|
Here's how to go from Istanbul to Troy and
the Gallipoli
battlefields comfortably
on an overnight excursion by rental
(hire) car. (Here's
a day-trip.)
You can reserve your
rental car through Argeus
Tourism & Travel. Argeus also
has a good Six-Day
Self-Drive Tour including Gallipoli, Çanakkale,
Troy &
Mount Ida, Bergama
(Pergamum),
Ephesus and Kusadasi. More...
Northern Shore Route
After breakfast, pick up your
hired car and drive west from
Istanbul via Silivri and Tekirdag to
Gelibolu on the Gallipoli peninsula.
The trip is about 340 km/211 miles
(4.5 to 5 hours).
Tip: if you arrange
to pick up your hired car at Istanbul's Atatürk
Airport, you won't have
to negotiate Istanbul's heavy traffic
or confusing street patterns. You can
just head west on the expressway following
signs for Silivri, then for Tekirdag,
then Kesan,
then Gelibolu and Çanakkale.
You can go from Istanbul to Atatürk
Airport quickly
and cheaply
by Metro.
Have
a bite of lunch in Gelibolu—there
are plenty of good restaurants right
near the car ferry docks in
the center of town. Don't take the
ferry, but
continue southward and tour
the Gallipoli
battlefields. After
you've visited them, cross the Dardanelles (Çanakkale
Bogazi) from Eceabat to Çanakkale by
ferry.
Settle in at your hotel, then enjoy
a good dinner at one of the waterfront
restaurants overlooking the Dardanelles.
The
next morning after
breakfast, drive the 30 km (19 miles,
about 30 minutes) south to Troy (Truva),
and spend several hours touring the
ruins. Return to Çanakkale,
have lunch (or buy picnic supplies),
and begin the drive back to Istanbul.
If
you plan to take the southern shore
route via Bandirma and
the fast
car ferry, you may have time
for a stop at Manyas bird
sanctuary south of Bandirma
(depending upon the time of your
ferry's departure).
Southern Shore Route
Take delivery of your rental
car in Istanbul and drive to the Yenikapi
Feribot Terminali, on the Sea
of Marmara shore just south of
Aksaray Square, to catch a fast
car ferry to Bandirma.
It's a good idea to have a
reservation for the ferry;
or you can get in line and take your
chances.
From Bandirma, drive west to Çanakkale (190
km/118 miles, about 2.5 to 3 hours),
then south to Troy(30
km/19 miles, about 30 minutes). Visit
the archeological site, and return
to Çanakkale for
a good seaside dinner and overnight.
The
next morning, cross the Dardanelles
by car
ferry to Eceabat. Allow
an hour for the Dardanelles ferry
crossing (average
30 minute waiting time, plus the
30-minute voyage). Ferries
leave every hour on the hour (with
a few late-night/early-morning exceptions:
more).
Tour
the Gallipoli
battlefields, have
lunch in the town of Gelibolu, and
follow the northern shore route back
to Istanbul via Tekirdag and Silivri,
arriving in the evening.
You
may want to arrange to drop your
rental car at Atatürk
Airport to save yourself
the trafficky drive into the city.
You can return to your hotel quickly
and cheaply by Metro or taxi.
Day-Trip
from Istanbul to Troy
Excursion
by Bus from Istanbul to Troy & Gallipoli
Six-Day
Self-Drive Tour: Istanbul & Gallipoli
to Ephesus
Day-Trip Istanbul to Gallipoli/Troy
& Return
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
|
