We would love to spend weeks in Turkey, but my vacation time from work is very limited. However, we are tantalized by the idea of going to Turkey in September 2005.

At a minimum, from the little reading we have done so far, we would like to go to Istanbul, Cappadocia, and the Aegean coast (Ephesus plus perhaps Pergamon, Sirince and Pamukkale). We are thinking of flying from the US via Germany into Istanbul and out of Izmir, if we can get flights at a reasonable price (or, if possible, using frequent flyer miles), and flying from Istanbul to Kayseri or Nevsehir. What would be the best bet to get from Cappadocia to the Ephesus area given our time constraints?

What do you think would be the minimum number of days to visit Turkey to make this itinerary worthwhile? If we can only get 11-12 nights in Turkey, would it make sense to go, or should we wait until I have more vacation time saved up? Are there other places within Turkey that we should definitely go, or drop from this possible itinerary, and how would that affect the number of days we would need?

If we wanted a day at the beach at the end of this whirlwind trip, near Ismir, what would you suggest (nice beach, as undeveloped as possible)?

Thanks very much!

Len

I was just in Turkey in October for just under 3 weeks. I was in Istanbul, Cappadocia, a little bit elsewhere in the interior of Asia Minor, and various parts of the Mediterranean coast (archeological sites), and Ephesus area. Other than the immediate area near Ephesus, I didn't see much of the Aegean coast. Since you are not planning to visit the Mediterranean coast, I think your tentative itinerary is doable in 12 days, though I'd prefer to stay a little longer when traveling that far (from the USA).

We spent 17 days in Turkey, flying into Istanbul for four nights which we thought was enough, but wouldn't want less. Then we flew to Keyseri and got a car staying in Ugrup for 3 nights. We then drove spending one night in Konya which was nice (had all afternoon to explore this non-touristy city) and then spent a night at Lake Egridir which we would have skipped -- the roads were better and quicker than we expected and this was a totally unnecessary and uninspiring stop. We spent 2 nights at Antalya, 1 night in Marmaris, 1 night in Dalyan, 2 nights in Bodrum, then 3 nights in Kusadasi (well actually 4 since our boat to Samos where we started our Greek Isle segment was cancelled for an extra day).
We thought it was fine, and if I had it all to do over again, probably wouldn't change a thing except that extra stop in Lake Egridir. I suppose the drive up along the coast could be a couple days shorter, but we enjoyed taking our time.

Thanks a lot for the good advice. It sounds like 12 nights would be possible if we don't go to the Mediterranean coast. How big a mistake do you think it would be to skip that?

Thanks again,

Len

12 days is Ok but a bit short ( rush rush )
Arrive istanbul spend 4 days, fly Cappadocia stay 2 nights 3 days at least and fly via istanbul to izmir or drive ankara and fly via. You can go to Kusadasi or Cesme direction for a day out by the beach.
Have fun.

Murat

We were in Turkey for 2 weeks in June, but 5 days of it were spent in Istanbul for a wedding. We spent 3 days in Bodrum (our favorite spot), took a bus to Fethiye and spent 3 days, one day in Dalyan, flew to Cappadocia and did a whirlwind tour in one full day. We were happy with our choices of destinations. We opted not to go to Ephesus because it was incredibly hot and we had seen similar ruins in past trips. You'll have enough time, it just depends on how much time you want at each destination. I think the hard part is that every flight goes through Istanbul, wasting lots of time. The one time we took a bus it was disastrous - we got a rickety old bus w/o air, overcrowded, with chain-smoking driver, that was pulled over the the Turkish police, arriving 2 hours late.
I'm glad we saw both the Aegean and Mediterranean, but there's just so much to see in Turkey that you have to set your own priorities. If I ever go back, I'd really like to try the area around Antalya, where our Turkish friends vacation. Have a great time.

Hi, We spent 3 days in Istanbul, 2 days in Cappadocia, 4 days doing a gulet from Antalya to Kas and then 2 days in Izmir (which included seeing Ephesus). We really should of spent just 1 day in Izmir seeing Ephesus and another day in Istanbul. We flew between the cities. Driving takes up too much time. Have a wonderful trip!

Sure, 12 nights isn't a dealbreaker. The Med. coast has some highlights, but you are going to have to sacrifice something to ensure that you have the time to enjoy yourself fully in the other locations you have chosen. Istanbul, Cappadocia, and the Aegean is a fine route for 1.5 weeks. I wouldn't call it a "mistake" to skip the Med. Indeed, if you try to squeeze it all in, you will feel rushed the whole time.

Going by bus between Ephesus and Cappadocia would take too long, unless you break it up in between with a visit to Egirdir, for example. Surely you could find a flight to Izmir from Cap., would should put you in range to hit Ephesus (via Selcuk?).

A beach near Izmir...There is a beach about 7 KM from Selcuk, maybe 4 KM from Ephesus which is really reasonable. Not many tourists, mostly locals. You could take a bike ride from Ephesus, or just a cab or bus. Izmir is about an hour from Selcuk, if I remember correctly...

FYI. Pamukkale is beautiful, but a bit overrated. It is worth seeing, but should probably be done as a day trip, ie. don't waste a night there. An afternoon looking at it, and maybe bathing up the hill at the ruins should be enough.