RS Best of Turkey in 13 days

Have you tried Skyscanner.com? Looks like there are more choices out of Izmir. There was a thread a while ago about the Turkey tour where tour alumni said the guide helped arrange group transportation from Kusadasi to Izmir for those needing to fly out on the last day, though an ultra-early departure could be problematic.

I'm also considering it. The Turkish Airlines site is odd. If you just look for flights from Izmir to Istanbul, there are lots, but if you look for connecting flights, many don't show up. I'm thinking of either spending another day or two in Istanbul before flying home, or calling my travel agent to see what she can do.

Few years ago when we did this tour our bus was going from Kusadasi to Izmir and then people flew to Istanbul. We went by ferry to Samos then Myconos and Santorini. And ultimately to Athens and flew from there to the US via Amsterdam. We had nothing prearranged. At the end of October it was not needed and prices of accommodation in Greece were substantially lower than in the season.

We took this tour in September, 2011. It is my recollection that the tour bus took interested tour members from Kusadasi to Izmir airport on the last morning of the tour. However, I don't think they went as early as you are talking about. My suggestion would be to telephone the ETBD tour department and ask how they'd handle the situation. It's a wonderful tour; I hope you enjoy it.

I just checked the tour handbook for our 2011 Best of Turkey tour. It confirms that the tour bus will take you from Kusadasi to Izmir airport, leaving around 8AM and arriving at the airport by 9:15AM. Then it says, "If you are flying out of Izmir on the last day of the tour, you'll want to book a flight that departs around 10:30AM or later." Hope this helps.

I just searched on Trip Advisor. Locals in Kusadasi said (a month ago) that the fare is €50 to the airport, which is about 125 Turkish lira.

When I took the Best of Turkey tour, our guide arranged taxis to the Izmir airport for several people with early flights. As I recall, the cost was reasonable - maybe TL 100 (about $50). For those of us with later flights, the tour bus dropped us off at the airport. I chose to spend a night in Istanbul and fly back the next day, which made flight options much easier. There are many hotels near the Ataturk airport with shuttles to the terminal, or you can stay at the Airport Hotel (expensive, but deep discounts for early booking - 5 minute walk or 24 hour shuttle).

Thanks to all for the input. I did call the ETBD Tour Department and confirmed that the guide would arrange a taxi for transport to Izmir for early morning flights. The cost of the taxi would be less than staying overnight in another hotel, and allow us to arrange for connecting flights back home without a lengthy layover.