Anatolian Rose Homes

Getting Around Public transport in general is excellent in Turkey and very affordable, The public buses normally run on time, the small dolmuses (mini-buses) come and go all the time.  You just wait on the pavement and wave one down! Be warned – if you sit in the front of the dolmus you will pass the passengers’ money, those who are sitting behind you, onto the next row of passengers, or the driver, and then again be passed the change to hand to the passenger sitting behind.  When the dolmus get overcrowded this can be quite tirying – especially when it’s boiling hot!  Then the dolmuses are not so pleasant, when everyone is perspiring and then 3 people are squeezed in a row and have to touch each other’s arms, as there’s absolutely no room to put your arms anywhere else – and the fragrance!!!  of sweat hangs very much in the air. Both forms of transport are  extremely cheap – for example, regardless of where you travel within the city of Antalya, apart from the outskirts, the fare is  approx just over 1 YTL – less than 50p (2008), regardless of whether you get off at the next stop or travel 15 kms through the city. Taxis are cheaper than in Europe, although the most expensive taxis in Turkey happen to be in Antalya.  Make sure you have change on you to avoid frustration when the taxi driver can’t change the bill. Make sure when you get into a taxi that the taxi-metre shows the day fare (gunduz) or the night fare (gece). Before getting into the taxi bargain for the fare if you know where you are going and the driver will often accept a lower rate than he first offered. The national coaches provide an excellent inter-city network.  The majority of buses are super-modern and very comfortable to luxurious.  The fares are very moderate. On longer distances there are stops every few hours so passengers can eat and drink something in the stop-off restaurant. Some cities, such as Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir have metro systems and there should be one operating in Antalya in the not-too-distance future- it’s operating date is scheduled for  31.12.2008.  These are very modern. Trains have declined in popularity in Turkey as transport by coach and plane are so convenient. The trams run a short distance in Antalya between the Konyaalti beach and Isiklar Caddesi.  Again, very cheap. Domestic flights are plentiful and due to competition flights have become cheaper the past couple of years. Throughout Turkey there are several ferry routes which operate between two points across a bay or other body of water.