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HOW
TO GO TO TURKEY
By
Air
There are frequent flights by Turkish Airlines (THY) from many of
the capitals and cities of the world to Istanbul and Ankara with
onward connections to all the principal cities of Turkey. There
are also some direct flights to Izmir, Antalya and Dalaman. British
Airways flies from London to Istanbul. From the United States of
America there are connecting flights to destinations in Turkey via
London, or via Amsterdam with KLM. THY offers substantial reductions
to students, sports groups and families. When planning a holiday,
budget-conscious travellers should note that the air fare constituent
in the price of a package tour is usually much less than the cost
of a flight-only ticket. Students and those who wish to limit their
expenditure will be attracted by the cheap charter flights which
operate from London during the holiday season. Some of these restrict
the visitor to a maximum stay of two weeks. They are also frequently
advertised in the holiday sections of the The Times, Sunday Times,
The Observer, The Guardian, and other daily and weekly papers. Flights
to Dalaman in SW Turkey bring Bodrum, Marmaris, Fethiye and the
small, beautiful resorts of the Lycian coast within the reach of
travellers who have a limited amount of time at their disposal.
The tour companies usually have special coaches to take their clients
from the airport to their destinations. Individual travellers should
take a taxi or dolmus to Dalaman village, where they can pick up
one of the regular bus or dolmus services. There are bus services,
for which a small charge is made, from all Turkish airports, except
Dalaman, to the city terminals. Taxis are also available.
Details may be obtained from THY :
www.thy.com
By Sea
The Turkish Maritime Line operates a service from Venice to a number
of ports in Turkey. There are sailings from Famagusta (Gazimagusa)
and Kyrenia (Girne) in the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus to Mersin
and Silifke respectively. There are frequent services between the
Greek islands of Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Cos and Rhodes and the Turkish
mainland during the holiday season. Information about times and
fares may be obtained from local travel agents or from TML :
www.tdi.com.tr/eng/denizyollari/shtml
By Rail
While it is possible to travel by rail from London to Istanbul,
the rigours of this journey, which can take three days, are such
that it will commend itself only to the most hardy travellers. The
trains, which are popular with immigrant workers returning to Greece
and Turkey from Western Europe, are usually very crowded and the
condition of the carriages and the toilets tends to deteriorate
as the journey progresses. The trains are slow, subject to delays
and are frequently late in arriving at their destination. Any illusions
about the luxury enjoyed by the characters in Agatha Christie’s
celebrated crime novel vanish after a few hours in the noisy, smoke-filled
compartments. The ‘Istanbul Express’ provides a daily service from
Munich, Vienna and Athens. There are weekly departures, with sleeping
cars, to Istanbul from Budapest, Bucharest and Moscow. Discounts
are available to minors and students under the age of 26.
By Road
It is approximately 3000km from London to Istanbul. Any driver willing
to tackle this distance must be prepared to do battle with the convoys
of TIR lorries which carry goods to Turkey and beyond. Although
most of the roads en route are well surfaced and well-maintained,
some sections are very busy. An additional disincentive is provided
by the checks at the various international borders, which are often
long-winded and time-consuming.Two routes are suggested: the northern
route by Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria
and the southern route by Belgium, Germany, Austria and Italy and
thence by ferry to Turkey.
By Coach
There are express coach services from Paris (with a connecting bus
from London), Strasbourg, Munich and Vienna to Istanbul. The operating
companies give a number of reductions. Travellers who dislike flying
may find that the coaches, which are faster, cleaner, and more comfortable
than the trains, offer a suiltable alternative.
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