AboutOguz Kosebalaban Expertise I`ve been leading tours throughout whole Turkey since 1987 as a licensed tour-guide on archaeological, cultural, and Christian Pilgrimage tours , visiting Istanbul-Ankara-Cappadocia-Antalya-Hierapolis-Aphrodisias-Ephesus-Pergamon-Troy-Bursa many many times.
My web presence : check www.geocities.com/oguzbalaban and my visiual istanbul guide blog is at www.my.opera.com/istanbulinsider and http://www.flickr.com/photos/23822697@N02/
Experience The info I provide is limited to traveler's interest sites in Turkey , and useful information for travelers;
I am not able to accommodate questions on relocations, wages, apartment rentals, lost connections etc.
Organizations Bachelor's degree from FAculty of Political Sciences of Ankara University , Guiding licence from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Publications Bachelor's degree from FAculty of Political Sciences of Ankara University , Guiding licence from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Education/Credentials Bachelor's degree from FAculty of Political Sciences of Ankara University , Guiding licence from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Awards and Honors Bachelor's degree from FAculty of Political Sciences of Ankara University , Guiding licence from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Past/Present Clients Bachelor's degree from FAculty of Political Sciences of Ankara University , Guiding licence from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism
We are planning to visit turkey. we'll be coming from Georgia. the places we want to visit are: Cappadocia -> Side -> Ephesus -> Izmir -> Istanbul
we plan to get off in Samsun first than to take a bus to Cappadocia.
is it possible? are there direct buses from samsun to cappadocia?
maybe it would be better to take a bus from another city, like Trabzon, Unye or Ordu?..
also we plan to use buses during our whole trip, so could you please tell us if it is realistic?.. :)
how long does it take and what are prices for:
samsun - cappadocia
cappadocia - side
side - ephesus
ephesus - izmir
izmir - istanbul
ANSWER: Hi ;
5 days is not enough if you would like to see these places as well as the bus driving by them .
For 5 days ; you must be realistic ; yo can not cover all those sites :
If your purpose is to go to Cappadocia ; via Sivas is shorter :
Day 1 . You should look for a bus through Sivas from Trabzon to go to Cappadocia ( city name is nevsehir, you can get from Kayseri as well. If you are 4 travelling together, renting a car is also good option.
Each leg of 300 km is usually 30 - 40 lira ; 500 km trip is usually 40 - 50 lira by bus ( 2009 rates ) .
Trabzon to Nevsehir ( via Sivas ) 643 km 11 hour .
Day 2 - 3 In Cappadocia
Day (4 ) ?
Day 5 return
( or you could just make it to Side , maybe with a brief stop in Cappadocia )
Bus tickets : Ankara to Cappadocia is possibly like 30 - 40 lira ,
Trabzon to Ankara is like 50 lira .
1 US $ = 1.54 lira
so if we take a night bus from samsun or maybe from trabson to cappadocia, spend there 1 day then take a night bus to pamukkale (denizli) then spend a day there than take another bus to ephesus and the last day in istanbul (on saturday we're going to a festival, so we'll be leaving back to georgia on monday)
so how about this plan?...
Answer if you are around the age twenties, if you can sleep on the bus, if you are ready for very tiring trips it could be done. But will it be worth all the torture ; your legs will swell from sleeping in the bus and this you plan for 5 days at a row. You will fall asleep here and there during day time . All those sites are worthwhile to see, for sure ; but not at the cost of torture.
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