patriciatbrogan

We have a fortnight booked in Turkey mainly spending it in Istanbul with 2 days each in Edirne and Bursa to take in the Ottoman Empire. We have booked a return flight ex Istanbul to Izmir to take in Epheusus and the archaelogical sites in Bergama. We don't want to stay in Izmir so would appreciate advice on where to stay - Kusadasi? We shall depend on public transport, don't know if that would be a factor?

(Finally, I am alarmed to hear that in Turkey and eating out, they ask where one is from and then bump up the charge accordingly - is this true?!)

MmePerdu

I can’t compare Izmir with Kusadasi but Kusadasi was where a friend & I stayed when we got off the ferry from Naxos. I liked it very much, not too big & not too small, kind of my criteria for choosing a place to hang out, very pleasant, my first place ever in Turkey.

I prefer using public transport but on this occasion did not for the trip to Ephesus. We hired a recommended taxi driver at a very reasonable price. Because of the topography he dropped us at the entrance at the top of the hill & waited for us at the bottom so that the walk through the site was all downhill. It wasn’t really necessary but I thought it was a thoughtful gesture, or maybe what they all do.

patriciatbrogan

Hello Hello MmePerdu, it's so nice to communicate with you again, it's been a long time, was it Mexico that you helped me with, I'm trying to remember.
Thank you for your thoughts, Kusadasi you liked, did you stay in a hotel, can you recommend any? I get the impression it may be convenient to Ephesus. There is also Selkuk.

MmePerdu

It was on a trip wandering around the world a while back. The ferry made a stop in Samos where we’d planned to stay. We got off, looked around, then both had the same thought, let’s just go on to Turkey, bought a ticket & got right back on the ferry. So we had no plans in place, just a quick stop we thought then on to Istanbul. When we got off in Kusadasi wondering where we’d stay we were approached by a middle-aged guy who asked if we’d like to take a look at his guesthouse. Not my usual way of going about things but why not? It turned out to be a lovely place on a hillside so pretty view across town to the water. We stayed several days including the one to Ephesus. All that & I’m sorry to say I have no record of the place to pass on to you. But it’s an easy-going town & yes, convenient for Ephesus. I’m sure you’ll have no trouble finding a place there.

By the way, I found Ephesus the most enjoyable ruin I’ve ever visited. There’s more there than most such places so easier to get a sense of it being a “real” city. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.