Getting To Bodrum
By Plane — Visitors to Bodrum actually fly into Milas, about 32km (20 miles) away and reachable in under a half-hour by way of the coastal road. Turkish Airlines (tel. 0252/536-6597 at the Bodrum airport) has five daily direct flights from Istanbul, as well as one direct flight from Ankara, and connecting flights from other major domestic cities. With airfares on the rise in Turkey, a flight from Istanbul should run you around $150 in high season (slightly less in winter). There are also several charter companies arriving from Germany and England; check with your local travel agent for information on when these are operating.
Turkish Airlines provides transfer service by bus into Bodrum while a taxi from the airport to Bodrum city center costs around $16.
By Bus — Buses provide the cheapest and most comprehensive service into Bodrum, from pretty much everywhere in Turkey. The major bus companies serving Bodrum are Pamukkale (tel. 0252/315-1369), Varan (tel. 0252/316-7849), and Kamil Koç (tel. 0252/313-0468), but remember that rates vary widely from company to company. Aydin Turizm (tel. 0252/316-3250) runs service along the Mediterranean coast to Ortaca, Dalyan, Dalaman, Fethiye, Olüdeniz, and Kas.
By Ferry — Visitors traveling to Bodrum from the Greek island of Kos need only spend 50 minutes and about $23 for a one-way ticket (plus the $100 price of a Turkish visa and a Greek port tax of $14); $31 will get you a same-day excursion and $39 an open return. Ferries depart in either direction daily. (There is no visa required for entry into Greece or for excursions from Turkey with duration under 3 months.) The faster hydrofoils cost slightly more and make the trip in 20 minutes.
