Turkey is the successor state to the Ottoman Empire. Turkey might be the world’s most contested country. Its landscape is dotted with battlegrounds, ruined castles and the palaces of great empires. Turkey has come to acquire increasing strategic significance. Since then, Turkey has become increasingly integrated with the West through membership in organizations such as the Council of Europe, NATO.
Climate
Turkey is situated in Anatolia and the Balkans, bordering the Black Sea. Turkey’s diverse regions have different climates. The Aegean and Mediterranean coasts have cool, rainy winters and hot, moderately dry summers. Annual precipitation in those areas varies from 580 to 1,300 millimeters, depending on location. Generally, rainfall is less to the east.
Transportation
When you travel to Turkey, keep this in mind: Turkey is big: 1700 km (1056 miles) from east to west if you travel by road, a trip of several days. To get around Turkey, there are two feasible options: road or air transportation. Ferries and railways are almost obsolete in Turkey. You can rent a car provided that you are used to driving in chaotic traffic.
Air Travel in Turkey
You can fly from Istanbul (west) to Erzurum (east) on Turkish Airlines (TK, THY) in about two hours for a one-way fare of as little as TL79 if you buy your ticket well in advance. Most other TK domestic flights cost between TL69 and YTL200.
Bus Transportation in Turkey
Bus is the main public transportation mean in Turkey. It is cheap and frequent. Some bus companies have very modern buses in their fleet, the comfort level varies greatly from one company to another. There are only a handful of companies in Turkey that would be comfortable for a Western traveler.
Railways
Unfortunately, Turkey’s economic policies of using highways as the main mode of transportation has resulted in lack of progress in Turkish Railways. Trains are mostly outdated and routes are limited.
Light Rail
After almost 30 years without any trams, Turkey is experiencing a revival in trams. Established in 1992, the tram system of Istanbul earned the best large-scale tram management award in 2005. Another award winning tram network belongs to Eskisehir, a city with a new tram system opened in 2004. Several other cities are planning or constructing tram lines, usually with modern low-floow trams.
Hotels in Istanbul
Dedeman Hotel
Grand Cevahir Hotel
Hyatt Regency
Ceylan Intercontinental
Eresin Crown Plaza
Hotel Taksim Plaza/point
Grand Star Hotel
Eresin Taksim Hotel
Taksim Hill
Grand Yavuz Hotel
Taksim Gonen Hotel
B.W Senator Hotel
Konak Hotel Taksim
