Turkey is bordered by three seas –Black Sea, Aegean Sea and Mediterranean Sea -, which means water transport has always played an important role in the country’s transport system. If you are in a hurry the quickest way is to fly to Turkey but if you like to travel leisurely, you should definitely consider taking a ferry.
Ferries provide transport both for passenger and vehicles. They represent one of the best ways to get from Istanbul to the Aegean Sea resorts.
International ferries
International ferries link the near-by countries to Turkey:
- Greece: during the summer season there are daily ferries between several Aegean resorts and the Greek islands nearby: Kos, Rhodes, Chios, Samon. During the late season –November to April- there is only one connection to the Greek islands: Bodrum –Kos.
- Italy: during the high season there are two ferries per week from Brindisi to Cesme. During the early season –May to June- and late season, there is only one ferry per week between Ancona and Cesme.
There are also ferries which link Turkey to Cyprus, Syria, Libya, Russia and Ukraine.
The companies running these ferries are: Marmara Lines (ferries to Italy), Mesline MedEuropean Seaways (ferries to Italy, Libya, Ukraine and Russia), Ukr Ferry (ferries to Ukraine) and Bodrum Express (ferries to Greece).
Domestic ferries
Some of the domestic ferry connections include:
- Istanbul – Bodrum: ferries run during the summer season (May to September). Prices are between 95 Turkish Liras to 1100 Turkish Liras per adult, one way, and depend on the cabin type and facilities.
- Bodrum –Datca: ferries run between April and October. The ticket price is 20 Turkish Liras per adult, one way.
- Istanbul – Cesme
- Istanbul-Bandirma
- Canakkale-Eceabat
- Istanbul-Yalova
Two of the companies operating domestic ferry connections are Istanbul Fast Ferries (Bosporus connections) and Bodrum Express (Bodrum to Marmaris)
Search for ferries here: