World City Guide

Getting There By Road

Although the road network throughout Turkey is extensive, with some dual carriageways and numerous three-lane highways, maintenance can be poor and conditions dangerous – Turkey has one of the worst accident rates in the world. European road rules are now better enforced than before, with fines rising yearly, although the great volume of buses and trucks still make driving in Turkey challenging and visitors are advised to drive cautiously.

The route from Europe has been greatly improved by the Istanbul bypass and two Bosphorus bridges which lead to the Istanbul-Ankara express. Turkish road signs conform to the International Protocol on Road Signs, and their Highway Code is similar to Europe’s. The fastest roads are the otoyols (multilane highways), linking Istanbul to several major cities.

The legal driving age in Turkey is 18 years. Drivers bringing cars into Turkey must show their registration documents, passport and international driving licence at the place of entry. If arriving from Europe, visitors must have a Green Card (available from insurance companies) as well as appropriate top-up insurance. A valid driving licence, passport, logbook, insurance certificate and vehicle registration must be carried at all times. Driving is on the right and drivers must give way to the right at all times. The speed limit on motorways is 120kph (70mph), 90kph (55mph) on main roads and 50kph (30mph) in towns. Visiting drivers should also note that traffic lights change abruptly from red to green. Officially, the blood/alcohol limit is 0.05%, however, this is poorly enforced.

British motoring associations have reciprocal agreements with the Turkish Touring and Automobile Association – TTOK (tel: (0212) 282 8140; website: www.turing.org.tr).

Emergency breakdown service:
To report an accident, call Traffic Police on 154. SOS phones are available on the roadsides on motorways.

Routes to the city: The E-80, E-90 and Trans European Motorway (TEM) are the three main roads leading to Turkey from European borders. The main motorway from the Turkish border at Edirne straight through to Istanbul, Ankara and beyond is the E-80, closely paralleled by the somewhat smaller D-100. The route to Antalya follows the E-80 to Izmit and then heads south on the D-650.

Approximate driving times to Istanbul: From Ankara – 7 hours; from Antalya – 12 hours.

Coach services: The safest and most convenient method of internal transport, especially for travel to southern Turkish resorts, is Turkey’s vast system of intercity coaches.

Uluslararasi Istanbul Otogari or International Istanbul Bus Terminal (tel: (0212) 658 0505/0036) in Esenler, about 10km (6 miles) from the city centre, serves all international and domestic lines. Most major intercity companies have free service buses from central Istanbul to the bus station. Most of these shuttle services leave (in good time before the coach scheduled departure time) from Inonu Caddesi and Sirasilveler Caddesi in Taksim, also home to many ticket offices. Visitors can book tickets here any time before departure and most offices take credit cards, with the biggest firms accepting on-line bookings.

Some of the best companies include: Kamil Koç (tel: (0212) 658 2000; website: www.kamilkoc.com.tr), which serves a wide range of destinations throughout Turkey, including Bursa, Ankara, Izmir, Antalya, Bodrum, Fethiye and Canakkale; Ulusöy (tel: (0212) 444 1888; website: www.ulusoy.com.tr), which serves international destinations, Ankara, the Black Sea, as well as Izmir and Antalya; Varan (tel: (0212) 444 8999; website: www.varan.com.tr), which also serves international, western and southern routes. Long journeys are usually made at night, leaving Istanbul between 2200 and 2400 and arriving at the destination in the morning.