If you are planning a trip to the south of Turkey, don’t forget that you also need to plan how to travel to Turkey. Oddly enough, that is usually the detail that people leave to the end and they don’t view as being a part of their trip at all. With some thought and planning, it can become as exciting as the rest of your trip.
Travel to Turkey by Air
It can be hard to get a direct flight into the Dalaman and Bodrum Airports which are the majors to reach gulet cruise destinations, but there are many direct flights coming from the European Union, and from the Oceanic Region. What is generally easier is to fly into Greece and then take a connecting flight over. The changing tensions in the areas that surround Turkey can make taking a connecting flight in a more reliable venture. Fly in from Kos, Thessaloniki or Budapest. These are all destinations served by most major air carriers and that host local carriers that serve Turkey. You want to make sure you are only connecting to the Istanbul, Dalaman, Bodrum airports as they are the ones that serve the south coast of Turkey best.
Travel to Turkey by Sea
You can come by sea to the Southern Turkey cities easily. The best way to plan to travel to Turkey in this way is to fly into Greece, land at Kos or Rhodes, and then take the ferry to Turkey. The ferries reach Bodrum, Marmaris and Fethiye. There is also another option that is gaining in popularity. You can take the ferry to any of the surrounding islands off the Turkish Riviera and then get picked up by your Gulet boat from one of the Turkish cities. Then you can sail through the islands and come into port when you are ready to come ashore. Your gulet cruise can be arranged by departing/ending your place you fly to/from in Greek Islands such as Kos, Rhodes. Such a cruise can be planned according to available gulet yachts.
Travel to Turkey by Land
There are several different options available to you if your want to travel to Turkey by land. You can come by rail, by bus or by private car and there are benefits to each of these forms of travel. While the Orient Express is no more, and the surrounding countries have made train travel a bit tense, there is still alternatives. Bosporus originates out of Budapest and the Dostluk comes from Thessaloniki. If you are planning to rent a car and drive, make sure that you buy a green card for travel to Turkey before you reach the border. There are also many buses that run as well.
Things to remember when planning your trip
You would be surprised how many people think that they have to leave the same way they came in. The biggest discounts don’t come with round trip fares, but in booking the round trip travels. If you travel to Turkey by plane to Kos and then ferry to Bodrum, you can leave via the Dalaman airport. Mix it up and ask for the better discounts so you get more out of your adventure and don’t just repeat what you have done.
Happy travel to Turkey!
