Planning a Trip

Getting There

By Plane -- Visitors to Bodrum actually fly into Milas, about 32km (20 miles) away and reachable in under a half-hour by way of the coastal road. Turkish Airlines (tel. 0252/536-6597 at the Bodrum airport), Onur Air (tel. 0252/523-0057), and Flyair (tel. 0212/444-4359) are all competing for your business, keeping fares around 68YTL to 95YTL ($50-$70) for a one-way flight. Turkish alone has five daily direct flights from Istanbul, as well as one direct flight from Ankara, and connecting flights from other major domestic cities. There are also several charter companies arriving from Germany and England; check with your local travel agent for information on when these are operating.

Havas (tel. 0212/444-5000) provides transfer service by bus into Bodrum's bus station; the ride takes about 45 minutes and costs 13YTL ($9.25). Havas departures are coordinated with flight arrivals.

By Bus -- Buses provide the cheapest and most comprehensive service into Bodrum, from pretty much everywhere in Turkey. The major bus companies serving Bodrum are Pamukkale (tel. 0252/315-1369), Varan tel. 0252/316-7849), and Kamil Koç (tel. 0252/313-0468), but remember that rates vary widely from company to company. Aydin Turizm (tel. 0252/316-3250) runs service along the Mediterranean coast to Ortaca, Dalyan, Dalaman, Fethiye, Olüdeniz, and Kas.

By Ferry -- Visitors traveling between Turkey and Greece by ferry have the option of purchasing a one-way ticket, a same-day round-trip ticket, or a round-trip ticket with open return. Prices vary (or not) according to your travel choice. For tickets purchased in Turkey, port taxes are included in the price; for tickets purchased in Greece, port taxes are around 20YTL ($15) extra. There is no visa required for entry into Greece or for excursions from Turkey with duration under 3 months. If this is your first arrival in Turkey, you will also have to pay the 27YTL ($20) entry visa.

Bodrum Express Lines (tel. 0252/316-1087; www.bodrumexpresslines.com) runs a daily hydrofoil service to the Greek island of Kos (15 min.) for 55YTL ($40) for both a one-way and same-day return. Hydrofoil service to Rhodes is twice weekly (Mon and Sat; 2 hr. 10 min.) for 74YTL ($55) one-way; 82YTL ($61) return. Bodrum Express Lines also runs hydrofoils between Bodrum and Marmaris departing on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Hydrofoils arrive in the charming town of Gelibolu (where they will complete the journey for you with a bus to Marmaris). Total travel time is 1 hour 50 minutes (the last 20 min. are on the bus); the trip costs 26YTL ($19).

The Bodrum Ferryboat Association (tel. 0252/316-0882; www.bodrumferryboat.com) runs hydrofoil service (20 min.) to Kos, with service running once daily in July and August, and departing on an alternating schedule of 8 and 9:30am. By ferry the same journey takes 1 hour, also with a 9am departure; the fare on either boat is 39YTL ($29) one-way or round-trip. BFA also runs passenger and car ferry service to Datça (2 hr.) for 15YTL ($11) with a bus transfer from Korman landing to Datça town and 45YTL ($33) if you're loading a car; 26YTL ($19) will get you a round-trip ticket back to Bodrum. The ferry departs in summer daily at 9am, and less frequently in winter, possibly twice a week. All tickets for ferries and hydrofoils can be purchased either at the dock, or through any travel agent in town.

Visitor Information

The Tourist Information office (tel. 0252/316-1091) is open daily 9am to 6pm, good for little more than their collection of regional brochures and the latest copy of the Aegean Sun -- a handy English-language publication with the only map available of Bodrum. Try to locate a copy of the Bodrum Guide as well. Stick with your hotel concierge for any significant information on Bodrum.

Orientation

The white stucco town of Bodrum dots the hillside overlooking twin bays, separated by a narrow landmass from which the impressive St. Peter's Castle controlled the sea. West of the castle is the Inner Harbor, home to the state-of-the-art Karada Marina. Neyzen Tevfik Caddesi runs the length of the Inner Harbor from the marina to the castle, serving as the nucleus of a neighborhood that caters mostly to the yachting crowd, and thus is quieter and more polished than the Outer Harbor. Cevat Sakir Caddesi bisects Bodrum, connecting downtown Bodrum with the otogar, the weekly market, and the highway, ending up directly at the mouth of the old bazaar.

If there are any bargains to be found in Bodrum, it's around the Outer Harbor, south of the castle. This is home to Bodrum's infamous nightlife and the late-night throbbings of Halikarnas Disco, so that a basic room in a pension for $13 and a sleepless night go hand in hand.

Getting Around

The narrow and one-way streets of Bodrum discourage the use of a car. Although the waterfront spreads out over two harbors, downtown Bodrum is easy to cover with a pair of comfortable shoes and a bit of stamina. A scooter is a good option, because aside from solving the parking problem, you can get away with tooling around aimlessly down side streets or weaving unexpectedly through the pedestrian traffic on the waterfront promenade. For those lodging outside the city center, dolmuses provide regular service along all of the major thoroughfares through the otogar to the city center, and from the otogar, you're connected to all of the bays and villages of Bodrum's scenic peninsula. Depending on the distance, a ride will cost from 1.60YTL to 3.40YTL ($1.20-$2.50).