Getting There
By Plane -- As of this writing, a record number of airlines were offering direct domestic service into Dalaman: From Istanbul you can fly via Turkish Airlines (tel. 444-0849; www.thy.com), Atlasjet (tel. 0216/444-3387; www.atlasjet.com.tr), Onur Air (tel. 444-6687; www.onurair.com.tr), Pegasus Airlines (tel. 444-0737; www.flypgs.com), and SunExpress (tel. 0232/444-0797; www.sunexpress.com.tr). You can also fly from Izmir (Onur, Pegasus, SunExpress), from Ankara (Onur Air), from Bodrum (Martin Air, Pegasus, Onur), from Kayseri (Onur, Pegasus), and from Konya (Pegasus). Direct international service is provided by British Airways (www.britishairways.com), Onur Air, and SunExpress from a number of cities in the U.K. and elsewhere in Europe. Other European-based discount and charter airlines flying direct into Dalaman are EasyJet (www.easyjet.com), Monarch Airlines (www.flymonarch.com), Thomas Cook (www.flythomascook.com), Thomson Airways (www.thomson.co.uk) and British Midland (www.flybmi.com).
Havas (tel. 444-0487) shuttle bus service from the airport is scheduled to coincide with the arrival of domestic flights. There are separate shuttles for Marmaris and Fethiye (separate buses for opposite directions). The bus into the Marmaris otogar takes 90 minutes (85km/53 miles) via Dalaman center, Ortaca, Köycegiz, and Gökova. The ride costs 25TL. From the Marmaris otogar, it's a 5-minute and 1.50TL dolmus ride to the marina; taxis will also be waiting at the otogar. Dalaman Airport also has car-rental counters on-site, sensible if you've arrived here exclusively for a self-driven land tour.
By Bus -- The otogar (station; tel. 0252/412-3037) is located close to the junction for the main highway, about 1.6km (1 mile) outside of the town center. If you're coming from Istanbul (14 hr.) or Ankara (10 hr.), buses depart in the evening around 11pm or midnight and arrive the next day. Sample fare on Kamil Koç is 65TL from Istanbul and 50TL from Ankara. Service from Izmir (4 1/4 hr.) is more frequent, with fares as low as 30TL (also with Kamil Koç). From some towns like Selçuk or Kusadasi, you may be forced to change buses in Aydin, about halfway to Marmaris. Marmaris Koop bus lines (tel. 0252/413-5543) runs direct, air-conditioned minibus service to and from Ortaca/Dalyan (1 1/2 hr.), Fethiye (3 hr.), Göcek (2 1/2 hr.), and Antalya (7 hr.). Pamukkale bus company (tel. 0252/412-5586) runs year-round direct daily service through Denizli (change to minibus for the site of Pamukkale: 3 1/2 hr.) on the way to Ankara and Bursa, in addition to Izmir, Bodrum, Fethiye, Antalya, and Kas (summer only).
Dolmuses (minivan-type public transportation) provide regular shuttle service from the otogar into town (1.50TL). This is a good option if the bus company you arrived on doesn't provide a free minibus transfer into town. Take a taxi (about 25TL) if you're headed to the marina and instruct your driver to take you through the gates and as close as possible to your boat -- otherwise, the size of the marina may force you to walk quite a distance from the gates to the mooring.
By Ferry -- Eight ferries a week (in summer) arrive from (and depart to) the Greek island of Rhodes. A one-way ticket with port tax is 51€. At the Datça end of Marmaris, a daily car ferry (in summer; service is reduced in winter) plying the route between Bodrum and Datça leaves both ports simultaneously at 9:30am (Tues, Thurs, Sat, Sun) and 4pm (Mon, Wed, Fri) for the 2-hour crossing. Boats to Datça arrive at Korman, a lonesome port on the northwestern reaches of the Datça Peninsula. A one-way passenger ticket costs 25TL one-way; cars cost 70TL plus 10TL per person for each passenger. Tickets can be purchased at the office of Bodrum Ferryboat Association (tel. 0252/316-0882 in Bodrum; tel. 0252/712-2143 in Datça; www.bodrumferryboat.com). From Korman, a shuttle bus will take you to the town of Datça, about 6.5km (4 miles) away. From Datça (assuming it's not your final destination), you can hop on a dolmus for the long and varying mountain and coastal drive into Marmaris (1 hr., 15 min.).
Bodrum Express Lines (tel. 0252/316-1087; www.bodrumexpresslines.com) also runs hydrofoils between Bodrum and Marmaris departing on Thursday and Sunday, March or April through October or November. Hydrofoils from Bodrum depart at 8am and 6pm, arriving in the charming town of Gelibolu (the transfer by bus into Marmaris is included in the price of the ticket). Total travel time is 1 hour, 50 minutes (the last 20 min. are on the bus); the trip costs 25€ one-way.
Visitor Information
The tourist information office in Marmaris is at Iskele Meydani 2, across from the Atatürk statue (tel. 0252/412-1035; fax 0252/412-7277). In Datça, it's located at the marina (tel./fax 0252/712-3546).
Orientation
As a chief point of departure for the Blue Voyage, the Marmaris harbor is where all of the action takes place. Ulusal Egemenlik Caddesi meets the Bay of Marmaris head-on at the main square proudly displaying the statue of Atatürk. The area east of Ulusal Egemenlik Caddesi is the older part of town, an appealing cluster of old waterfront houses crowned by the castle and well worth a look. Kordon Caddesi is the pedestrian continuation of Atatürk Caddesi to the east of Iskele Meydani, and where the gulets (wooden boats) line the wharf each Saturday night prior to their morning departure. The wharf walk makes a semicircular loop around the base of the castle, arriving at several footbridges leading to the entrance of the marina. Within the gates of Netsel Marina are a few pubs and restaurants with terraces overlooking the harbor, along with an upscale outdoor shopping mall.
To the west along the shore is Atatürk Caddesi, which forks off and changes names several times before it exits Marmaris proper and turns into a hilly country road leading into Içmeler, a smaller seaside resort at the base of a beautifully crested, pine-covered mountain range. Beyond Içmeler is the Bozburun Peninsula, with the barest of loop roads leading along the coastal road to Turunç, Osmaniye, Bozburun, Selimiye, Orhaniye, and Hisarönü. The Marmaris-Datça road, meanwhile, is accessed from Içmeler or from above Marmaris center.
Provisions Pit Stop -- Not far from Iskele Meydani on Ulusal Egemenlik Caddesi is the grocery store Tansas, indispensable for last-minute provisions, such as water and wine, which are generally not included in the Blue Voyage pay-one-price package. An outlet of its sister store, Migros, is located at the harbor.
Getting Around
Dolmuses ply the one main road running the length of Datça Peninsula from Marmaris to Datça town (4TL; 90 min.) hourly in high season, reducing to five times a day off-season. Within Marmaris town, dolmuses run frequently from the otogar along Marmaris's multinamed main road via the statue of Atatürk to points west. Transport within the city limits costs 1.50TL; from Marmaris to Içmeler it's 2TL. Check the destination on the windshield if you're headed out of town; service runs as far as Datça.
Consider renting a car for forays into the surrounding villages and coves, or get a scooter for ease of transportation in and around the immediate reach of Marmaris town. Ask your hotel concierge if they can help you with a rental, or even ask a bellhop, who will most certainly have a friend in the vehicle-rental business. Cars rent for as little as 35€ per day. Agree on a model and price by phone, and a representative will deliver the vehicle to you at no extra charge.
Several taxi boats provide service between the holiday resorts of Içmeler and downtown Marmaris. Service is more frequent when demand is up, so check with your hotel to see how often they are running, if at all, and the time of day they start/finish. The ride costs 8TL each way.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
