Getting There By Road

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Although the road network throughout Turkey is extensive, maintenance can be poor and conditions dangerous. European road rules are now better enforced than before, although the great volume of buses and trucks still make driving in Turkey challenging. The legal driving age in Turkey is 18 years. Driving in Istanbul is on the right and drivers must give way to the right at all times. Visiting drivers should also note that traffic lights change abruptly from red to green. Speed limits are 120kph (75mph) on motorways, 90kph (56mph) on main roads and 50kph (31mph) in towns. 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 and top-up insurance. A valid driving licence, passport, logbook, insurance certificate and vehicle registration must be carried at all times. British motoring associations have reciprocal agreements with the Turkish Touring and Automobile Association (tel: (0212) 282 8140; www.turing.org.tr).

Emergency breakdown services
Traffic Police (tel: 154).

Routes to the city
The route to Istanbul from Europe has been greatly improved by the Istanbul bypass and two Bosphorus bridges which lead to the Istanbul-Ankara express. 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.

Driving times to the city
From Ankara - 6 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. Buyuk Istanbul Otogari (International Istanbul Bus Terminal) in Esenler, about 10km (6 miles) west of Istanbul, serves all international and most domestic lines. Most major intercity companies have free service buses from central Istanbul (usually Inonu Caddesi and Sirasilveler Caddesi in Taksim) to the bus station. The Esenler bus terminal can also easily be reached by the Hizli Tren (rapid train) service from Aksaray, or from Sultanahmet by using a combination of tram and metro.

IETT city bus 83-O runs direct to the bus station from Taksim square. A few Anatolian services leave from Harem otogar on the Asian side. Some of the best coach companies in Istanbul include: Kamil Koç (tel: 444 0562; www.kamilkoc.com.tr), which serves a wide range of destinations throughout Turkey, including Bursa, Ankara, Izmir, Antalya, Bodrum, Fethiye and Çanakkale; Ulusoy (tel: 444 1888; www.ulusoy.com.tr), which serves international destinations, Ankara, the Black Sea, as well as Izmir and Antalya; and Varan (tel: 444 8999; www.varan.com.tr), which serves Greece and Austria as well as much of western and southern Turkey. Long journeys are usually made at night, leaving Istanbul after 2200 and arriving at the destination in the morning.