# Turkish Vacation Advice

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkish-vacation-advice/581104>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [May 8, 2011, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkish-vacation-advice/581104 "2011-05-08T00:04:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkish-vacation-advice/581104/1 "2011-05-08T00:04:17Z")

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Tickets are bought and I’m heading for a vacation in Turkey!

I’ve read some of the other threads and I’m using them for some suggestions of where to go and what to see, but I’d like any advice that anyone can give.

One specific question, what’s the best way to get around inside the country? I’m flying into Istanbul, but I’d like to go to Cappadocia, Should I rent a car and drive it? Train? Bus? Just fly from city to city while I’m there?

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![Panurge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@Panurge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panurge)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkish-vacation-advice/581104/2 "2011-05-09T10:31:34Z")

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Cappadocia is a great idea. Wonderful place - I can recommend [Göreme](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6reme). Definitely one of the weirder landscapes you are ever going to see.

I really like the eastern, Kurdish part of the country (around Lake Van), but it might be too far to go on a shorter trip. The area bordering Syria down south is also well worth visiting. I loved [Şanlıurfa](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanliurfa). The city feels much more Middle Eastern than most parts of western Turkey do.

For long-distance transportation go with buses. They are cheap and comfortable and by far the easiest way to get around (food is surprisingly good at most truck stops, btw). Locally use minibuses.

Foodwise I recommend going to places called “Lokantasi” instead of “Restaurant”. The food there is served cafeteria style and you only get to choose between 3-6 dishes, but it is often excellent (and a lot cheaper than proper restaurants).

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**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkish-vacation-advice/581104/3 "2011-05-09T14:17:08Z")

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For intercity transportation, we flew [Pegasus Airlines](http://www.flypgs.com/en/), which was fine, super-cheap, and to me beat the hell out of spending 8 - 10 hours on a train from Istanbul to Izmir. You couldn’t pay me enough to drive in Turkey.