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It's possible (but not recommended)
to take a day-trip
from Istanbul to Gallipoli or Troy by
bus, but it's much better to
visit Troy and
the Gallipoli
battlefields comfortably
and cheaply on a trip of 2 or 2-1/2
days, staying one or two nights in Çanakkale or
Eceabat.
Day 1
Take the Istanbul
Metro to the Otogar station
and find a bus to Çanakkale or
Eceabat. You may want to start in the morning, but
in any case leave by midday (lunchtime).
The 340-km (211-mile) trip may take 6 hours, in part
because you may have to wait for the ferry to
cross the Dardanelles.
(The crossing itself is fun!—a short sea voyage
after a long bus ride.)
Another way to go is to ride the fast
ferry from Istanbul's Yenikapi
Ferry Terminal to Bandirma,
on the Sea
of Marmara's southern shore,
walk uphill or take a taxi for the
short (2-km, 1.2-mile) ride to Bandirma's
bus terminal (otogar),
then catch a bus to Çanakkale.
There may not be as frequent bus
service from Bandirma as from Istanbul,
but the bus ride is shorter (less
than 3 hours).
When
you get to Çanakkale,
find a hotel, settle in, and ask
about guided
tours that include both Troy
and Gallipoli. This is the easiest
way to see it all in a day. (It's
35 km/22 miles from the Turkish war
memorial on Cape Helles at the southern
tip of the peninsula to the northernmost
battlefields of the campaign. A tour
solves the transport problem.)
Reserve
your seat on a tour, then enjoy
a good dinner at
one of the seaside restaurants
overlooking the Dardanelles.
Day
2
Your tour takes you to Troy,
and around the expansive Gallipoli
battlefieldsquickly and easily. (If
really want to go on your own and you've got strong
legs, you can do a self-guided
hiking tour of the battlefields.)
To see
Troy on your own, you
go by minibus
dolmus to the village
of Tevfikiye,
which is next to the Troy archeological
site. To do this, exit the Çanakkale
bus terminal to the main street
(Atatürk Caddesi), turn left
(south), and walk for 6 minutes
(600 meters/yards) to the bridge
over the Sari River. On the right
(southwest) side of the bridge
is the minibus station.
In
summer (June,
July, August, September), minibuses
depart about every 30 to 60 minutes,
with highest frequency in the morning,
much less in the late afternoon.
You should leave for Troy
just after breakfast in
order to give yourself the best chance
of finding a minibus for the return
trip to Çanakkale.
If
Troy is your only interest and you
don't care to tour Gallipoli, you
can catch an Istanbul-bound bus in
the afternoon on Day 2 and be back
in Istanbul by late evening, making
this a two-day, one-night
excursion.
Day-Trip
from Istanbul to Troy
Excursion
by Car from Istanbul to Troy & Gallipoli
Day-Trip
from Istanbul to Gallipoli or Troy
& Return
Six-Day Self-Drive Tour from Istanbul
via Troy & Gallipoli to Ephesus
Sea
of Marmara Ferries
Gallipoli
Battlefield Tours
Self-Guided
Hiking Tour of Gallipoli Battlefields
Anzac
Day Commemorations
Çanakkale
Sea
of Marmara Region
Thrace & Dardanelles
Aegean
Turkey
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