Turkish Airlines, Delta, British Airways, Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, Sabena, Swissair and Olympic Airways serve Ataturk International Airport (IST), which is located 15 mi/24 km southwest of Istanbul (allow plenty of time to get to the airport during rush hour). Turkish Airlines, Austrian, Lufthansa and Sabena serve Ankara’s Esenboga Airport (ESB), which is located 22 mi/35 km northeast of the capital’s center. Turkish Airlines offers frequent domestic flights to major cities within Turkey.
Various cruise lines include Turkish ports on their Mediterranean itineraries. Turkish Maritime Lines connects major ports along the Aegean, Black Sea and Mediterranean coasts it takes about six days to go from Istanbul along the Black Sea to Trabzon via Sinop—very enjoyable.
There is rail service connecting most European countries to Istanbul, and there’s also rail service within Turkey (it’s usually slower than bus service). Express bus service connects many European capitals and large cities with Istanbul on a regular (and fairly inexpensive) basis. Inexpensive buses and minibuses connect most points within the country (the former are quite comfortable, and the latter provide an opportunity to meet the local people—if you’re willing to sacrifice comfort for that opportunity).
Self- and chauffeur driven cars are also available (an excellent way to visit the country). Major highways are in good shape, but beware of slow-moving vehicles, animals and especially Turkish drivers, who don’t seem to follow traffic rules. Snow and ice require extra caution. Driving is on the right—though sometimes drivers ignore this rule! City streets are often narrow and congested with traffic. Parking in Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara is a hassle: Don’t rent a car in these cities.
Taxis (shared and metered) are the best way to travel within most cities and towns. However, visitors to Ankara and Istanbul should be aware that some taxi drivers may try to cheat tourists by “forgetting” to turn on the meter (and then demanding an outrageous sum) or putting the night meter on during the day. Between 7 am and midnight always check to see that the meter reads gunduz (days). Shared taxis (dolmuses) travel on fixed routes for fixed fares. Tipping is not expected in shared taxis. Some city buses are adequate, but others are overcrowded.