Turkey

Turkey amazes the visitors with its stunning landscapes

Turkey is a Eurasian nation. This country is spread across the Anatolian peninsula in the southwestern part of the continent of Asia and the Balkans in the southeastern part of Europe. Turkey shares its boundaries with eight other nations. This includes Bulgaria towards the northwestern side and Georgia towards the northeastern side. The country of Greece is towards the western part, whereas Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Iran are towards the eastern part. The countries like Iraq as well as Syria are set towards the southeastern side of this nation. The Mediterranean Sea lies towards the southern side and the Aegean Sea lies towards the western side. The Black Sea is set towards the northern side of this country.

A visit to the country of Turkey will be exciting for travelers and tourists who visit this country from all across the globe.

Turkey Map

Getting In

The modes of transportation available to the tourists for getting to Turkey are plane, train, bus, and boat.

Plane
The national airlines of Turkey, Turkish Airlines, would help you to reach the country from locations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. The foreign airlines which would help in getting to Turkey are Aeroflot, Air France, Air Malta, Austrian Airlines, Blue Air, British Airways, Czech Airlines, Kenya Airways, LOT Polish airlines, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines System, Singapore Airlines, Germanwings, Iran air, Air Arabia, Condor airlines, and Air Berlin. Some of the major international airports located in Turkey are the Ataturk International Airport, the Esenboga International Airport, the Sabiha Gokcen International Airport, the Erkilet International Airport, the Adnan Menderes International Airport, and the Antalya International Airport. The tourists getting to Turkey by air, are likely to land at any one of the airports mentioned. The major international airport of Turkey though, is the Ataturk International airport.

Train
You can also reach Turkey from Europe by train. The journey though, would take a lot of time and could also be uncomfortable. Operating rail networks exist between Hungary and Romania, and Turkey. You can reach Turkey from Budapest in Hungary via the TransBalkan. The same train connects Bucharest in Romania to Turkey, along the way. The journey would take two days. It would also be necessary to bring your own food provisions since no meal facility is provided in the train. From Pythion and Thessaloniki in Greece, you can avail of a train for getting to Istanbul in Turkey. Other countries from where getting to Turkey by train is possible include Bulgaria, Syria, Tabriz, and Iran.

Bus
It is also possible to reach Turkey by bus from Bucharest in Romania. The bus would take you to Istanbul in Turkey. A bus is also available from Sofia in Bulgaria to Turkey. Buses are also available from the countries of Greece, Iran, and Syria, which would take you to Turkey. From Iran, it would take two days to reach Turkey by bus.

Car
Drive to Turkey in your car from Central Europe. It would not be too difficult to enter Turkey by car, provided you have prior permission and all the necessary and relevant documents with you.

Boat
From the islands of Greece ferries are operated which would help in reaching Turkey by water. This would give you a very pleasant view of the country you are planning to spend your holiday in.

Leisure

The tourists in Turkey can try out adventure sports like horseback riding, mountaineering, skiing, etc. You could also indulge in traditional sporting activities like swimming, tennis, football, etc. Turkey is a sports loving nation; a thing which can be understood from the fact that the country has an article, connected to sports, embedded in its constitution. So if you happen to be a sports lover too, then you are likely to find it wonderful in the country.

Nightlife in the country is very much active and would surely contribute to your time of entertainment and leisure in Turkey. The numerous bars, discos, nightclubs, etc., ensure that the tourists have great fun in the country. Istanbul is the place in the country where you are likely to get a wide range of options to choose from. Alcoholic beverages like wine flows freely at the various nightclubs and pubs in Turkey.

Indulging in some shopping in the country. The carpets of Turkey are well known throughout the world and are must-buys while holidaying in the country. You could also try and visit the place where the Turkish carpets are made. Some of the other items which you could purchase include ceramics, leather items, spices, etc. The numerous restaurants in the country offer the tourists the best of the Turkish cuisine.

Places to see
Visit these places while you are holidaying in the country:

• Hagia Sophia
• The Blue Mosque
• Topkapi Palace
• The Turkish and Islamic Art Museum
• Grand Bazaar
• Ephesus
• Pamukkale
• Olympos and the Fires of Chimaera
• Goreme Open-Air Museum
• Derinkuyu and Kaymakli (Underground cities)
• Troy

Tips

• The people of Turkey have a friendly and helpful outlook to the tourists who visit their country. But this friendliness should not be taken for granted at any cost. Cracking jokes against things which they hold dear to themselves should be avoided. One of the things which the people of Turkey have the highest regard for, are symbols of nationalism like the national flag.
• Respect the traditions and practices of the Islamic people in the country. Keep in mind the fact that the people of Turkey pray five times in a day. Also, be careful of your body language when you speak to any of the locals in the country. No hands on hips or any rude gestures. Take off your shoes while entering the house of any of the residents of Turkey. The people of the country would excuse the errors that you commit while in the country, owing to the fact that you are a foreigner. However, deliberate errors become very difficult to pardon.
• Carry proper documents while traveling within the country. You never know when you could be required to produce them. A good alternative would be to carry a photocopy of the documents, instead of the originals. The police of the country are quite friendly and helpful, if you do not rub them the wrong way by being argumentative and rude.