We plan on flying into Izmir, pick up a rental car. Driving east along the coast for about a week, drop car in ? To fly to Istanbul. Does anyone have a suggested itinerary especially in view of their recent problems? Thanks
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
I can't help you directly, but I found the Turkey Travel Planner website very helpful: http://turkeytravelplanner.com/
Posted by
146 posts
Sammy, My husband and I just got back on Dec 9th from Turkey and it was the best trip of my life! We flew to Izmir and rented a car and drove along the Aegean Coast and then Mediterranean. When are you planning to go? I can tell you the fantastic places we stayed at...we did not go with any tour groups and planned it all on our own. It worked perfectly! We felt very safe! If you want to hear where we stayed let me know -we saw the most beautiful places I've seen in my life- you will LOVE it! You do NOT need an organized tour in my opinion...
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
I think of the main coastal driving directions from Izmir to be either north or south. Do you mean that you'll head south and then east, as the coast curves in that direction, e.g., toward Antalya? If so, then flying from Antalya would be logical, or you could continue inland to Konya, for a different vibe; both cities have very cheap service by Pegasus Airlines. See www.skyscanner.com for searching flights and www.viamichelin.com for an idea of driving times. It's possible to drive direct (inland) from Izmir to Antalya in a day, so the number of stops you want to make along the way has a bigger influence on how your week gets filled up.