Ephesus

There are some guides at the site but be sure that they're 'certified' so you don't end up with someone who's not really qualified. The real guides have documentaiton. There should also be someplace near where your ship docks where you can find a guide who will be able to drive you to Ephesus. This would be the most convenient.

So, no reason to book ahead of time? I have read that car rental is readily available at the dock. Is it the same for guide services?

If you want a detailed description of the site and its history go with a guided tour. If you just want to walk around and refer to a guidebook do it on your own.

The site is massive. We booked a private guide and driver. Worth every penny.

What tour guide did you use?

Do you have to actually go through a company or do they have guides at the site?

There are always guides lurking at the entrance. Certified ones have badges round their necks noting which languages they are qualified to use. I recommend that you chat a bit first to be sure that their English is sufficiently fluent and that you can understand them. You book them by the hour, but it isn't necessary to have them with you the whole time. We hired a guide for two hours and got a guided tour of the whole site, then backtracked to spend more time taking pictures and wandering in the areas we found most interesting.

I advise you to book a tour in advance, yes there will be cars/taxis available at the pier but you'll need to negotiate first, if you don't know prices you'll be taken for a ride. I used a company called Ekol Travel their rates were very reasonable and their services were good, I'd recommend them. In Ephesus you will be dropped off and picked up from a different spot, as this saves you walking within the site, there are two entrances ASAIK and it is best to start at the one that allows you to walk downhill to the other entrance. Also, time permitting do visit the Terraced Houses.

If your time permits, definitely see the Terrace Houses, within Ephesus, http://www.ephesus.us/ephesus/terracehouses.htm. They are a separate admission fee, about the same price as the general admission fee, payable at the entrance to the Terrace Houses. It's well worth the extra fee to see them.

Thank you to everyone for the advice.

Ephesus is wonderful. You MUST book ahead for a tour to the Terrace Homes, as only a small # of people are allowed in at one time. It was so wonderful. There are lucite floors and stairs that you walk on up to all the levels of the home, so you can see everything. The mosaic floor patterns are still beautiful to see today. It is amazing. Don't cut corners on this side trip.

I agree about the terrace houses. They were really worth the extra money, also, it was shaded, which was nice in June! We used Tijan with http://www.ephesustours.com/ who did a great job tailoring the trip for our group of 7.