travel to gallipoli

By plane :
Turkish Airlines flies to Çanakkale from Istanbul (and back) three times a week and planes land at Çanakkale Airport (the Asian side). You can pick up a pre-booked rental car at the airport or alternatively take a taxi into Çanakkale (5 minutes), followed by a ferry to Eceabat (30 minutes) and again a taxi from there.

The domestic terminal at Atatürk International airport can easily be reached on foot from the International terminal. From different points in the city there are airport buses (Havaş) and from the Sultanahmet area the airport can also be reached by underground & tram.

By coach :
It is perfectly possible to travel by coach to Eceabat as there is a coach leaving the Istanbul busstation (Esenler otogar) nearly every hour throughout the day. The coaches (all top-quality and with a non-smoking policy) cover the distance of 320 km in approximately 5 hours. Refreshments are served on board and a sanitary stop is made half-way near the city of Tekirdağ. Upon arrival in Eceabat (or in Gelibolu) you can pick up a pre-booked rental car or alternative take a taxi (10 minutes).

The Istanbul coachstation (Esenler Otogar) can be reached from the Taksim area by a free of charge “service bus”. From the Sultanahmet area and the Atatürk International airport there is an underground & tram connection.

By (rental) car :
The road from Istanbul airport to Eceabat is duel carriageway most of the way and your itinerary is rather straighforward so you should be able to get to the hotel without any delays or getting lost. You should be able to cover the distance of 320 km in 4 to 5 hours, allowing for a short break in Tekirdağ.

All major car companies have an office at the modern and efficient Istanbul International airport and if you book your car in advance you should be on the road within 15 minutes.

You might decide against renting a car in Istanbul if the drive down is not your cup of tea. In that case you can rent a car locally because the Gallipoli Peninsula is the perfect place to venture out with "your own wheels" : country roads with limited traffic.

It needs to be said that the Çanakkale car rental companies do not offer the service one might expect from a car rental company : Cars tend to be older and English is not widely spoken by their employees. You can arrange to pick up a rental car in Gelibolu (Miller Highway service station), Eceabat (town centre) or Çanakkale (airport and towncentre).

For those who are planning to rent a car but are unfamiliar with Turkey's roads a few words of advise :

- Istanbul traffic is rather chaotic. We strongly advise against driving in Istanbul with a rental car unless you have a record (experience) of driving in simular places.

- In general Turkish (highway) traffic is Mediterranean and might at first involve -for those not familiar with it- some white knuckle driving. Some golden rules : drive defensively, always exercising care, by ALL means avoid driving at night and don't drink and drive.