Hi all,
I've got 1 week off in Sept and was thinking of doing Istanbul. I've read that the bus system is efficient in Turkey and I'm wondering if I have a realistic chance of making it to Cappodocia for an overnight or a(long)day trip even. Given that I'll be traveling part of the time, I really only have 5 days in the country. Do the trains in Turkey go that way? I may just decide to spend the week in Istanbul. I've just literally begun my research so any input is welcome!
Posted by
New York
4 posts
Dave,
Just returned from Turkey. What we did was take the overnight train from Istanbul at 10:30PM and arrived in Ankara @8:00AM where we had a car and driver take us to Urgup , which is a 6 to 7 hour drive. A must see is the hot air balloon.Here is the agency we used for the car service and driver. It was worth it. The driver knew the routes and we enjoyed the countryside.
Atacan Bedir
Rock Valley Tourism & Travel Agency
Istiklal Caddesi, no. 42 50400 Urgup – Nevsehir
Tel: (+90) 384 3418813
[email protected]
Posted by
Atlanta
3262 posts
I haven't been yet but I have Rick's Istanbul and the Lonely Planet book that I've checked out from the library. Rick has a nice 5-day itinerary for just Istanbul and the Lonely Planet book has good info on getting to Cappodocia from Istanbul-it looks like buses and trains also are an option for getting from Istanbul to Cappodocia. It's not clear how long it takes to get there--with just 5 days I'd be inclined to stick to Istanbul. Enjoy your trip!
Posted by
Izmir, izmir, Turkey
85 posts
Hi,
This is GY from Turkey/Izmir
Bus system is much much better than Train.
If you want you can spent 5 days in istanbul with all details, historical places, islands etc..
5 days is fitting for a Cappodcia tour.
6 hours Istanbul to Ankara + Ankara to Nevsehir (kapadokya - ürgüp - göreme) 4 hours one way.
Alot of tour available from Istanbul and Ankara
If you have chance try to flight to Ankara or Dalaman or Antalya
Or you can try Istanbul + Edirne or Istanbul+Canakkale for 5 days if you have to go back to Istanbul,
Goodluck,,
Posted by
OP
Greenville, NC, USA
12 posts
Thanks for all the replies. I bought the Lonely Planet book and will be getting Rick's Istanbul book once I get to a more cosmopolitan bookstore. One other odd question. What is a "pension". I'm assuming it is a step up from a hostel but not sure. Thanks
Posted by
Atlanta
3262 posts
Pension is typically a hostel-type room--that term is usually used in Italy and Spain. Sometimes the room has a shared bathroom. We've stayed in pensions--as long as they are clean and centrally located they are fine.
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
4555 posts
A pension is a small 1 or 2 star hotel or guesthouse, usually family-run, with individual rooms and (sometimes) private bathrooms. Similar to hostals in Spain, not "hostels," and definitely a cut above hostels. Sort of like a ramped up B and B, altho at pensions you may not always get the second B.
Posted by
Atlanta
3262 posts
One more thought about traveling to Istanbul in September...the dates for Ramadan (Muslim holy month) are September 1-30 in 2008. Check out this post: http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/helpline/index.cfm?topic=2624
Posted by
OP
Greenville, NC, USA
12 posts
I realized it was Ramadan this year a few hours ago. Should make things more interesting although I'll be eating dinner before sunset to avoid the crush.
Posted by
Chicago, IL, USA
473 posts
We were in Turkey during Ramadan last year. The only issue we ran into was trying to get into a restaurant shortly before the local folks broke their fast at sunset. We quickly learned to plan to eat about one hour before sunset or about one hour after. FYI, we encountered no problems eating during the day. Some Turks observe the fast, while some don't. The local people were very understanding about us eating during the day.