So you've gotten the flight in and checked out Bodrum/Ismir/Antalya/Your
Local Tourist Town. You've seen the ruins, dismissed the coffee
and embraced the raki. And you're thinking like Betty Friedan,
is this it?
Restless vagabond, you are in luck. Turkey is a country once and
a half the size of France, or larger than Texas, with of the most
efficient public transport systems in the Near East. So let me
help you make the best of your attempts at getting around in this
wonderful country. At the lowest tier of the system is the humble
dolmus,. This is a publicly-run network of minibuses that covers
most of the coastal area of Turkey, and some of the populated
inland areas. As the routes often circle peninsulas it can be
a cheap way to take in some of the most beautiful scenery Turkey
has to offer.
The routes in the Turquoise Coast especially are too spectacular
to be missed. The dolmus, itself can be a daunting experience
if you don't know how the system works, so let me give you the
insider's low-down.
First off, there are no bus stops. Your best bet is to stand by
a shop or restaurant along its route and hold your hand out as
if hailing a taxi. You'll also be thankful of the shelter if the
bus is running behind schedule. Expect one to come every 10 minutes
or so on popular routes. When the bus stops double check with
the driver that he's going where you want to be: Bodruma gidiyorsun?(Are
you going to Bodrum?). Now take a seat and work out how much you
have to pay from the price list, usually stuck above the windscreen.
Now for the fun part! Hand the money to the person in the seat
in front of you. It gets passed hand-to-hand, man to child to
donkey, all the way up to the driver. He will make out the change
when he gets a clear stretch of road with, if you're lucky, one
hand on the wheel and hand it back as before, person to person.
Imagine that working in London!
When you want to stop, shout something appropriate and say good
evening (Yaks,amlar!) as you go. For longer distances Turkey has
a well-run private coach network serving the larger towns and
cities. At the station the various drivers will shout out their
destinations as if selling fruit. You can buy a ticket in the
station or from the drivers .They are very reasonably priced and
shopping around is possible, though haggling is not likely to
get you anywhere and will not be appreciated.
As coaches are by law required to give regular rest breaks,
trips are always relaxed and easy. On the more expensive coaches
an attendant (usually a local teenager working for his holidays)
will give out complimentary soft drinks, minerals, cologne and
cool face towels. Very long trips, for example the route from
Bodrum to Istanbul, are usually run at night. Through the smaller
coastal roads can leave something to be desired, the major roads
and inter-city routes of Western Turkey are of as high quality
as any you'll find in Europe or America.
That leaves air transport. Disappointingly domestic flights
in Turkey are still prohibitively expensive for anything but
tight-schedule business trips. The budget airline craze has
not yet taken a foothold in Turkey so you could pay as much
for a short internal flight as you paid to get to the country.
As the Turkish saying goes, Epey acele, epey art?k: great haste
makes great waste. Above all, take the time to enjoy the beautiful
Turkish landscape as you travel and I promise you will not be
disappointed.
About The Author The above article was written by Aaron Mulvihill
of http://www.turkeyrenting.com. His company TurkeyRenting.com
advertises holiday accommodation in Turkey in a searchable online
directory. Visit http://www.turkeyrenting.com to find a villa
or apartment in Turkey, advertise your own accommodation to
or learn the basics of the language and culture of Turkey. He
also manages a companion beginners Turkish language website
at http://www.turkeyrenting.com/language.
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