We will be in Ephesus for 7 days in mid April and not sure where to make our base, Selcuk is mentioned often over Kusadasi, we are not into beaches. We thought Izmir but it seems too far away, we want to visit the cultural, historical, interesting and attractive places in this part of Turkey.
Is it easy to get around should we rent a car or would local transport buses etc suffice, any thoughts and ideas would be very much appreciated.
Posted by
Duluth 🛶
6318 posts
I stayed in Selcuk, which is where most people stay for Ephesus. When I was there, my hotel arranged for transport to Ephesus, but really you could walk (at least in the morning when it's not too hot). I think it was only about 3 km away. Coming back, it was very hot so I took a cab. Selcuk is a nice town with lots of restaurants and shops. There are some nice walks around as well, including one where you can see the Temple of Artemis, one of the original 7 wonders although there's not much left of it. Selcuk is also home to a Byzantine aqueduct, which now serves as a nesting place for storks. They return here year after year to lay their eggs in April and May and then stay through September.
Posted by
Chicago
1943 posts
I would also stay in Selcuk. It has probably changed but it felt more like a sleepy, agricultural town that was a base for Ephesus and Sirince. We had a nice dinner and there are some cute restaurants and we even fell upon a little marketplace.
You can take a minivan share to Sirince and either a taxi or walk to Ephesus-it's quite a hike.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you for your replies they are very helpful, but I should have said that the reason I was asking about the local transport and the car rental is because we want to explore this region to visit a few of the ancient sites and go to Pamukkale which is about 3 hours on the train or bus, so a large chunk of the day would taken up by going there and back.
I have read that there are many historic sites to see which we enjoy and why we wanted a base, I should have made that clearer.
Any further thoughts etc I will be grateful for.
Posted by
Duluth 🛶
6318 posts
Have you considered staying in Selcuk for a few days to see Ephesus and that area and then spending the rest of the time in Pamukkale? Or vice versa, depending on where you're coming from? That way you could rely on buses instead of renting a car.
Posted by
Noblesville, Indiana, USA
1371 posts
We stayed 3 nights in Selçuk late last year and really enjoyed it. Go to the bus station and use the mini-buses to get around. This will save you a lot of money compared with using taxis!
Posted by
1 posts
Picher.havens-Om,
I am planning the same trip in Sept and enjoying reading the replies! Have you considered Alacati? It sounds lovely. I am not sure how it compares with Seluck. From what I have been reading Selcuk seems to be a favorite choice on location, but I haven't quite figured out the vibe of the town. Maybe someone will describe it in more detail? I am with you on Kusadasi it sounds very touristy.
Happy planning and I hope you will write a trip report.