Fez Travel              Buses            Transport

 BUSES AROUND TURKEY

In every town and city there is always a well equipped otogar (bus station) with snack bars and shops, even the smallest villages have many bus stops.  Buses are the main form of transport around Turkey and they are cheap, convenient, comfortable and regular. The best companies are Pamukkale, Kamil Koc, Ulusoy and Varan.  Long distance journeys use large comfortable air-conditioned coaches and make regular stops at service stations for meals and toilets (check - breakfast is sometimes included in the ticket price).  Most long distance buses provide free water, soft drinks, cakes and endless splashes of cologne.

When you arrive in a bus station, you will always be hounded by at least a hundred male touts trying to sell tickets. Don’t panic, check out a few companies - is the bus is direct? how long is the journey? (each destination may use many different routes) and check the price (try for group/student discount).  Most companies provide a free city-centre service connection bus and there is always an army of taxis waiting for you.  If you book the ticket in advance, you can travel to the otogar on their service bus.

Shorter/less popular journeys may not be as comfortable or direct, but are much more interesting allowing you to observe Turkish life.  The buses may stop in every town en route, but you can jump off, go to the toilet and sample some of the delicious, cheap snacks.

For short journeys in towns and countryside, hop on a dolmus (literally translates as    ‘stuffed’).  This is the cheapest form of transport - a minibus  that you canhail in the street  and jump off anyway with a fixed price for the distance you travel. Stuffed may literally mean stuffed, as the bus will pack as many passenger on as necessary. But journeys are short, it all adds to the experience!

      FEZ TRAVEL

       Fez buses are Hop-on hop-off buses that follow a circuit around Turkey, with regular drop off and pick up points. It allows you the freedom to make the decisions - when to get off, where to stay, which sites to visit, where to eat and how long you stay.  During the day, the buses stop at places of interest that are normally difficult to visit by local transport.

       The Offsiders (couriers) provide the most current info about accommodation, food, nightlife, sightseeing and just about everything else you need to know.  Fez provides an excellent opportunity to meet up with fellow  travelers to share all your experiences and stories with.

       Fez doesn’t just provide transport, you can pre-book Fez-recommended accommodation and avoid the hassles of hotel hunting.  There are many other hidden extras - discounts available on many adventure travel organisations from white water rafting, to backpackers gulet trips.
For further information on FEZ TRAVEL check out their website on www.feztravel.com

    OTHER TRANSPORTS

     Flights and airports
Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara, Antalya, Adana, Dalaman, Bodrum.

The International and Domestic airline is THY (Turkish Airlines)

In Summer there are many cheap charter flights to Dalaman, Bodrum and Antalya
(Telephone around the cheap bucket shops in London for the best deal)

      Trains
There are railway lines between Istanbul-Ankara-Denizli-Izmir-Konya-Erzurum Kars.
But they are much slower and more inconvenient than busses.
     Ferries
There are ferry services between:
Italy and Turkey   (Venice-Izmir-Antalya).
Bulgaria and Turkey   (Varna-Trabzon)
Greek and Turkey   (Marmaris-Rhodos,   Fethiye-Rhodos,   Bodrum-Kos,   Kusadasi-Samos,   Çesme-Chios)
Cyprus and Turkey   (Mersin-Magosa)