daytrip to Ephesus from Istanbul

Think about it. Which is faster, flying or bussing? If a trip to ephesus by air requires an overnight, how could a bus NOT require the same, if not 2 nights?

I am sorry I offended you. It was a reasonable question. A 5 hour trip each way, leaving early in the morning, arriving back late, is not an unreasonable trip. Again, it is obvious that you are sensitive to someone asking a question, so I apologize again.

You didn't offend me in the least, but obviously I have offended you. My statments are direct but accurate and to the point. If 10 hours of travel time in one day to and from Ephesus suits you then go for it. Ephesus is an amazing experience. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Keith, it seems to be a long distance as a daytrip; if you can spend one night in Selcuk (a kilometer or so from the ruins, as I recall), there is lots to see in/near Ephesus: the ruins, of course, and the ruins of the basilica of St. John in Selcuk, plus a Byzantine castle nearby and the house where Mary the mother of Jesus supposedly lived (about 7 km away). Bus travel in Turkey is great - you get lemon-scented water to refresh your hands and face, tea, and maybe a cookie (depending on which bus company you use).

I would fly. Arrange it on your own and save tons of cash. I booked a one way flight on Turkish airlines for $30 US all taxes in to Izmir. The train station is 5 minutes away from the airport. From there it was a couple of dollars to train it to Selcuk. Book flight ahead of time to get a good deal. Some airlines offer free shuttle to Selcuk.

I wouldn't try to do a one-day tour by bus. I guess one could, but the time on the bus would be much too exhausting for me to enjoy anything. If you want to take an organized one-day tour by plane, you'll see them for sale in the Sultanahmet area. They didn't seem that expensive (I don't remember exact prices). I do know that while this didn't appeal to me, it appealed to my mother very much, so individual travel styles vary. If you want to do it on your own, you can fly from Istanbul to Izmir using Atlas Jet (I can't get a link to work - Google it and then choose English on the top right of the airline's home page). You can use other airlines too, but Atlas Jet has a free bus for its passengers from Izmir Airport to Selcuk, and from there you can take a taxi for the short ride to Ephesus (we found just about everyone in Selcuk spoke enough English for our needs). If you use another airline, you can take a train from the airport to Selcuk, but the train doesn't run that often, and when we took it back (Atlas Jet didn't fly our route) it was PACKED and so quite unpleasant. For more information about the do-it-yourself logistics, use the very helpful Turkey Travel Planner website. But again, if it seems daunting, you can just pick up a same-day plane tour in Istanbul.

Yes, there is a daytrip from Istanbul and I plan to take it in a few weeks. Yes, it sounds like an awfully long day, but I don't know when I'll be back in Turkey and I really want to see Ephesus. The trip I booked is a flight. They pick you up at your hotel around 6 in the morning, take you to the airport, fly you to Izmir, then take you to Ephesus. You'll be back in Istanbul in time for dinner. The operator is Neon Tours and I booked it through Viator. I think I paid about $270 with a discount code. I'm a little skeptical as to whether this is a good use of my time/money, but I figured what the heck.

I agree with Zoe. Spend a night in Selcuk. It's a delightful town with inexpensive accommodations and a surprising amount to see. (If you don't want to schlep your luggage, consider leaving it at your hotel/room in Istanbul for the night.) A flight there and a room for one night should come at a reasonable cost, plus there will be less travel fatigue than if you try to do it in one day. As much fun as Istanbul is, it's also nice to get out of the city. Have fun!

i have been. didn't do it as a day trip though and it seems it would be for a loooong day that way. but if you must, i would suggest taking a flight. istanbul to izmir. then arrange for a guided tour. we flew down to izmir (stayed two nights in selcuk). but arranged for a tour so when we landed in izmir, we were greeted at the airport by our guide. she loaded us into an airconditioned mini van and off we went. we spent the day with her and she took us to all the highlights. at the end of the day, she dropped us off at our hotel. i think that might be your best bet if you are just there a day since you will need to be efficient and be sure to hit the highlights at ephesus and surrounding sites too. i would check flights on turkish air and pegasus. i used both while in turkey and both were fine.

out of curiosity i checked flights on pegasus. about $90 round trip. 1 hour flight time.