The national airline is Turkish Airlines (TK).

Turkey’s main airports are as follows:

Ankara Esenboga (ESB) is 35km northeast of the city (45 minutes travel time). Havas buses (www.havas.net) go from the city centre to the airport every 30 minutes between 04:30-24:00 and leave the airport after flight arrivals. Taxis are also available into the city. Airport facilities: Duty free shops, currency exchange, restaurants and bars.

Istanbul Ataturk (IST) is 24km west of the city (30-50 minutes travel time). Havas buses (www.havas.net) travel to and from the airport and the city centre at 05:00, then every 30 minutes between 06:00-23:00. There are taxi services to the city. Taxis are also available into the city. Airport facilities: Duty free shops, car hire, currency exchange, restaurants and bars.

Izmir Adnan Menderes (IZM). To/from the airport: Havas buses meet domestic flights and travel from the city centre once an hour on the hour. Facilities: Bank/bureau de change, bar and restaurant.

Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) is 40km from Istanbul, on the Asian side. There are shuttle bus services to Istanbul, taking approximately 30-40 minutes travel time. Shuttle buses also serve Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport, taking around 60-70 minutes travel time. Taxis are available 24 hours a day. Airport facilities: Duty free shops, bank, ATMs, business centre and restaurants.

There are other, smaller international airports at Adana, Antalya, Dalaman and Trabzon.

Only Turkish nationals pay US$50 when departing from Turkey. All other nationalities are exempt from airport departure tax.

Train journeys can be made to Istanbul via some of the major European cities. The journey from London takes three days with several transfers. There is also a couchette train car from Budapest to Istanbul. More information is available from the website www.seat61.com. Other international rail routes travel to/from Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Germany and Serbia and Montenegro. For more information contact Turkish Railways (TCDD) in Istanbul (www.tcdd.gov.tr).

The Inter-Rail pass offers unlimited second-class train travel in up to 29 European countries, including Turkey and Morocco. Ferry services between Italy and Greece are included. Passengers must be resident in Europe for at least six months before the pass is used. Travel is not allowed in the passenger’s country of residence. Travellers under 26 years receive a reduction of about 30%. Children’s tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. For more information visit www.interrailnet.com.

There are regular bus services between Turkey and Austria, France, Germany, Greece and Switzerland, as well as Jordan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Syria. It is possible to travel by bus from London to Istanbul, changing in Frankfurt (travel time: approximately 70 hours). Tickets are available from National Express (www.nationalexpress.com).

There are regular bus services between Turkey and Austria, France, Germany, Greece and Switzerland, as well as Jordan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Syria. It is possible to travel by bus from London to Istanbul, changing in Frankfurt (travel time: approximately 70 hours). Tickets are available from National Express (www.nationalexpress.com).

There are roads from Bulgaria, the CIS, Greece and Iran. From London, drivers may either choose the northern route of Belgium-Germany-Austria-Hungary-Romania-Bulgaria, or the southern route through Belgium-Austria-Italy with a car-ferry connection to Turkey. Drivers must have a valid driving licence from their home country or an International Driving Permit is required for visits of over three months, third party insurance is required, or a Turkish insurance policy purchased at the border. You cannot normally import a vehicle into Turkey for more than three months. This will be marked in your passport to ensure that you take the vehicle back out with you when you leave.

The main ports are at Antalya, Bandirma, Istanbul, Izmir, Marmaris and Mersin.

To/from Cyprus: Three routes exist on which sea buses, together with car and passenger ferries, operate: Girne-Alanya, Girne-Tasucu, Gazimagusa-Mersin.

To/from Greece: There are privately operated ferry lines between Turkey and the Greek islands: Lesbos-Ayvalik, Chios-Cesme, Samos-Kusadasi, Cos-Bodrum, Rhodes-Bodrum, Rhodes-Marmaris and Rhodes-Fethiye. Cos-Bodrum is the only winter car ferry route.

To/from Italy: Direct ferries operate in the summer between Ancona-Cesme and Brindisi-Cesme (www.marmaralines.com or www.mesline.com). There are currently no direct ferries between Venice and Turkey; passengers travelling to/from Venice must travel via Greece and the Greek Islands.

To/from Ukraine: Ferries operate between Odessa-Istanbul (www.ukrferry.com).

Air
Turkish Airlines (TK) provides an important network of domestic flights from Istanbul, Ankara, Adana, Antalya, Dalaman, Izmir and Trabzon to all of the major Turkish cities.

Metro
Ankara has a two-line metro system. Further expansion is planned.

Rail
Many trains of the Turkish Railways (TCDD) (www.tcdd.gov.tr) have sleeping cars, couchettes and restaurant cars. Some are now air-conditioned. Fares are comparatively low, but are more expensive for express trains. Discounts of 20% are available for students (though a Turkish student card may be required), groups, round-trips and passengers over 60. Children aged seven and under travel free. Tickets can be purchased at TCDD offices at railway stations and TCDD-appointed agents. The journey from Istanbul to Ankara takes five to nine hours, depending on the type of train.

Car
Both chauffeur-driven and self-drive cars are available in all large towns. All international companies are represented. Traffic drives on the right. Drivers must have a valid driving licence or an International Driving Permit is required for visits of over three months. Green Card International Insurance, endorsed for Turkish territory in both Europe and Asia, and Turkish third-party insurance (obtainable from insurance agencies at frontier posts) are also required.

Bus
Many private bus companies provide frequent day and night services between all Turkish cities. Services are often faster and less expensive than trains. Tickets are sold at the bus companies' branch offices either at bus stations or in town centres. One should shop around for the best prices.

Extensive conventional buses, and some trolleybus services, operate in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. These are generally reliable, modern and easy to use. Tickets are bought in advance from kiosks and dropped into a box by the driver.

Taxi
There are many types of taxi, share-taxi and minibus in operation. Taxis are numerous in all Turkish cities and towns and are recognizable by their chequered black and yellow bands. Metered taxis are available. For longer journeys, the fare should be agreed on before departing. A dolmus is a shared taxi which follows specific routes and is recognizable by its yellow band. Each passenger pays according to the distance travelled to specific stops. The fares are fixed by the municipality. The dolmus provides services within large cities to suburbs, airports and often to neighbouring towns. Although cheaper than a taxi, dolmus drivers tend to drive more recklessly too.

Sea
A frequent car ferry crosses the Dardanelles at Gallipoli, from Canakkale to Eceabat and Gelibolu to Lapseki. Istanbul Fast Ferries (www.ido.com.tr) operates frequent Seabus services from Bostanci, Kadiköy, Kartal, Yalova and Büyükada Island to Auça, Bakirköy, Karaköy and Yenikapi. There are extensive cross-Bosphorus and short-hop ferries between various parts of Istanbul.