Turkey Travel Resources

Air Travel in Turkey

Air travel within Turkey is cheap, and often the fastest way to get from point A to point B. Find the cheapest flights using the search form below, and check out out all there is to know about the new Istanbul Airport. Do you have a long layover in Istanbul? You may be eligible to visit Istanbul for FREE! Read all about Touristanbul here.

Click here for a map of all Turkish Airports

FastTrack at Istanbul airports

If you have to deal with connecting flights, know that Istanbul airports can get overwhelmingly busy. Being able to use the fast lane can be a necessity instead of a luxury. Both Sabiha Gökçen and Istanbul Airport have a FastTrack system in place.

You can skip the line if you:

• buy a one-time FastTrack pass for Sabiha Gökçen
• buy an IGAPass for Istanbul Airport (direct link to buying page)

Bus travel in Turkey

Buses run between major cities in Turkey 24/7.

• To travel from one province to another, have a look at all the intercity connections by bus in Turkey and buy your ticket online.
• Within the same province, you will use the public transport system which consists of big buses bringing you to bigger cities within the same province. (e.g., Bodrum to Fethiye) You may have to switch buses at one point. Within the city boundaries, small vans called dolmuş take you wherever you need to be.
• For Istanbul, check out our comprehensive public transport in Istanbul guide, including maps, timetables, how to get to the airports, etc.
• Other good resources are the Belediye Otobüsü website or the official Muğla province website for tourist destinations like Bodrum, Marmaris, or Fethiye.

Here’s a little help with the Turkish interface. Type your destination under ‘Nereden? / Nereye?’ and you will be able to select the route. After that, click on the red button on the right ‘Seferleri Göster’ for the timetable. To make things easy:

• Hafta İçi: weekdays
• Hafta Sonu: weekends – Cumartesi: Saturday – Pazar: Sunday
• Kalkış: departure
• Otogar: bus station
• Havalimanı: airport
• Tüm: all

Train travel in Turkey

As slow travelers, we support train travel! It is the perfect way to enjoy the scenery and the journey.

If you are thinking of traveling through Turkey by train, you will find information on train timetables, Turkish railway maps, and more on the Seat 61 website.

Another good resource for train travel in Turkey is Rail Turkey.

• Click here for information on reaching the top tourist spots by train.
• Or have a look at this map with direct links to popular routes such as the Doğu express.
• You can book your Turkish train ticket online here.

The TCDD website or App may ask for my phone number when trying to make a reservation. The system doesn’t accept non-Turkish numbers, but you can use my passport number instead, which should it work fine.

Biking routes in Turkey

Biking is a great way to discover Turkey. This vast country has long nature stretches waiting to be discovered. Check out these cycling routes in Turkey with detailed maps for each route. On the website of The Eco Trails, there are several stunning routes covering ancient Caria and Lycia. The website is in Turkish only, but the detailed maps speak for themselves.

Do you prefer a more organized approach? Biking in Cappadocia and Spice Roads are specialized in biking holidays.

Walking & Hiking in Turkey

Not every season is walking season in Turkey, still, on the Culture Routes Society website you’ll find plenty of detailed hikes all over Turkey, including the option to filter per season. Other great hiking resources are Trekking in Turkey and Wikiloc. The last one has lots of hikes that are only described in Turkish, but with extremely detailed maps (containing even altitude markers), you shouldn’t have any issues using it.

And, of course, don’t forget to check out our own essential resources to walk the Lycian Way. After all, we used to live on the trail!

Driving in Turkey

Do you want to hire a car in Turkey? Driving in Turkey is less daunting then a lot of people say it is. Granted, Istanbul is extremely hectic, and you will need to get used to the loose driving style of Turkish drivers, but on the other hand, you will have full control of your transportation in Turkey! Check out our comprehensive guide on driving in Turkey here. If you are looking for a familiar and established company with offices all over Turkey, check out Europcar.

They offer:

Emergency numbers in Turkey

Let’s hope you won’t need to call any of these numbers during your stay in Turkey, but if you do need them, now you know where to find them.

• Ambulance: 112
• Fire: 110
• Police: 155
• Coastguard: 158
• Forest fires: 177
• Missing child/Women’s helpline: 183
• Health Line: 184

Note that both ambulance services and the health line work in collaboration with a dedicated International Patient Support Unit that offers its translation services 24/7 in six different languages. You can reach the call center directly at +90 850 288 38 38. They assist in English, German, French, Russian, Farsi, and Arabic.

Our advice? Always bring a travel first aid kit! Check out this list of what to pack in first aid kits.

FREE Turkish Allergy cards

Traveling with allergies can be daunting, especially if you’re in a country where you don’t speak the language. To help you travel freely and safely, we’ve made free Turkish allergy cards for the most common food allergies and Diabetes Type 1. Download your FREE Turkish allergy cards from this page.

Accessible Travel in Turkey

We may venture off the beaten track quite a bit, but this doesn’t mean we’re not aware of people’s needs for accessible travel in Turkey. If you want more information about wheelchair travel, facilities for people with mobility issues, or travelers with special needs such as dialysis, check out these accessible travel options in Turkey.

Licensed Travel agents & Guides in Turkey

How do you know if the Turkish travel agent you’re currently talking to is legit? How to find out if the agent is registered and has an official license? Here’s how to check the license of your Turkish travel agent (and also those of Turkish tourist guides), and 5 good reasons only to work with licensed agents to avoid scams.

Finding rentals in Turkey

We just LOVE AirBnB! We even published a list of 10 affordable AirBnB’ in Turkey with epic views.

Our top tips? Check out recent reviews, work with ‘superhosts’, or ask other travelers in our Facebook group about their experience.

Did you know that you can now also book experiences with AirBnB? Check it out using this search form.

Finding hotels in Turkey

Do you prefer to stay at a hotel? You’ll find a stunning selection of affordable hotels on Agoda.com. They are part of the same group as Booking.com and Kayak, so you are in good hands. You’ll find lots of pictures and reviews from both Booking and Agoda clients to make an informed choice.

You can not book accommodations in Turkey on ‘Booking’ from within Turkey. If like us, you still want to use it, you’ll need a VPN as a workaround. As an added bonus, you’ll enjoy more internet security and privacy too!

Click here for a massive discount for a great VPN to use with unlimited devices.

Finding pet-friendly hotels in Turkey

Are you bringing your pet to Turkey? Finding pet-friendly hotels, restaurants, and even activities are going to be high on your list. Fortunately, Bring Fido specializes in collecting all this information in one place. Find your perfect pet-friendly hotel in Turkey here.

Alternatively, you can use the ‘dog-friendly’ filter on ‘Booking’ or this Turkish website.

Weather in Turkey

Turkey is a big country with a very diverse climate. If you are traveling outside of the summer months, it is wise to consult the weather statistics for the regions that you will be visiting. Depending on your location in winter, you can sit on the beach enjoying the winter sun, and walk in the snow 30 minutes later after driving up a mountain nearby. Yes, there’s even such a thing as skiing in Turkey.

We’ve decided to make things easy for you with a dedicated page about the weather in Turkey featuring an interactive map. It also contains a 7-day forecast for each region.

Also read these 5 things you need to know when visiting Turkey off-season.

Maps of Turkey

Prepare your itinerary with our interactive map of Turkey. Each week; we add new things to see or do, making it the perfect tool to discover what each area has to offer.

On top of that, we’ve built a handy tool: Turkey Trip Planner. It also has a map, of course, but you also have the option to leave reviews and add places to your own bucket list. Check it out!

WiFi in Turkey

Being on the road doesn’t mean losing internet access. You’ll find easy access to the internet in Turkey almost everywhere you go. And to make it even easier here’s a link to a map with hotspots offering free WiFi in Turkey. Just zoom in to see the point. You also have the option to filter out those places with unprotected password access. This might come in handy if you want to do some extra research or if you want to check our latest post while you’re in the country.

Do you prefer your own WiFi in Turkey? Get a Turkish SIM card using our guide.

Religious & Public Holidays in Turkey

Before traveling to Turkey, make sure to check out our calendar with religious and public holidays. All holidays mentioned have a link to a page that explains if and how they may affect your travels. The calendar is always updated & current. Find out when it is Ramadan in Turkey, what to expect from Sugar Feast or Sacrifice Feast or why public life stops for a minute on November 10th.

Market days in Turkey

Going to the market is all part of discovering the local charm. But when is the market day in your resort? Did you know there is an online tool that tells you any market day in Turkey? Discover our step by step manual on how to use it and start planning your market day visits!

Useful Turkish words

Knowing at least a few Turkish words comes in handy if you’re planning to travel to Turkey unless, of course, you intend to stick to conversations with the local cats. Before you start to panic, you will still have a perfect holiday if you don’t find the time (or courage ;-)) to learn a few basic Turkish words. 

Check out the 100 most useful Turkish words to kickstart your holiday. Learn how to say hello or thank you in Turkish, or what the word for please in Turkish is. (audio included!)

Istanbul or Turkey Museum Pass

Turkey is labeled by many as the biggest open-air museum in the world, so you’re bound to get your culture-fix. Now, did you know that there’s a smart and easy way to skip the line & save money at every museum on your list? Yes, that’s right! It’s called a Museum Pass.

Read if or why you need a Museum Pass, how and where to buy one, and what the advantages are.

Tipping in Turkey

Are there rules that you should follow for tipping in Turkey? Should you always leave a tip? Read this to find the answer to questions like when to tip in Turkey? How much to tip in Turkey and how to tip in Turkey? Tip calculator included!

Visiting a mosque in Turkey

Are you hesitant to visit a mosque in Turkey because you are unaware of the mosque etiquette? Don’t worry; it is perfectly fine to visit a mosque as a non-Muslim. To make you feel totally at ease, read our top tips on mosque etiquette to avoid unpleasant surprises when visiting a mosque in Turkey.

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