Getting There

By Plane -- From the airport, hop on the restored and refurbished train line making its way the 78km (48miles) to Selçuk, departing five times a day (check with your hotel for timetables or log onto the Turkish Railways site (www.tcdd.gov.tr). The fare is 4TL one way; 7TL round-trip.

By Bus -- Long-distance buses from points within Turkey arrive at Selçuk's otogar opposite the park to the east side of Atatürk Caddesi. A simple inquisitive "Selçuk otogar?" directed at your bus muavin (driver's assistant) when you board will help you to know when you've arrived. (Note: If you're staying at the Kalehan, ask the driver to let you off at the entrance to the hotel, which is also on the main road.) Sample times and fares are: from Istanbul 50TL, 10 hours; from Çanakkale 35TL, 7 hours; from Antalya 35TL, 7 hours. You can get a minibus from Izmir, only 45 minutes away for around 8TL.

By Bus -- From Izmir center or airport, follow the green signs for Aydin/Çevreyolu, which will take you onto the toll road. Exit at Selçuk, and then follow the local road for around 12km (7 1/2 miles).

Visitor Information

The tourist information office (tel. 0232/892-6328), located on the park across from the Ephesus Museum, provides free maps (and a better one for sale), as well as books on topics of local interest. They have a helpful website at www.selcuk.gov.tr.

Orientation

Bisecting the city of Selçuk is Atatürk Caddesi, which runs roughly north to south, and which doubles as the highway to Izmir once you leave the center of town. The tourist attractions are all within walking distance to the west of Atatürk Caddesi, with the castle crowning the summit of Ayasoluk Hill. Midway down the hill to the south are the Isabey Mosque and St. John's Basilica, both accessible via St. Jean's Sokagi. The train station, good for excursions to Izmir, Aphrodisias, and Denizli, near Pamukkale, is located on the eastern side of town near the end of Cengiz Topel Caddesi (the eastern continuation of St. Jean's Sok. to the west). This end of town acts as the hub of Selçuk's shopping and business center, with a good concentration of banks, Internet cafes, kebap houses, and tea gardens.

A green park in the center of town on the west side of Atatürk Caddesi hosts the tourist information office; on the west side of the park is the Ephesus Museum. The road to Kusadasi heads west from the otogar, passing the Gendarmerie and the Artemesion on the way past the turnoff for Ephesus.

The ancient city of Ephesus extends beyond the confines of the museum gates, and heartier (and well-watered) types can be seen walking single-file along the road between the Main Gate and the Cave of the Seven Sleepers. Meryemana is about 7km (4 1/3 miles) up the hill from the Upper Gate, and therefore (at least for me) too far to walk.

Getting Around

By Dolmus -- Dolmuses leave the otogar for Ephesus (signs on the minibuses read EFES) every half-hour (3.50TL). Get off at the upper gate so that you can walk through the site heading downhill. At the exit of the site, you can either walk back into town or grab a returning dolmus. You can also catch a dolmus to Kusadasi (4.50TL; 30 min.) or Izmir's otogar (8TL; 1 hr.).

By Taxi -- Taxis are available for quick hops from one end of town to the other (from the otogar to the Kalehan with luggage, for example) and, if desired, for transportation to Ephesus (around 10TL 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.