World Travel Guide

City Guide  - Istanbul  - Road
Road


Although the road network throughout Turkey is extensive, with some dual carriageways and numerous three-lane highways, maintenance can be poor and conditions dangerous - Turkey has one of the worst accident rates in the world. European road rules are rarely obeyed and the great volume of buses and trucks, many substandard and overloaded, make driving in Turkey suited only to the brave or very wary.
Drivers bringing cars into Turkey must show their registration documents and driving licence at the place of entry. If arriving from Europe, visitors must have a Green Card (available from insurance companies) as well as appropriate insurance. Always carry your licence, passport, logbook, insurance certificate and vehicle registration. Driving is on the right and drivers must give way to the right at all times. In theory, seat belts are mandatory and there is a total ban on alcohol consumption before driving, but there is scant enforcement of these or any other laws; instead impromptu 'fines' are usually imposed on the spot. The speed limit on motorways is 120kph (70mph), 90kph (55mph) on main roads and 50kph (30mph) in towns. It is worth noting that traffic lights change abruptly from red to green. British motoring associations have reciprocal agreements with the Turkish Touring and Automobile Association (TTOK; tel: (212) 282 8140; fax: (212) 282 8042).

Emergency breakdown service:
Turkish Touring and Automobile Association (212) 280 4449

Routes to the city
: The main motorway from the Turkish border at Edirne straight through to Istanbul, Ankara and beyond is the E-80, closely paralleled by the somewhat smaller D-100. The route to Antalya follows the E-80 to Izmit and then heads south on the D-650.
Driving times to Istanbul: from Ankara - 7 hours; from Antalya - 12 hours.

Coach services:
The safest, cheapest and most convenient method of internal transport, especially for travel to southern Turkish resorts, is Turkey's vast system of intercity coaches.
Uluslararas? Istanbul Otogar?
or International Istanbul Bus Terminal (tel: (212) 658 0505) serves all international and domestic lines and is located in Esenler, about ten kilometres (six miles) from the city centre. Most of the major intercity companies have free service buses from central Istanbul to the bus station. These shuttle services leave - several hours before the scheduled departure time of the coach - from along S?rasilveler Caddesi in Taksim, which is also where all the ticket offices are clustered. Visitors can book tickets here any time before departure.
Providers include Kamil Koç (tel: (212) 252 7223) and Pamukkale (tel: (212) 249 2791), which serve western and southern destinations; Ulusöy (tel: (212) 249 4373), which serves international destinations, Ankara and the Black Sea, as well as Izmir and Antalya; and Varan (tel: (212) 251 7481), which also serves international, western and southern routes. Nev Tur (tel: (212) 249 7961) serves Cappadocia. Long journeys are usually made at night, leaving Istanbul between 2200 and 2400, and arriving at the destination in the morning.



Copyright © 2001 Columbus Publishing
    
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