My new years resolution is to definitely visit both Turkey and Morocco this year. So Fodorites, advice please when should I plan these trips for? Oh also since I'll be going to Turkey alone any suggestions on whether I should do a solo trip or join a tour, if tour then any recommendations??
Am all excited so need to make this happen!!
Thanks

You will likely get better response if you re-post w/ a better title. "When to visit?" could be asking about any country/city/attraction in Europe.

Try something like "Turkey and Morocco Best time of year? Tour or on my own?"

I'd recommend mid-fall for both places - end of September, beginning of October. There are fewer tourists but the weather is still beautiful in both - warm enough to swim in Morocco (maybe Turkey as well - we were inland except for the boat ride from Samos).

I went to Turkey in October 2004 and thought that was a wonderful time to go. Except for some cool drizzle in Istanbul, which did not interfere with activities, the weather was perfect--in Cappadocia and along the Mediterranean coast and in Ephesus it was, but not too hot for a lot of walking in the sun, and the water (Mediterranean coast) was still quite warm and comfortable for swimming. However, I heard that just two weeks earlier there had been heavy rains for days. I also enjoyed being there in October to see how Ramadan is observed, so that's another factor to consider. I really loved Cappadocia, and I think that time of year was ideal there. Because it is so exposed to the sun (no shade trees), I don't think I'd want to be there in summer. Some of the people who live in the caves move elsewhere during the winter, and I heard that the cold winds make it a challenge to be there during the winter.

For a first-time trip to Turkey, where I don't know the language and where I wanted to see some places that were far apart from one another, my own preference was and still would be a tour. I took a tour with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT). The tour was excellent--very good value, well designed itinerary, good guide, interesting hotels. However, I'm not sure whether I'd travel with OAT again, because their pre-trip customer service practices were horrible and I don't quite trust them.

April May for exploring and sept. october.... Swimming at south Ok after end march, to hot july and august.
You can do a solo trip but if you are a group person its a choice too.
Happy travelling

Murat

You might want to take a look at OAT's Morocco trip. I went 2 years ago in March - it was a little cool that time of year - especially in the tents in the Sahara and a small hotel we stayed in in the mountains that didn't have heat in the rooms, but not bad at all. The OAT tour covered a lot of territory and gave us the opportunity to interact with locals - especially some women in rural areas - in spite of their male relatives' extreme protectiveness. It was a great trip. I recommend it!