ephesus, cappadocia after RS Istanbul tour?

if you can deal with very long distance bus ride there are plenty bus you can take, they're cheap. bus is safe and comfy, they break about 4hrs so you can buy some food or walk around, but stuck on a bus for over 10 hrs isn't for everyone. i suggest you fly from IST to cappadocia and then from there fly to izmir. from izmir you can bus to efes, and from efes you may choose bus or fly (back to izmir) to IST. efes to IST is probably the shortest leg and it's still about 10hrs bus ride, you can take a night bus leave efes around 10pm, arrive in IST around 6am.

Thank you David
I'm remembering some 10 hour bus trips within Mexico(from city to city) many years ago, and I loved the whole experience, but I am older and a little creakier now, so it's something to consider. More on-line researchthank god for computers!

I will be in Istanbul for one week in October and I booked flights from Istanbul-Izmir, Izmir-Kayseri (Cappadocia), Kayseri-Istanbul. Grand total for all 3 flights was $80 CAD. Including all taxes! I also booked in advance so I got really good deals. I am flying with Turkish Airlines fro two legs and Pegasus for the other.

Thank you Kate, and everyone else! It definitely is something to consider for the future, and being able to plan several months ahead is always so smart and the best way. For a number of reasons, I have finally decided to go on the RS Istanbul in 7 days tour, and I'm leaving this Friday! First time in Turkey, first time with any kind of organized tour--I'm so looking forward to it, and thank all of you who've given me such helpful advice on this great website.
Happy travels!

In Istanbul, you will see travel agencies advertising day-long sightseeing packages to places like Ephesus and Cappadocia - by plane. They pick you up at your hotel, take you to the airport, fly you to (for example) Izmir, bus you to Ephesus, guide you around the site, and reverse the travel to get you back to Istanbul that night. That's not how I'd want to do most places, but my mother (who traveled with me) found it a very appealing idea, as you don't need to haul luggage, or even make any logistical arrangements (hotel, taxis, etc). And for Ephesus, it should work well (it only takes a few hours to see). For Cappadocia, it seems there's a lot more to see than a rushed day's worth. Note that we didn't actually do these tours, but my mother says that's what she wants to do if she returns to Istanbul (me, I'll fly between places and stay a while - different styles). I don't remember what these excursions cost, but it wasn't exorbitant. Of course, you could also duplicate them on your own. If you are flying out of Istanbul, try to use Atlas Jet. They have a coach to most destinations from the airport included in the fare. So, the long ride from Izmir Airport to Selcuk was included and easy; our return was on a different airline, and the train from Selcuk to the airport was PACKED. A cab would have been a fortune.

Thank you Harold for the detailed info and also, thank you for your reply on "sunscreen in Sultanahment" Very helpful! I see you live in NYCI envy you; I love that town, one of the most amazing cities anywhere! Cheers,
Starling in SoCal