Research guide · Turkey
Turkey: Istanbul, coast, Cappadocia, best time to travel, getting there and costs 2026
Plan Turkey: transfers from Antalya, Istanbul and Izmir, eight regions, 2026 admission prices, climate in Ankara and Antalya, HGS tolls, accommodation tax.
By Nighthopper editorial teamCreated with AITranslated with AIPublished 13 min read
How this article was made
This English version was translated from the German original with AI and has not been reviewed by a person. The checks described here refer to the German original, which is authoritative.
Text created with AI and checked with AI against the sources listed. Approved by Simon Misiak on .
Editorially responsible: Saimon Misiaki (Simon Misiak).

At a glance
- Passengers from Germany: 9,952,561 in 2025, 2nd of 211 destination countries abroad; most often to Antalya (4,294,363) (our own analysis, Destatis).
- Metro M4 from Istanbul-Sabiha Gökçen: 52 minutes to Kadıköy, 46.20 TL with an İstanbulkart, 65 TL as a single-journey ticket (as of September 2026).
- Admission for foreign visitors: Ephesus €40, Hierapolis-Pamukkale €30, Göreme Open-Air Museum €20; MuseumPass Türkiye €165 for 15 days (as of September 2026).
- Accommodation tax: only 1% instead of 2% of the overnight price until 31 December 2026, all-inclusive services included (presidential decree, Official Gazette of 1 May 2026).
- Time: UTC+3 all year round, 1 hour ahead of Germany in German summer time and 2 hours ahead in German winter time (since 2016).
- Tolls mostly electronic via HGS, no vignette; the Osmangazi Bridge costs 1,170 TL for cars (rate from 1 July 2026).
Turkey suits you if you want to combine the Mediterranean coast and ancient sites in a single trip. The country has 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Ephesus, Troy and Göbekli Tepe (as of September 2026). The most-flown destination airport in 2025 was Antalya on the Mediterranean coast, with 4,294,363 passengers from Germany (our own analysis, Destatis).
New in 2026: since 20 June the airport metro M11 also links the transport hub Halkalı with Istanbul Airport. The accommodation tax is 1% instead of 2% until 31 December 2026. Because of restoration work, you currently cannot walk down the Marble Road from the Library of Celsus in Ephesus. In the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara, two halls stay closed until 2 March 2027, while the rest of the building is open (as of September 2026).
Turkey is a poorer fit if you handle heat badly: in Antalya province the mean daily high in July and August is 34.9 °C. In winter it rains a lot there, in December an average of 271.7 mm. Inland it then turns frosty; in Ankara the mean low in January is −2.2 °C (1991–2020 normals of the Turkish weather service).
Advice from the German Federal Foreign Office
The German Federal Foreign Office changed its travel and safety advice for Turkey on 14 October 2026. The current version is on its website.
Original text from the German Federal Foreign Office (in German) (opens in a new tab)Getting there from Germany
In 2025 a total of 9,952,561 passengers whose last known destination was in Turkey boarded at the 22 main German airports, not counting those changing planes abroad. That is 2nd place among 211 destination countries abroad; only Spain had more (15,029,534). The source is the Federal Statistical Office, year 2025; totals, rank and breakdown are our own analysis.
Most went to Antalya (4,294,363), followed by Istanbul-Sabiha Gökçen (1,916,667), Istanbul Airport (1,034,476), Izmir (915,271) and Ankara-Esenboğa (426,942). Next comes Çukurova airport, opened in 2024 between Adana and Mersin, with 187,473. Most boarded in Düsseldorf (1,757,762), ahead of Cologne/Bonn (1,272,945), Frankfurt (1,164,505) and Berlin Brandenburg (984,983).
The strongest month in 2025 was July with 1,329,326 passengers, the weakest January with 353,079. From January to July 2026 there were 5,280,036 passengers, about 1.2% fewer than in the same period of 2025 (our own analysis).
Flight delayed or cancelled?Check whether you’re owed money under the EU air passenger rights regulation — with every step of the check in plain language.Antalya (AYT): tram or Havaş bus
According to the operator, it is about 20 minutes by car from the airport to the centre; the airport is in the north-east of the city. The AntRay tram links the airport, the city centre and the long-distance bus station. At the turnstile you pay with the Antalyakart or contactless with a debit or credit card (as of September 2026). The Havaş bus into the city cost 230 TL in a query on 27 September 2026 for the following day, and takes about 45 minutes depending on traffic.
Caution
Havaş bus only from the domestic terminal
In Antalya the Havaş bus runs, according to the operator, for passengers on domestic flights. If you arrive from Germany you may ride along, but you first have to go across to the domestic terminal (as of September 2026). In Bodrum and Dalaman too, Havaş names only domestic arrivals as its use.
Istanbul: metro M4 and Havaist bus
Of the 2,951,143 passengers from Germany to Istanbul, 64.9% landed at Sabiha Gökçen in 2025 (our own calculation). The metro M4 has run from there since October 2022, reaching Kadıköy in 52 minutes, from 6:00 to midnight. A journey costs 46.20 TL with an anonymous İstanbulkart and 65 TL with a single-journey ticket (as of September 2026).
From Istanbul Airport the Havaist bus HVL-9 runs to Taksim, scheduled to take 90 minutes for 48 km. On 27 September 2026 the timetable showed 30 departures a day, and the journey cost 470 TL, payable by credit card too.
Izmir (ADB) and Ankara (ESB)
In Izmir the suburban railway İZBAN runs from the airport to Alsancak. With a full İzmirim Kart this cost 40.00 TL according to the fare query of 27 September 2026, but there must be at least 122.16 TL on the card when boarding. Credit cards are not yet accepted on İZBAN.
Ankara-Esenboğa airport is 28 km from the centre. For every landing, Havaş runs a bus to the AŞTİ bus station, journey time 45 minutes, 250 TL in a query on 27 September 2026.
Regions and destinations at a glance
| Region/place | Known for | Airport/getting there | Downside |
|---|---|---|---|
| Istanbul (Istanbul travel guide) | Historic areas (World Heritage 1985), Topkapı Palace | SAW or IST | Havaist from IST to Taksim scheduled at 90 minutes |
| Riviera around Antalya (Antalya and the Turkish Riviera) | Mediterranean, Aspendos, Perge | AYT | Havaş bus only from the domestic terminal |
| Aegean around Izmir | Ephesus (World Heritage 2015), Pergamon (2014) | ADB | Path from the Library of Celsus closed |
| Bodrum | Hospitaller castle of 1406 | BJV, 37 km to Bodrum | Havaş serves domestic arrivals, according to the operator |
| Lycian coast: Fethiye, Ölüdeniz, Xanthos | Bays, Lycian Way, Xanthos-Letoon (World Heritage 1988) | DLM, Havaş to Fethiye 60 minutes | Havaş serves domestic arrivals, according to the operator |
| Pamukkale and Hierapolis | Travertine terraces, ancient city (World Heritage 1988) | via Denizli, just under 20 km | Denizli hardly served by direct flights in 2025 (2,855 passengers) |
| Cappadocia: Göreme, Uçhisar, Ürgüp | Tuff cones, Göreme National Park (World Heritage 1985) | Kayseri (ASR) or Kapadokya (NAV) | Nevşehir in January with Ø low of −3.5 °C |
| Ankara | Capital, Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Anıtkabir | ESB, 28 km | January with Ø low of −2.2 °C |
Swipe the table sideways to see all columns.
Information as of September 2026; 2025 passenger figures are our own analysis, climate as 1991–2020 normals.
On the Aegean, Izmir is the starting point: it is 75 km to Ephesus and about an hour to Pergamon. Foreign visitors pay €40 for Ephesus, which also gets them into the Ephesus Experience Museum. In summer 2026 it was open from 8:00 to 18:45, and from Wednesday to Saturday also from 19:00 to 23:00; the Ministry of Culture's winter season, with different times, most recently began on 1 October (as of September 2026).
The Museum of Underwater Archaeology in Bodrum (€20) is housed in the castle that the Knights Hospitaller built in 1406. Fethiye, the largest town in Muğla province, is known as a port of call for charter yachts. On the 540 km Lycian Way there are 19 ancient cities. Xanthos is 46 km from Fethiye and costs €3 to enter (as of September 2026).

The ancient city of Hierapolis lies above the travertine terraces of Pamukkale, just under 20 km north of Denizli. The thermal water there is supersaturated with lime, which precipitates on contact with air and builds up the white terraces. Admission costs €30 (as of September 2026). In summer 2026 it was open from 8:00 to 18:45, with additional evening hours from 19:00 to 23:00.

The fairy chimneys, cones of tuff, are the landmark of Cappadocia, the region south-east of Ankara. In 2025, 181,649 passengers flew from Germany to Kayseri, but only 6,769 to Kapadokya airport, 30 km from Nevşehir (our own analysis). The Göreme Open-Air Museum costs €20, the underground cities of Derinkuyu and Kaymaklı €13 each (as of September 2026).
Tip
MuseumPass: €165 for 15 days
In Turkey the MuseumPass Türkiye covers more than 350 museums and excavation sites of the Ministry of Culture and costs €165 (as of September 2026). The 15 days count from the first museum, and each site is included once. For comparison, the individual prices: Ephesus €40, Hierapolis-Pamukkale €30, Göreme Open-Air Museum €20. The pass is not valid for evening openings.
Best time to travel
The table shows official 1991–2020 normals of the Turkish weather service MGM for the provinces of Ankara (inland) and Antalya (Mediterranean coast). The weather service names no single station for them. The sea figures are monthly means from the MGM for the Mediterranean, 1970 to 2025.
| Month | Ankara: Ø high / low in °C, precipitation in mm | Antalya: Ø high / low in °C, precipitation in mm | Mediterranean in °C |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4.7 / −2.2 · 38.6 | 15.0 / 5.9 · 210.6 | 16.7 |
| February | 7.4 / −1.2 · 36.6 | 15.9 / 6.5 · 112.7 | 16.0 |
| March | 12.2 / 1.9 · 46.9 | 18.4 / 8.3 · 94.5 | 16.6 |
| April | 17.5 / 6.0 · 44.5 | 21.8 / 11.3 · 63.1 | 18.1 |
| May | 22.8 / 10.5 · 51.0 | 26.4 / 15.7 · 37.0 | 20.8 |
| June | 27.3 / 14.1 · 40.2 | 31.6 / 20.1 · 10.1 | 23.9 |
| July | 31.0 / 17.2 · 14.8 | 34.9 / 23.4 · 4.0 | 26.7 |
| August | 31.0 / 17.4 · 14.6 | 34.9 / 23.7 · 5.0 | 28.1 |
| September | 26.5 / 13.1 · 17.9 | 31.7 / 20.1 · 22.0 | 27.0 |
| October | 20.3 / 8.4 · 33.4 | 27.3 / 15.9 · 76.6 | 24.6 |
| November | 13.0 / 2.7 · 31.9 | 21.6 / 10.7 · 152.1 | 21.4 |
| December | 6.7 / −0.3 · 43.2 | 16.7 / 7.5 · 271.7 | 18.5 |
Swipe the table sideways to see all columns.
In Antalya, May, June and September bring daily highs of 26.4 to 31.7 °C with 2.6 to 7.1 rainy days a month. The Mediterranean then averages 20.8 to 27.0 °C, according to the MGM. From November to March about 79% of the annual precipitation falls there (our own calculation). Ankara is drier; May brings the most rain.
Getting around the country
Domestic flights
From January to August 2026 the Turkish airports counted 71,625,767 passengers in domestic traffic, arriving and departing. That is about 43% of all passengers there (provisional figures from the airport authority DHMİ, share our own calculation).
Coach
Antalya's long-distance bus station (Otogar) is 4 km north of the centre; buses of several companies leave from here for the country's big cities (as of September 2026). Fares for coaches and the railway are missing from the official sources consulted, which is why they are not given here.
Driving and roads
In Turkey you drive on the right. For cars the limits are 50 km/h in built-up areas, 90 outside them on roads with oncoming traffic and 110 km/h on roads with separate carriageways. On motorways run by the road authority KGM, 130 km/h is allowed, on privately operated ones 140 km/h (as of September 2026). Drivers of private cars may have at most 0.5 per mille. Anyone above that pays 25,000 TL (amount since 12 February 2026) and has to surrender their driving licence for six months.
There is no vignette. Charges apply on the motorways and at individual bridges and tunnels; they are usually debited via HGS, a sticker on the windscreen. It is available at toll stations, in PTT post offices, at motorway service areas and at some petrol stations; at some toll stations, according to the ADAC, cash or card is also accepted (as of September 2026). After driving through without enough HGS credit, you have 15 days to pay the toll online.
Cars with foreign plates need an HGS account with enough credit, and outstanding tolls and fines must be paid before leaving the country. A car pays 59 TL per journey over the 15 Temmuz Şehitler Bridge or the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge on the Bosphorus (rate from 1 January 2026). The Osmangazi Bridge on the way from Istanbul towards Izmir costs 1,170 TL (from 1 July 2026).
Car hire at Antalya Airport (AYT)Latest price sample for each car class and rental company, plus the search for your travel dates.Money and costs
Payment is in Turkish lira (TL); banknotes from 5 to 200 lira are in circulation. Since 11 September 2026 the central bank has been issuing new editions of the 5 and 50 lira notes, while the older ones remain in circulation. In August 2026 consumer prices were 31.51% above the same month a year earlier, so prices in lira go out of date quickly. For foreign visitors the Ministry of Culture sets its own admission prices, mostly in euros.
| Item | Price | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Topkapı Palace, combined ticket with Harem | 2,750 TL | September 2026 |
| Galata Tower, Istanbul | €30 | September 2026 |
| Ephesus | €40 | September 2026 |
| Hierapolis-Pamukkale | €30 | September 2026 |
| Göreme Open-Air Museum | €20 | September 2026 |
| Troy / Göbekli Tepe | €27 / €20 | September 2026 |
| MuseumPass Türkiye, 15 days | €165 | September 2026 |
| Toll 15 Temmuz or FSM bridge / Osmangazi Bridge, car | 59 TL / 1,170 TL | from 1 January 2026 / from 1 July 2026 |
| Accommodation tax | 1% until 31 December 2026, otherwise 2% | Official Gazette of 1 May 2026 |
Swipe the table sideways to see all columns.
Tip
Accommodation tax halved until the end of the year
Overnight stays in Turkey are normally subject to an accommodation tax of 2%, whatever your nationality. Until and including 31 December 2026 only 1% applies (presidential decree, Official Gazette of 1 May 2026). The tax also covers services that the hotel sells in a package with the room, so with all-inclusive that means food and drink, plus things like the pool or spa area.
Practical information
Since 2016 Turkey has stayed permanently on summer time, that is, on UTC+3 all year round. During German summer time the clocks there are one hour ahead, and during German winter time from the end of October two hours ahead (our own calculation from the time zone database). The official language is Turkish, and the capital is Ankara.

You reach the police, ambulance, fire brigade, gendarmerie and coast guard on a single number: 112. The control centre locates callers automatically, and the call costs nothing, whether from a mobile or a landline. Besides Turkish, according to the Ministry of the Interior, help is available in four foreign languages (as of October 2021). The EU rule “Roam like at home” does not apply in Turkey, and mobile data can become expensive there.
Fixed public holidays are 1 January, 23 April, 1 May, 19 May, 15 July, 30 August and 29 October, which begins at 13:00 the day before. Eid al-Fitr lasts three and a half days and Eid al-Adha four and a half, in each case from 13:00 the day before (public holidays law, as of September 2026). In 2027, according to the religious affairs authority Diyanet, Eid al-Fitr falls on 9 to 11 March and Eid al-Adha on 16 to 19 May.
The current rules on entry, safety and health are with the German Foreign Office.
Entry requirements and safety
The rules that apply are published by the German Federal Foreign Office — always up to date there.
Travel and safety advice: Turkey (in German) (opens in a new tab)Who Turkey is not for
- Anyone who handles heat poorly: In July and August the mean daily high in Antalya province is 34.9 °C, in Ankara 31.0 °C (1991–2020).
- Anyone looking for winter sun by the sea: In December Antalya gets an average of 271.7 mm of precipitation and 4.7 hours of sunshine a day (1991–2020).
- Anyone expecting short transfers: The Havaist bus from Istanbul Airport to Taksim is scheduled to take 90 minutes, and in Antalya the Havaş bus runs only from the domestic terminal.
- Anyone expecting admission at the domestic price: The Topkapı combined ticket costs foreign visitors 2,750 TL, local people 500 TL (as of September 2026).
- Anyone who wants to plan with fixed prices: Consumer prices rose by 31.51% within a year to August 2026.
- Anyone who wants to use mobile data without extra costs: The EU rule “Roam like at home” does not apply in Turkey.
Sources and last update
- Statistical report: air traffic at main airports, July 2026, table 46421-09 “Boarding passengers by destination airport (last known destinations)” (Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), in German) (opens in a new tab), accessed 27 September 2026
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- Türkiye – Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List (UNESCO World Heritage Centre) (opens in a new tab), accessed 27 September 2026
- Otobüs Hizmetleri, Sefer bilgileri Antalya, Esenboğa, Dalaman and Bodrum (Havaş) (opens in a new tab), accessed 27 September 2026
- Sefer Saatleri, line HVL-9 İstanbul Havalimanı – Taksim (Havaist) (opens in a new tab), accessed 27 September 2026
- Sıkça Sorulan Sorular (Havaist) (opens in a new tab), accessed 27 September 2026
- M4 Kadıköy-Sabiha Gökçen Havalimanı Metro Hattı (Metro İstanbul) (opens in a new tab), accessed 27 September 2026
- Biletler ve Ücretler (Metro İstanbul) (opens in a new tab), accessed 27 September 2026
- Public Transportation (iGA Istanbul Airport) (opens in a new tab), accessed 27 September 2026
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Show all 58 sources
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Information last checked on 28 September 2026.
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