By bus, Bodrum

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we took the new double deck metro turizm bus from bodrum otogar to istanbul buyuk otogar (esenler). 12 hours trip of scenic route and very comfortable as usual as the second deck where we are are half full and we took the 8:30pm bus so we arrived in istanbul early in the morning - around 9AM.

TRICK in buying bus tickets:

before buying a ticket for istanbul, i asked all the bus companies at the bus station that goes to istanbul for the fare and i got various offers. different bus companies have different fare. i think i inquired from 4 bus companies - varan and ulusoy are more expensive at about 70 or 75 lira, pamukkale bus is 65, kamil koc is 60, i got metro at TL55, the cheapest was aydin bus at 50 but i got confidence with metro as i've used them several times from several trips in turkey so we took it.

slept all the way to istanbul.

and as usual they have a small service bus that takes passengers from the big istanbul terminal to aksaray district near the metro station, walk a a little to Yusufpaşa tramvay station which is 2 stations away from our hotel in Beyazid.

you can book/buy your tickets for your trips at metro bus's website in advance for your convenience.

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we bought a ticket at the metro turizm bus company from selcuk bus depot for bodrum but the bus that came was truva - it's maybe a co-share between bus companies. so we headed to bodrum and it's about a 3-hour bus ride on a scenic route passing by kusadasi (we should have dropped by here). bus fare is i think only 25 lira. the bus is big and really comfortable.

To get to some of these regional Airports is terribly expensive, thus making your cheap flights not so cheap!
The cheapest way to get to Bodrum Airport from Bodrum, is to catch the Havas Bus from the Bodrum Otogar.
It is located on the inside of the Otogar, near where the Taxis are. There is a little Office, which probably will not be manned, but it has the Timetable written up for the week. They run in time for all Domestic flights.

Departure is 2 hours before flight departure times, and the journey takes approx 40mins. The only other pickup area is Torba Junction.
Turn up, pay the Driver, and you are on your way.

On the brochure it says "We provide shuttle services for the following airline's domestic destinations: Turkish airlines, Pegasus, Izair, Atlas Jet, Onur Air"

My Bus to Marmaris wasn't a large Coach, but a medium size Bus, larger than a Mini Bus. It was comfortable, so had no complaints. At Mugla, I was tranferred into a Dolmus for the rest of my journey to Marmaris.
Buses depart Bodrum at.....................6.30 / 10.30 / 13.30 / 17.30 / 18.30 (summer) / 19.30 / 20.30 (summer)

COST 18 t/l
TIME 3&1/2 hours

The cheapest way to get to Yalikavak (20kms) is by Dolmus. This can be caught at the Bodrum Otogar. Go to where the Dolmus are, and look for one with a Yalikavak sign in the window. If people are in it, get on, if not, ask somebody which is leaving next.

The Bodrum Otogar is on the corner of Cevat Sakir Street and Artemis Street

FARE IN 2009 FOR A RETURN TRIP .................7.2t/l

The cheapest option for getting to Turgutreis.
Catch a Dolmus from the Bodrum Otogar. You will see the area where only Dolmus are. Walk around until you see one with "Turgutreis" and hop on the one with people on it. If you can't find it, ask somebody standing around, I found them most helpful, and they will show you which Dolmus. Pay the driver when he arrives, or he may come and get the money first.

Otogar is located on the corner of Cevat Sakir Street & Artemis Street.

FARE FOR THE ROUND TRIP IN 2009 WAS 7 t/l.

The Bus from Bodrum to Selcuk takes approx 3hours and the cost in 2009 was 25 t/l. Prices do vary with different companies.

The Otogar is located on the corner of Cevat Sakir street and Artemis Street.
Cevat Sakir is the street that leads down to the Mosque and the Harbour.

Dolmus (meaning 'stuffed'), is the name given to the small green minibuses that connect the villages round the peninsula with Bodrum. In the high season, they must get very stuffed indeed but we had no problem getting seats. We rode the Dolmus from Bitez to Bodrum and from Bodrum to Bitez several times and thoroughly enjoyed it. The fare is 5TL ( 2.50 Euro ) each way for two people and you must tap the person in front of you on the shoulder and pass the money up to the driver. Your change comes back the same way.

When going into Bodrum, stay on the Dolmus as far as the central bus offce or Ottogar. This is convenient for exploring the Bazaar area and in itself, the area round thebus office is absolutely full of life. There are several cafes, which serve cheap and tasty kebabs and sitting waiting for your bus, you will not be bored. Lots of street vendors sell bread rolls and other food, people constantly come and go on the buses and at around 3.30, kids from the local highschool stream past in large, noisy groups. All in all, there's a real feeling of town life here, quite different from the atmosphere in The Bazaar just a few streets down.

You can catch a taxi from the bus office as well. Taxis are metered and start at 3.00 TL. They are very reasonable during the day but more expensive after midnight.