My husband and I are joining the RS Tour to Turkey this October. Our plan was to stay an extra day (13th day of the tour-on our own) in Ephesus. The only concern we have is that our flight leaves at 4:20am the following day. The nearest airport which is in Izmir is about 1 1/2 hours taxi ride from the RS hotel we're staying in. That means, having to leave the hotel at around 1:00am to make it to the airport a couple of hours before our flight. My question is, would it be better to forgo a day in Ephesus and just take the RS bus to Izmir after breakfast on the last day of the tour and stay that day and night in Izmir? Is it worthwhile to stay in Ephesus and just take a taxi or an airport transfer in the wee hours of the morning to catch our flight? Any suggestions or comments are appreciated.
Posted by
Citizen of the World
3366 posts
Selcuk is the the town just two miles from the Ephesus archaeological site. Selcuk’s archaeological museum near the bus and train stations is fantastic as well as it has artifacts from Ephesus.
However, I personally would not want to have to rise at 1am to make the flight in Izmir.
I assume you’ll actually get to see Ephesus during the tour. What you could do is visit again the day before your flight and then take the bus/train from Selcuk to Izmir either late afternoon or early evening and stay near the airport. The bus takes about one hour. The train takes closer to 1:45 and may involve a transfer. Both Selcuk stations are adjacent to each other.
Luggage storage is available at Selcuk’s train station through a company called “Radical Storage” which has locations throughout Europe. That should make it possible to re-visit Ephesus and then retrieve your luggage before departing for Izmir.
Take the shared minibus called a “Dolmus” to and from Ephesus or negotiate taxi fares in advance because the taxi drivers hanging out at the Selcuk bus/train station often will try to get €30-€40 for the two-mile ride from the unsuspecting.
Posted by
Salem, Oregon, USA
3344 posts
I'm a bit confused, the tour goes to Ephesus on day 12. So you want to go back to Ephesus and spend more time there on the last official tour day (which is only breakfast)? If that is the case, I would leave your luggage at the Kusadasi tour hotel on the morning of day 13, do what you want to do at Ephesus, take a taxi back to the hotel and arrange for a private driver (I used Welcome Pickups, the hotel can also arrange a taxi) to take you to an Izmir airport hotel in the late afternoon/evening so you can get your very early morning flight. I would not try to get to the airport in the middle of the night, but that's just me.
Posted by
OP
bonita, ca
2 posts
I appreciate your responses/ suggestions to my question CL and Kenko.
My fault for assuming that the hotel we are staying in on the last night before the tour ends is in Ephesus- hence the confusion.
Posted by
Salem, Oregon, USA
3344 posts
My fault for assuming that the hotel we are staying in on the last
night before the tour ends is in Ephesus- hence the confusion.
Your tour confirmation should list the specific first and last hotels for your tour. If it doesn't, call the tour office. Unless something has changed since I took the tour in 2023, the tours stay in Kusadasi for the last two nights.