Turkey, bordered by sea on three sides, has natural thermal resources and modern thalasso-therapies to offer for the health and beauty of the entire world. Ankara is the capital of Turkey.
The total length of the borders of the country is 2 648 kilometers,is formed by following countries, namely Armenia 268 kilometers, Azerbaijan 9 kilometers, Bulgaria 240 kilometers, Georgia 252 kilometers, Greece 206 kilometers, Iran 499 kilometers, Iraq 352 kilometers and Syria 822 kilometers.
Basic information:
Geographical information
39´00'' N
35´00'' E
Population: 71 158 647
Density of population: 92 per sq kilometer
Capital city: Ankara ( 3 200 000 inhabitants)
Area: 780 580square kilometers
Time: Central European Time / 2 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.
Climate: temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
Language: Official language is Turkish. Other languages are Russian, German, French, English.
Currency: Yeni Türk Lirasi (YTL) / (credit cards are useful)
How to get to Turkey?
You can choose from followings:
By car
Car travel gives you freedom to go where you want when you want, but it has disadvantages too: expense, and sometimes having to drive when you'd rather take public transport.
Will you be able to drive in Turkey? If you are an experienced, confident driver who can use a standard transmission ("stick shift"), drive on the right-hand side of the road (as in continental Europe and North America), and are willing to adapt to a foreign country's driving habits, then you will probably enjoy the freedom of driving in Turkey.
When you travel to Turkey, keep this in mind: Turkey is big: 1700 km (1056 miles) from east to west if you travel by road, a trip of several days.
But you can fly from Istanbul (west) to Erzurum (east) on Turkish Airlines (TK) in about two hours for a flat one-way fare of about US$130. Most other TK domestic flights cost US$85 to US$125.
Because of the way international airfares are structured, it is often far cheaper to purchase your Turkish domestic flight tickets within Turkey rather than in your home country. A good Turkish travel agency can make your flight reservations for you, and get the tickets to you, usually at no charge to you.
You can also buy your tickets right at a Turkish airport, but with Turkish tourism booming, there may be no seats left on the plane. Advance reservations are highly recommended unless you are a very flexible traveler.
Onur Air has a fast-growing list of domestic flights at lower fares of YTL89 (about US$54) per flight. Some passengers complain of delayed departures, but the price is certainly right!
Other low-fare Turkish airlines are Atlasjet and Sun Express. EasyJet also flies from the UK to Turkey.
Sun Express, a Turkish-German joint venture, flies from Austria, Germany and Switzerland to Turkey, and within Turkey from Izmir's Adnan Menderes Airport to Adana, Antalya, Diyarbakir, Erzurum, Kayseri (for Cappadocia), Konya, Trabzon and Van.
But be sure to check airport transfer costs as well!
Most long-haul international flights land at Istanbul's Atatürk International Airport. See Major Airports in Turkey are as follows:
ADANA: Sakirpasa Airport (ADA), 4 km (2.5 miles) west of the city center, has daily flights to and from Ankara and Istanbul.
ANKARA: Esenboga Airport (ESB), which serves some international but mostly domestic flights, is 33 km (21 miles) north of the city center. Airport bus (every 30 minutes from 4:30 am to midnight, US$6, 50-minute trip) and taxi (US$40) get you into the capital.
ANTALYA: The big, modern Antalya Airport (AYT), 10 km (6 miles) east of the city center along the shore highway, has daily flights to and from Ankara, Istanbul, and in summer several foreign cities. Transport to and from the city is by Havas airport buses timed to Turkish Airlines domestic flights. If you don't get on one of these buses, you must goby taxi, which can be expensive (US$20 to $30).
BODRUM: Milas-Bodrum Airport (BXN), with daily flights to and from Istanbul, is 33 km (21 miles) north of the city on the way to Milas. Havas airport buses to and from Bodrum (US$8) are coordinated with Turkish Airlines domestic flight times.
DALAMAN: Just outside the small town of Dalaman, 50 km (31 miles) NW of Fethiye and 120 km (75 miles) SE of Marmaris, Dalaman Airport (DLM) serves the western Mediterranean coast with daily flights to Istanbul and Ankara, and charter flights to foreign cities, in summer. Note: Havas airport buses run very infrequently west to Marmaris and east to Fethiye. Transport to and from the airport by taxi can make a trip via Dalaman quite expensive.
ERZURUM: Erzurum Airport (ERZ), 10 km (6 miles) NW of the city center, has several daily flights to Ankara, with connections for Istanbul.
GAZIANTEP: Oguzeli Airport (GZT), 20 km (12 miles) SE of the city center, has daily flights to and from Ankara and Istanbul.
ISTANBUL: Most long-haul international flights to Turkey land at Atatürk International Airport(IST) 23 km (14 miles) west of the city center at Yesilköy on the European shore of the Sea of Marmara.
Istanbul's new Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW), on the Asian shore of the Sea of Marmara, serves charter flights, some Turkish Airlines flights to Ankara, and smaller aircraft.
IZMIR: Adnan Menderes Airport (ADB), 18 km (11 miles) south of the city, is also well positioned for travelers going to Selçuk (55 km/34 miles), Ephesus (58 km/36 miles) and Pamukkale (252 km/157 miles), with many flights daily to and from Istanbul and Ankara. Havas airport buses are coordinated with Turkish Airlines domestic flight times. Bus fare into the city is US$6.
KARS: There's a daily flight to Kars Airport (KSY) from Ankara, connecting with flights for Istanbul.
KAYSERI: Erkilet Airport (ASR) receives daily nonstop flights from Istanbul morning and evening. Airport shuttle services are operated by Argeus Tourism & Travel.
KONYA: Konya Airport (KYA) has daily nonstop flights to and from Istanbul.
MALATYA: Erhaç Airport (MLX) has daily nonstop flights to and frim Istanbul and Ankara.
NEVSEHIR: Charter flights land at Nevsehir's airport at Tuzköy, near Gülsehir, but for the time being Cappadocia's major airport is Kayseri's Erkilet.
TRABZON: Trabzon Airport (TZX), 8 km (5 miles) east of the city center, has several daily flights to and from Istanbul and Ankara.
VAN: Van Airport (VAN) has a daily nonstop flight to and from Istanbul, and two flights daily to and from Ankara.
Turkish Airlines is a competent national airline with good service, a young fleet, worldwide routes and domestic connections to every important Turkish city.
Bus travel is the easiest, cheapest, most popular way to travel in Turkey.
The buses, operated by hundreds of companies large and small, are modern and comfortable, service is frequent, and fares are low to moderate. There's even service to Greece, Bulgaria and other Balkan countries, and Europe.
An example: Buses depart on the 450-km (280-mile) 6-hour journey between Istanbul and Ankara about every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day, for US$20 to $35 one-way.
Most fares are quite reasonable. Often, buses are so frequent you needn't reserve in advance except around holidays.
Rest stops are made enroute about every 2 hours for toilet, snacks or meals, and smoking (no smoking is allowed on most public buses). Turkish buses are not usually equipped with onboard toilets, so use the facilities in the terminal before your board.
Buses run everywhere, even cross-country (Istanbul to Artvin: 1352 km, 840 miles, 24 hours), although bus trips of more than 8 or 10 hours are tedious. It's better to break a long trip into shorter trips; to take a plane; or to take a train with couchettes or sleeping cars.
Well-established national companies with the best buses and safety records include:
Asya Tur
The bus division of a major Turkish tour company, Asya Tur serves the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, plus Ankara.
Hakiki Koç
Longstanding company running buses to Thrace, the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts.
Hidayet Turizm
Hidayet ("the way to Islam") serves most of the country except Thrace and the East.
Istanbul Seyahat
Serves Thrace, Aegean and Mediterranean Turkey, as well as several cities in the Balkans.
Kamil Koç
Among Turkey's oldest bus companies (founded 1926), with a long list of destinations, mostly in the Aegean and western Anatolia regions.
Metro Turizm
One of Turkey's largest companies and route systems, serving the entire country (and Bulgaria) except for the East and Southeast.
Pamukkale Seyahat
A major company serving the Aegean coast (lots of small towns), Denizli and Pamukkale, western and central Anatolia, and some points on the Black Sea and Mediterranean coasts.
Ulusoy
One of Turkey's largest and best bus companies, serving western Anatolia, the Aegean and Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts, as well as Greece and Europe.
Varan
Perhaps Turkey's premier bus company, with the highest quality of service and safety, but a route system serving mostly the larger cities.
Smaller regional companies may be just as good on their regional and local routes, and may offer slightly cheaper fares than the large national companies.
By rail
Turkish trains are useful, and even the best way to travel in Turkey on some routes (especially the sleeping car trains). Foremost is the Istanbul - Ankara route. Here are the cities served by trains in Turkey:
(Haydarpasa = Istanbul; Basmane = Izmir)
Here is the TCDD schedule for all main-line express trains (Gidis = Read from left to right; Dönüs = Read from right to left). Remember: Haydarpasa is Istanbul's terminus for Asian trains.
After several years in which most government funding went to airports and highways, the Turkish State Railways (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryollari, TCDD, DDY) is finally sharing in the transport budget and improvements are spreading throughout the system.
Intercity trains between Istanbul (Haydarpasa) and Ankara, and between Izmir (Basmane) and Ankara, are relatively fast, comfortable, and cheap, and the new train-&-ferry service between Istanbul and Izmir is also useful.
You may be able to buy your intercity train ticket just before travel, but it's wise to reserve your place(s) at least a day or two in advance if possible.
During holiday times, it's essential to reserve in advance in order to secure the seat or compartment on the train you prefer.
Please note: train seat and sleeping-car berth reservations may be made no more than 15 days in advance, and tickets must be issued and paid for at the time of reservation. In other words, you can't reserve your seat or sleeping compartment more than two weeks in advance, and you must pay in full when you reserve your seat(s) or bed(s) on the train.
For sleeping cars, I'd recommend reserving at least several days in advance if possible. If you can reserve a week or two in advance, do it, just to be sure.
The Turkish State Railways (TCDD or DDY) website has an English-language section, but only the Turkish-language section allows online reservation and purchase of tickets. The online registration process is all in Turkish only, and is designed for Turkish citizens living in Turkey - as though foreign visitors were not an important segment of the traveling public in Turkey!
So we foreign visitors buy tickets in person at a TCDD station, or from a TCDD-authorized travel agency (of which there are not many).
By ship
Turkey is surrounded by water, which makes ships and yachts a good way to get around.
Several Turkish ports of call are popular with cruise ships.
Many Istanbul region and Sea of Marmara routes are served by Istanbul Deniz Otobüsleri A.S. (IDO), a private company that operates fast catamaran car ferries and passenger ferries.
SEA OF MARMARA
Fast, sleek IDO catamaran ferries zoom across the Sea of Marmara from Istanbul's Yenikapi Feribot Terminali to Güzelyali (for Bursa), to Yalova (for Iznik and Bursa), and to Bandirma (for Çanakkale and Izmir).
DARDANELLES/GALLIPOLI
Car ferries cross the ancient Hellespont (Çanakkale Bogazi) between Eceabat on the Gallipoli Peninsula and Çanakkale, and Gelibolu and Lapseki, with some additional service between Çanakkale and Kilitbahir.
ISTANBUL-ÇESME-BODRUM
Weekly mini-cruises by car ferry from Istanbul to Çesme and Bodrum and return.
ISTANBUL-ODESSA (UKRAINE)
Weekly ferries departing Istanbul on Tuesday, Odessa on Saturday.
ÇESME (IZMIR)-ITALY: In summer several car-and-passenger services operate between Çesme (the port west of Izmir), and Brindisi and Ancona in Italy.
TURKEY-CYPRUS: Ferries also cross to Turkish Cyprus from several cities along Turkey's Mediterranean coast, including Alanya, Mersin and Tasucu (Silifke).
GREEK ISLANDS: Feries and passenger catamarans connect Greece's Aegean islands with the Turkish mainland, providing frequent service in summer, and useful (but less frequent) service year-round.
… and now something about bath spa in Turkey…
The use of natural thermal and mineral waters for relaxation and health is as old as the history of mankind. The sources of thermal waters were called “Ilıca” (thermal place) in Turkish. They began to be known as “kapalicarsi” (covered thermal place) as facilities and hammams were established in these areas, and the word “kaplica” (spa) was formed later on. The Turks combined the “Mancu” (steam bath) tradition that they brought to Anatolia with Roman baths and so the “Turkish Bath” arose. The “Turkish Spa Bath” is formed by using thermal waters in pools. The bath spa tradition maintains its existence today as a socio-cultural concept by means of the richly mineral thermal resources of our country.
The use of bath spas for maintaining and improving health, treatment and rehabilitation is a continuing tradition in Europe, as well as in Asia, Africa and America, and steadily growing stronger as scientific knowledge accumulates. Bath spa procedures, far from the stress and tension that contemporary life brings, become the ideal choice not only for physical, bodily health, but also for mental and spiritual health.
Some natural and traditional methods like exercises, massages, diets and nutrition are performed in many bath spa centres, along with thermal baths, mineral spring cures and steam baths, all applications peculiar to bath spas.
The use of thalasso-therapy in Turkey dates back to ancient times on the Turkish mainland, i.e. Anatolia (Asia Minor). The specific climatic conditions in the Turkish coastal areas provide the proper thalasso-therapeutic factors. The beneficial effects of solar radiation are available from May to October throughout the daytime. The degree of salinity and the temperature of the sea water are suitable for natural sea bathing.
Recently there has been a growing interest in investing in and establishing thalasso-therapy facilities along the coast, given the favourable climatic characteristics of the coastal areas of Turkey. Resort hotels on the Turkish coast aiming to attract holiday makers with sun, sea and sand, have recently opened thalasso-therapy and bath spa facilities aimed at the health tourism market. Most of these facilities are located on the Mediterranean coast, especially the so-called Turkish Riviera, Antalya and environs, particularly Kemer, Belek, Side and Manavgat. These are followed by the Aegean coast resorts located in summer holiday towns like Bodrum (near Mugla) and Cesme (near Izmir). Cesme, being a historic and traditional bath spa town, has the extra advantage of having thermal water springs that can be used in balneo-therapeutic applications as well as thalasso-therapeutic ones. Currently, there is only one thalasso centre, a facility that is part of a seaside resort in Istanbul located in Silivri, 60 km west on the Sea of Marmara coast.
Current thalasso-therapy facilities are mainly focused on wellness, beauty and relaxation treatments for “healthy” individuals, rather than therapy and rehabilitation programmes for patients. At the same time, patients with some dermatological conditions such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis and with some rheumatic diseases such as fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis might benefit from a thalasso-therapeutic cure in one of these thalasso-therapy centres in the coastal regions of Turkey.
In the balneologic bath spas it's possible to treat cardiovascular system diseases, gastrointestinal system diseases, gyneacological diseases, locomotive apparatus diseases, metabolic system diseases, neurological diseases, oncological diseases, psychological diseases, rheumatological diseases, skin diseases, urinary tract diseases. The climatic bath spa are very crowded, since due to the climate influences of the mountains, illnesses that cause respiratory and allergic problems, both in the children and in the adults, can be treated. The thermal bath spas are situated in all of the territory. Austrian bath spas are quite equipped and offer high quality services.
Services are offered for healing purposes. These bath spas provide every type of balneal and physical therapy. Throughout history bathing and spa tourism has always played an important role in Turkey.
BALNEOLOGIC BATH SPAS: