Turkish airlines link all major cities, including the busy İstanbul-Ankara corridor. Buses go everywhere in Turkey frequently, cheaply and usually comfortably. Trains have a hard time competing with long-distance buses for speed and comfort, but the sleeping-car trains linking İstanbul, Izmir and Ankara are good value. If you’re driving around Turkey, you’ll find mechanical service easy to find and relatively cheap but dealing with psycho drivers may be more of a problem. Driving in cities should be altogether avoided - traffic is terrible and parking impossible.

Private dolmuşes (shared taxis) are a good option for short trips. Car ferries can save you days of driving and offer the opportunity to take a mini-cruise along the Turkish coasts. Ferries operate from İstanbul to Izmir, from İstanbul to Trabzon (June to September only) and there’s a hydrofoil from İstanbul to Yalova, for Bursa.