why go to Turkey?

How to come to Türkiye?

Flying is the fastest and cheapest way to get to Turkey. For example, a direct flight from Paris to Istanbul takes three hours and costs between one hundred and two hundred euros depending on the season.

Apart from Paris, many French airports operate regular flights to Istanbul: Lyon, Nice, Toulouse, Marseille, Nantes, Bordeaux, etc. Depending on your geographical location, it may be interesting to compare flights departing from Brussels.

If your France-Turkey flight lands at Sabiha-Gökçen International Airport on the Asian side, you are sixty kilometers from the heart of the city. To reach it, the best option in terms of value for money is to take a Havabus shuttle. The latter link the bearings between Place Taskim and the airport. The duration of the journey is approximately 1h30. Of course, taking a taxi or booking a private transfer is also possible. A more comfortable, but more expensive option.

If you are landing at Istanbul International Airport, just thirty-five kilometers north of the city, do the same. The Havaist shuttles provide departures every half hour to reach Taksim Square , also in 1h30. Again, despite more expensive prices, a taxi or private transfer is quite possible.

Istanbul International Airport

Turkey has other main airports including Ankara Esenboga, Trabzon, Izmir, Gaziantep and Antalya. If you are looking for a seaside stay on the Turkish Riviera, choose the latter. Direct flights, lasting barely 1 hour and 20 minutes, daily connect Antalya airport and Istanbul airport.

Coming to Türkiye by train

If you dream of crossing Europe like a character in an Agatha Christie novel, why not opt ​​for the train to come to Turkey? Several nights in berths and stops in capitals later: here you are with the Turks, with already great stories to tell! There are several train connections:

• From Paris, you can first travel via Zurich in Switzerland, Budapest in Hungary, Bucharest in Romania before reaching Istanbul.
• A second route takes you from France to Turkey via Munich in Germany, Budapest in Hungary, Belgrade in Serbia and Sofia in Bulgaria.
• Finally, from Paris, you can also go to Italy. From there, you board a ferry to Greece before heading back to Turkey.

How to get around in Türkiye

On site, car rental is probably the best option to visit Turkey at your own pace and off the beaten track.

Getting around Türkiye by public transport

Besides the car, the bus is the most used means of transport in Turkey. The service is provided throughout the territory, at a very reasonable price. The tourist buses are very well equipped and comfortable. To avoid wasting time, be aware that there are also many night buses running throughout the territory. Local buses are also a good option, even cheaper, but more reserved for lovers of scenic and quiet trips.

It is forbidden to export cultural goods from Turkey, you can risk a prison sentence.

It is forbidden to undermine the unity of the State, to denigrate it, or to denigrate its institutions, its high representatives or its symbols in any form whatsoever. Defacing the Turkish flag or banknotes may also have criminal consequences.

Anyone who supports in any way an  organization banned  in Turkey is liable to prosecution in Turkey, even if this support is provided in another country.

Narcotics offences  ,  including possession of small amounts of  any drug,  carry heavy prison sentences (up to 20 years).