By
Air
There are frequent flights by Turkish Airlines (THY) from many of the capitals and cities
of the world to Istanbul and Ankara with onward connections to all the main cities of
Turkey. There are also some direct flights to Izmir, Antalya and Dalaman. British Airways
flies from London to Istanbul. From the United States of America there are connecting
flights to destinations in Turkey via London, or via Amsterdam with KLM.
THY offers substantial reductions to students, sports groups and families. When planning a
holiday, budget-conscious travellers should note that the air fare constituent in the
price of a package tour is usually much less than the cost of a flight-only ticket.
Students and those who wish to limit their expenditure will be attracted by the cheap
charter flights which operate from London during the holiday season. Some of these
restrict the visitor to a maximum stay of two weeks. They are also frequently advertised
in the holiday sections of the The Times, Sunday Times, The Observer, The Guardian, and
other daily and weekly papers.
Flights to Dalaman in SW Turkey bring Bodrum, Marmaris, Fethiye and the small, beautiful
resorts of the Lycian coast within the reach of travellers who have a limited amount of
time at their disposal. The tour companies usually have special coaches to take their
clients from the airport to their destinations. Individual travellers should take a taxi
or dolmus to Dalaman village, where they can pick up one of the regular bus or dolmus
services. There are bus services, for which a small charge is made, from all Turkish
airports, except Dalaman, to the city terminals. Taxis are also available.
By Sea
The Turkish Maritime Line operates a service from Venice to a number of ports in Turkey.
There are sailings from Famagusta (Gazimagusa) and Kyrenia (Girne) in the Turkish Republic
of North Cyprus to Mersin and Silifke respectively. There are frequent services between
the Greek islands of Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Cos and Rhodes and the Turkish mainland during
the holiday season. Information about times and fares may be obtained from local travel
agents.
By Rail
While it is possible to travel by rail from London to Istanbul, the rigours of this
journey, which can take three days, are such that it will commend itself only to the most
hardy travellers. The trains, which are popular with immigrant workers returning to Greece
and Turkey from Western Europe, are usually very crowded and the condition of the
carriages and the toilets tends to deteriorate as the journey progresses.
The trains are slow, subject to delays and are frequently late in arriving at their
destination. Any illusions about the luxury enjoyed by the characters in Agatha
Christie’s celebrated crime novel vanish after a few hours in the noisy, smoke-filled
compartments.
The ‘Istanbul Express’ provides a daily service from Munich, Vienna and Athens.
There are weekly departures, with sleeping cars, to Istanbul from Budapest, Bucharest and
Moscow. Discounts are available to minors and students under the age of 26.
By Road
It is approximately 3000km from London to Istanbul. Any driver willing to tackle this
distance must be prepared to do battle with the convoys of TIR lorries which carry goods
to Turkey and beyond. Although most of the roads en route are well surfaced and
well-maintained, some sections are very busy. An additional disincentive is provided by
the checks at the various international borders, which are often long-winded and
time-consuming.Two routes are suggested: the northern route by Belgium, Germany, Austria,
Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria and the southern route by Belgium, Germany, Austria and
Italy and thence by ferry to Turkey.
By Coach
There are express coach services from Paris (with a connecting bus from London),
Strasbourg, Munich and Vienna to Istanbul. The operating companies give a number of
reductions. Travellers who dislike flying may find that the coaches, which are faster,
cleaner, and more comfortable than the trains, offer a suiltable alternative.
