Ways to Get Abroad If You Will Stay Long at Istanbul

Istanbul itself is a big city and it takes so much time to get to know it. I have been living in Istanbul since I was born, but I learn new things every day, as I walk around to find something to write here. However, we pass over its proximity to some other countries, such as Greece and Bulgaria.

It may not make a big difference for European visitors, but other visitor from more distant countries may like this opportunity. Especially if you are an expat or Erasmus student, you can try a couple of the suggestions below.

Plane

Istanbul has two big airports: Ataturk International Airport and Sabiha Gokcen International Airport. Both host many flights of Turkish and international planes around the world. You can find economic tickets, if you book your ticket early enough.

Suggestion:

From Istanbul, you can fly to every capital city and some other cities of Balkans and East Europe. You can fly to Thessaloniki, Athens, Sofia, Varna, Belgrade, Sarajevo, Ljubljana, Tirana, Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Skopje, Pristine, Budapest, Prague and Bucharest. Many of these countries don't want visa from Turkish citizens, but you should act accordingly to your passport.

Bus

There are some bus companies that will take you to many of the cities above. If you cannot find cheap plane tickets, you can try the bus. Their ticket fees don't change frequently. For example, Thessaloniki bus is 150 TL for a long time, and so is Varna bus. I think 8-10 hours of bus trip is fair.

Suggestion:

As I mentioned above, Greece and Bulgaria are the best destinations for bus trips. You can go to Thessaloniki, Kavala, Xanthi, Komotini, Alexandroupolis, Athens, Skopje, Ohrid, Plovdiv, Sofia, Varna. There are buses to Hungary and even to Germany, but they will definitely take more than 10 hours. You may take the bus to go to ferries which I will explain below.

Ferry

Ferry is a lovely option, but if you're staying at Istanbul, you should go to ports either by plane or by bus. There are many local flights, so it won't be hard for you to find one. There are also many local bus services.

Suggestion:

Greek Islands! You have many options. You can go to Chios Island from Cesme, to Lesvos Island from Ayvalik, to Kos Island from Bodrum, to Samos Island from Kusadasi, to Rhodes Island (and Simi Island, but it is more complicated) from Marmaris, to Meis Island from Kas. Turkish citizens can get their visas on the island, but you should search for the visa policy of your country.

Car

Renting a car may be a good solution. In Istanbul, you can find many car rentals, including the international ones.

Suggestion:

All of above! You should learn the international driving license policies concerning your passport. Greece has cancelled the the international driving license for Turkish citizens, but I don't know the situation of other citizenships. Ferries have room for cars, but they are small ferries. So, you'd better book you ticket online before your trip.

Train

There is also the train option, but it is a little complicated right now. The railroads are being renovated for a long long time. You have first to go to Cerkezkoy, which is almost two hours away from Istanbul. For now, direct bus trips are more logical. If there is any change, I'll update the info.