take a ferry to Istanbul? A bus from Istanbul to Epheses and then a ferry back to Athens? Maybe via Rhodes?

Hi CD,

I don't know any "bus schedules" from Athens to Istanbul.

You may take some cruise from Athens to Istanbul BUT it will be very exencive.

Yes you can use Istanbul to Ephesus then "Rhodes"

Sinan Akdeniz

Thanks Sinan

Sinan
How would I find an apartment to rent for a week in"old town"?

Hi CD,

Yes you can find some APARTMENTS that you can rent BUT they are kind of HOTEL. You may call APART HOTELS

Right now I don't have any name that I can recommend you. If I can find I will write here.

Would you tell me when are you going Kusadasi?

Sinan Akdeniz
[email protected]

Sinan
I am sorry, I meant Istanbul and we don't know. Hopefully sometime in the spring of 2004.

In Istanbul? Little a bit hard to find an apartment. I have no idea about this

Sinan Akdeniz