Turkey trip
 

I was planning a trip to Turkey in April (april 3 to 10th). Apart from Istanbul and Cappadocia I was also contemplating spending a few days in Antalya mainly for the beach. But looks like (based on a quick search on this forum) that April begining may be too cold to really enjoy the beach. Is that accurate and if so should I skip the Antalya segment?

Also any recommendations for other places I could visist (specially if they are day trips from istanbul... that way I can just make that the base and make a few side trips)

Thanks

jb

With a one-week trip, you'll be just barely able to fit in Istanbul and Cappadocia. Unless you have been to either before, stick to those two for a jam packed week.

Agree with yorkshire.

Maybe you could just do a Bosphorus ferry ride, which could take up the better part of a day.

Thanks for the response... Couple of followups :)

1. Given I have a week.. how many days would you recommend I plan for Cappadocia

2. How do I get there ... fly or should I try renting a car and driving (driving would make sense if there was a good road system and there were interesting towns on the way ...)

I agree with yorkshire.

As for how many days in Cappadocia? Depends on how interested you are in it. 3-4 full days is advisable for Istanbul.

april3- fly into Istanbul
april4-7- Istanbul
april8 - fly to Cappadocia
april9- Cappadocia
april 10- fly back to Istanbul and then back home.

It may be advisable to give yourself another night (april 10) and fly out in the 11th instead.

I would definitely fly to Cappadocia--there are low cost carriers and you can fly to either Nevesehir or Kayseri airports. Two nights minimum for Cappadocia, but it alldepends on what you want. You could definitely spend the week in Istanbul and never be bored.

Jaspal, I agree with Michel_Paris and yorkshire. Listen to them. They helped me successfully plan my Turkey itinerary.
Beaches will surely be cold. You can try Pegasus air for cheap and reliable flights. If you have to visit only one place besides Istanbul, it should be definitely Cappadocia. It is amazing. You can only see it in Turkey ( OR on the Moon). You will get a 2 days itinerary in my trip report posted in the same forum recently. You can see ruins, sandy beaches and blue water in other countries too. I suggest, if you stretch your tour to 12 days, it will be quite rewarding. You can add Pamukkale, Selcuk to your Itinerary There is no country like Turkey.

Thank you for all the input. Unfortunately extending the trip is not an option (kids schools) but we can always make another trip later :). Based on your suggestions I will do Istanbul and Cappadocia (2 nights). Looking forward to the experience :)

For cheap flights to and from Cappadocia, try Pegasus Airlines and Onur Air.

It took us two days to drive to Cappadocia, so flying would be faster. We stayed in Ankara along the way. Highways are ++ and fast. What I appreciated about driving was seeing the countryside, but with limited time..

Air booked :). Hotel in Istanbul will probably be one of the Marriotts (using points) ... any experience with any of them?

Also any recommendations on a travel agency in turkey to help with domestic tickets, Cappadocia reservations etc? Found one on the web (peerless) ..but have not contacted them as yet.

I stayed at the airport Marriott. Nice place, but too far from the action. I used a travel agency for domestic tickets, but if I had to do it again, I would do it myself.

JB - We recently used Lale Aran, co-owner of SRM Travel at www.srmtravel.com (Phone +90 (216) 386-7623) for our flights from Istanbul to Cappadoccia (R/T) in May. She got us great flights on TK at half the price we found on our own.

Thank you, swittet, for your recommendation!

waggis, How does it work with srmtravel? Did you pay a handling fee? I also need air from Istanbul to Cappadoccia and ferry tix to the Greek islands. If srm can negotiate a better rate, I may just make hotel reservation through them. Thanks in advance.

Hi mohan - We didn't pay a handling fee per se. Her fees were included in her quoted rates. We had her book our hotel in Istanbul,too, which also turned out cheaper than the listed rate on the Internet. (We had already booked our hotel in Cappadocia on our own)

Hers is a fully accredited travel agency. When you go on their web site you see the extent of their services. BTW, she & her husband co-wrote the RS Istanbul guide book. She and her staff are very nice, fluent in English and very knowledgeable.

If you use her, please tell her Anita recommended them.
Thanks and happy travels!
A.