Turkey - 6 weeks november-january

Hi John! As a comparison... in three weeks time during a summer several years ago, I covered Marmaris, Egurdir, Cappadocia, Kas, Oludeniz, Fethiye, Pamukkale, Bodrum, Kusadasi, Selcuk and Istanbul. I traveled entirely by bus (including a few night buses), which was an enjoyable and efficient way to get around. I think you could probably see quite a bit of the country within six weeks as long as you keep moving. I highly recommend Cappadocia for an adventurous experience -- the landscape is unlike anywhere else. I rented a motorbike to explore the area at my own pace and get to the underground tunnels outside of town. Turkey is a wonderful country -- hope you have a great trip!

Thank you so much for your reply! Thats great! I'v read a few things on hitchhiking, is this a viable option in Turkey?

Thanks!

" in three weeks time during a summer several years ago, I covered Marmaris, Egurdir, Cappadocia, Kas, Oludeniz, Fethiye, Pamukkale, Bodrum, Kusadasi, Selcuk and Istanbul."

Aargh! 11 places in 21 days - including travel to/through. That's not seeing a country, that's remembering not to blink as you pass through...
Mhally - while it's certainly possible to see Turkey (hopefully at a slower pace) in winter, I certainly wouldn't recommend hitchhiking. It can be very cold, wet, snowing, etc. If you really want to be in Turkey at that time of year, plan for many indoor activities and take a nice warm bus or train.

Welcome to the forum Mhally!In 6 weeks you can do a lot if you plan well.The biggest issue will be the weather as some places will be off limits due to heavy snow by then.
The southeast is a fascinating region but...you know we have problems there and frankly it is utterly impossible to say what the situation there will be come next winter.The central and north east is safe though but snow will be your problem there,unless you fancy visiting one of Turkey's many excellent ski and snow board centres.

The south coast from Bodrum right along past Antalya will offer you the better weather ,no snow but possibly rain.This doesn't mean you will just see beaches,there are plenty of things to do and see a bit inland from the south coast,so that is worth researching.
The Aegean coast too from Gallipolli right down to Bodrum also has a hinterland full of interest and history.

For transport the buses are wondeful,very cheap,safe,regular and reliable and many routes have overnight buses so you save on hotel fee's too :)A motorbike would be nice.... but not in winter in bad weather.Hire charges tend to be a bit high too,virtually the same as a car(just thinking about your budget here).
Hitch hiking is popular here and Turkish people generally are very kind and do stop for hitchers but would you want to stand for long in bad weather hoping someone will stop for you?That is always the risk.

BTW,Turkey has a very wide network of Couchsurfers these days over most of the country so that is worth looking at for accomodation if you aren't already a member.

I guess you've already done a fair amount of research but now look again at the different regions I've pointed out and see what there is to see and do in each and see what strikes a chord for you.Once you have a better idea of where you would like to go then we can help you with planning a route,transport options,local details etc.etc.
If the mid and northeast appeal to you(i.e. Kars,Ani,Trabzon,Kaçkars etc.) then consider going there first and working your way back west.The earlier you go there the less snow there will be.

Ah thank you all so much this is all very helpful. I have never considered couchsurfing but it definitely sounds up my alley so ill check it out! Again thank you so much!

Hey Compassandcamera - do you recall where you rented the motorbike from, what sort of bike it was and how much it cost? I'm interested in doing the same.

Thanks - Andrew

@arjwilson - here's an article that mentions scooter rental (and prices) in Cappadocia:
http://www.captivatingcappadocia.com/silk-road-rent-a-scooter-atv-car/

A proper motorbike might be twice as expensive. Some years ago when I was researching renting a motorbike there, I finally decided to rent one on the coast (Fethiye) for half the price and rode it to Cappadocia.

Thanks!

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