Istanbul and tour to Ephesus

I really believe that it's too long a bus ride from Istanbul, and Istanbul itself has so much to see. With only six days total, you really should fly, I guess to Izmir. It makes a lot of sense to tour from Selcuk, just a couple of miles from Ephesus, and also where its archaeological museum is located (also St. John's Basilica). We used Ekol travel for a private six-hour tour, but we were touring from a cruise ship from the nearby port of Kusadasi. Perhaps check and see Ekol's price for the package you want from Istanbul. They were reasonable and excellent for our day tour.

Good luck!
Pam

Do some looking into budget flights within Turkey. I have seen flights for under $100 each way. Now I guess by the time you figure a flight for two both ways, ground transportation, maybe even a night and meals there, and a guide, you are probably talking around $600 for the both of you...how does that compare to the organized tours? One thing people do not notice is that it is a good distance between the two, 350+ miles, probably about 10 hours by bus.

Thanks for the info. I did check Onau Air and Pegasus Air and we could both fly round trip for about 100 euros. I am sure we could get a tour from Izmir; stay overnight there and fly back to Istanbul. I'll continue the research.

I would recommend staying in Selcuk over staying in Izmir. Izmir has only modern expensive hotels and is some distance from the Ephesus site, so you need to factor in a longish taxi ride both ways, too.

Selcuk is the town adjacent to the site, has several charming pensions and hotels. Most will pick you up at the airport in Izmir for a small additional fee and also shuttle you to and from the Ephesus site, meaning you won't need a car.

I've stayed at the Hotel Bella in Selcuk, which I recommend highly. Terrific staff, very good food, and a rooftop lounge with a view of stork nests and the ruins of the old citadel. I've also heard good things about the Akay Hotel there--my niece stayed there and liked it--and the Nisanyan House Hotel, which is a bit more upmarket.

By the way, I just checked the Hotel Bella website. Apparently they have done a considerable bit of renovation since our visit, so the room prices have gone up somewhat. Still a bargain, though, at 75 lira (under 50 US dollars) for a double room with bath, balcony with view of St Johns Basilica, and breakfast. Dinner and drinks in the lounge are extra, but reasonable.

Thanks...I really appreciate all the input. I did look at staying at Selcuk for a night but with a little more research and following our love for the big blue water, here is our itinery:

Feb 12: Fly Frankfurt to Istanbul with 4:45pm arrival. Catch Pegasus flight to Izmir at 8:55pm
Transport to Fantasia Resort near Kusadasi for 3 nights/half board
Feb 13: Take tour to Ephesus
Feb 14: Relax at resort/walk the beach/take a hike
Feb 15: Early PM flight to Istanbul. Stay in hotel near Blue Mosque area and take in the sites
Feb 16: Istanbul sightseeing
Feb 17: Istanbul sightseeing
Feb 18: Early PM flight to Frankfurt
I was surprised to find such good deals: Flight to Izmir for 2 is 145E; hotel for 3 nights/half board is 132E; transport to and from Izmir is 100E. The transport is high but the flight and hotel make it affordable. This is much better than the 270E each for the one day fight and tour. Just posting my note and getting such great response encourged me to look further. Haven't book a hotel in Istanbul yet. Any suggestions? Happy Thanksgiving from Fulda.