The article contains information on how to go on vacation to Turkey on your own in 2021: how to book a hotel, buy tickets, what to see, prices and reviews.
Exchange rate: 1 Turkish Lira (TRY) ≈ 10 RUB.
Independent holidays in Turkey are still a novelty for many, so in the article we will tell you how to travel to Turkey on your own, how to book a hotel, what to see in the country, give reviews of travelers and prices for food, tickets and hotels, as well as decide when it is better to take tour, and when to go to Turkey on your own.
Are you planning to go on vacation with children? Learn about the nuances of family vacations in Turkey.
How to travel to Turkey on your own in 2021
First of all, you need to find out where, from where and when you can get to Turkey cheaply. It is possible to fly inexpensively to Turkey from Moscow, Mineralnye Vody, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar and Stavropol - tickets usually cost between 7-10 thousand round trip. The cheapest is to fly to Istanbul, there are also affordable tickets for Izmir and Antalya (up to 10 thousand rubles in both directions), but, as a rule, such offers are more rare. To other cities in Turkey (Ankara, Alanya, Dalaman, Nevsehir, Adana, Milas, Edremit) tickets cost from 11-14 thousand rubles from different Russian cities.
For example, tickets for the fall of 2021 to Istanbul from Moscow and Mineralnye Vody cost from 7.5 thousand rubles in both directions (Pegasus flies without transfers), you can also fly from Moscow with UIA with a transfer in Kiev (from 9 thousand rubles). Turkish Airlines flies inexpensively from Stavropol to Istanbul direct (from 8.5 thousand rubles), from Krasnodar - Pegasus (from 9500 rubles).
The cost of tickets to Turkey for the summer is slightly higher: from Moscow to Istanbul - from 8 thousand rubles, from Stavropol - from 8.5 thousand, from St. Petersburg - from 9.5 thousand, from Krasnodar - from 10,800 rubles. In summer, you can fly to Antalya from Stavropol and Moscow from 11 thousand rubles, from St. Petersburg - from 12 600 rubles, from other cities of Russia - from 13.5 thousand and more.
Thus, the earlier you buy tickets, the cheaper they will cost you (the optimal period is 2-3 months before the trip). It is better to keep an eye on airline promotions - sometimes there are good options.
Related article: Istanbul Airport - how to get there.
Where to find cheap tickets? It is most convenient to do this using the search engines Aviasales and Skyscanner. To find the best price, check both and see tickets for different dates. Read also the instructions on how to search for cheap flights correctly.
How to book a hotel in Turkey on your own
Booking a hotel in Turkey on your own is as easy as shelling pears, you can do it on the website Roomguru.ru, which allows you to find the best price among several booking systems. Search results can be sorted by hotel stars, recommendations, reviews and prices. Roomguru.ru has both inexpensive, unpretentious and luxury hotels.
If you prefer to live in private apartments and houses while traveling, then it is better to look for them on the popular rental service from the owners of Airbnb.ru - there you can find very comfortable accommodation at any price!
We also have a detailed note with tips on how to book your own hotel in Turkey.
Independent vacation in Turkey: hotel prices
Now let's figure out how much it costs to independently book hotels in Turkey in 2021. Bed in a hostel in Istanbul in the Galata area - from 37 liras, in Taksim (Colony Hostel) - from 43 liras, a double room in a hostel - from 74 liras. In general, there are many hostels in Istanbul for every taste, you will not be difficult to find them.
Prices for hotels in Turkey are not too high: on Roomguru.ru from 94 liras you can find a double room in an inexpensive hotel in the Avsilar area, from 98 liras per day - a room in a 4-star hotel, from 110 liras - in a 5-star hotel with good reviews in Taksim area. Please note that breakfast is often included in hotel rates in Turkey. We have a selection of inexpensive accommodation in Istanbul - suddenly it will come in handy.
Prices for hotels in the resorts of Turkey are approximately the following: in Kemer, a room or studio in a three-star hotel costs from 89 liras, with breakfast - from 108 liras; in Marmaris a room in a three-star hotel with breakfast or an apartment in a two-star hotel - from 78 TL. Of course, such low prices in Marmaris suggest that the hotel is not on the beachfront. But in Alanya you can rent a room in a two-star hotel near the sea for 51 lira and more.
You can find a room in Istanbul near Taksim Square from $ 18, within $ 30 there are many beautiful and cozy rooms. In Alanya, an apartment can be rented for $ 25-30 per day, rooms cost $ 22-23. An apartment is an excellent accommodation option for an independent trip to Turkey, especially in cases when a company of several people or a family is traveling on vacation - it is more profitable, more convenient and much cheaper. We recommend looking for private accommodation on Airbnb.ru - there are not only standard rooms, apartments and houses, but also non-trivial and sometimes exotic offers.
Food in Turkey - prices in 2021
You can eat in Istanbul in an inexpensive restaurant for about 8-15 liras, a three-course lunch for two in a mid-price restaurant will cost about 60 liras. A cup of cappuccino in a restaurant costs about 6.5 liras, local beer (0.5 l) - about 8 liras. Of course, in the high season, food is a little more expensive in resorts, and prices in restaurants are higher.
Approximate food prices in Turkey in supermarkets and markets:
- milk (1 l) - from 1.65 to 3.2 lire;
- a loaf of bread (500 g) - from 0.6 to 2 lire;
- local cheese (1 kg) - from 15 to 18.5 liras;
- apples (1 kg) - from 2 to 3.5 lire;
- oranges (1 kg) - from 1 to 3.3 lire;
- water (1.5 l) - from 1.25 to 1.6 lire;
- wine - from 15 to 25 liras.
Travelers recommend cooking on their own and buying food in large supermarkets, and fruits and vegetables in the markets. According to tourists' reviews, this way you can save a lot and spend about 20 thousand rubles a month for a family of four (although in Istanbul the figure will be slightly higher).
What to see in Turkey on your own
Looking for the perfect beach resort? Check out our review: "Where is the best vacation in Turkey"!
Turkey, contrary to popular belief, is not limited to beach vacations, all-inclusive hotels and rare expensive excursions. In the country, if you look at it from a different angle, there are a lot of interesting sights - both natural and historical. Only in Istanbul one can settle for a long time to see all the sights of the capital.
What to see in Turkey on your own? We recommend that you fly to Istanbul or Antalya, rent a car and travel along the coast of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. Below we briefly list the top sights of Turkey that you can visit on your own on vacation.
Istanbul
Everything is clear with Istanbul: Hagia Sophia, Suleymaniye, Taksim Square, Galata Bridge and Tower, Topkapi and so on - read more about what to see in Istanbul. Not far from Istanbul, you can visit the Adalari - Princes' Islands. Also, Istanbul is ideal for celebrating the New Year - during the winter holidays, you can see all the sights calmly and slowly, without crowds of tourists.
Alanya
In addition to wonderful beaches, Alanya can offer tourists such attractions as the Kyzyl Kule fortress and tower, the Suleymaniye mosque and the Tersane shipyard. In the vicinity of the city there are also many interesting things: the valley of the Dim-Chay river, the ruins of the ancient cities of Aytap and Sedra, the Alara Khan caravanserai, the Alanya caves, the Kyzkalesi castle, the Leartis-Learti village, the unique mountains of the western Taurus and much more.
Antalya
Antalya, famous, like Alanya, primarily for beach holidays and a developed tourist infrastructure, is extremely rich in all sorts of attractions.In the city and its surroundings, you can independently see the ancient Hidirlik tower, the graceful Hadrian's gate, the ancient Kaleici district, the sunken city of Kekova, the ancient cities of Termessos and Demre Mira, the Lycian tombs, the Kursunlu and Duden waterfalls, the Aspendos amphitheater and the Mira theater, caves and so on.
Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a real miracle, a very special place: in this area of Turkey there are many cave monasteries and underground cities, canyons, as well as amazing landscapes. You should definitely visit this place at least once!
Kemer
What else to see in Turkey on your own while traveling? Not far from Kemer there are extremely picturesque ancient cities of Phaselis, Limira, Olympos and Simena, cozy bays and beautiful canyons (for example, Goynuk), various parks and so on.
Pamukkale
The amazing Pamukkale mountain with geothermal springs and snow-white travertine terraces is perhaps no less famous than Cappadocia, and is also included in the UNESCO list. You can visit Pamukkale on your own without any problems, like other sights of Turkey, but the entrance to the mountain is paid (25 lira), for the opportunity to swim in Cleopatra's pool you will also have to pay (32 lira).
In general, almost every city in Turkey can boast of a heritage of antiquity or a natural landmark - the question of what to see in Turkey as part of an independent trip is too extensive, so we will write a separate article about this.
Which is better: a tour or an independent trip to Turkey
As a rule, they go to Turkey buying a tour, and not on their own - for many, this option is faster, easier and more profitable. Comparing an independent trip to Turkey and a ready-made tour, we can say that the latter often turns out to be more budgetary if you only plan short-term beach vacation in the mode "I do not deny myself anything" - yes, then it is more profitable to take a hot tour and relax without wasting time organizing the trip. Cheap tours to Turkey can be found quite often - for example, a tour for 6-7 days for only 6500 rubles per person. On average, a tour for two for 7 nights in a four-star hotel near the sea costs from 35 thousand rubles. You can find a tour on the services Travelata and Level.Travel - they compare the offers of 120 tour operators and therefore are able to find the best option. You can buy a ticket online, which is very convenient.
In the same case, if you are planning to travel to Turkey for a long time and are going examine country, it is more profitable to organize a trip to Turkey on your own so as not to be tied to a specific city or a hotel booked for the entire vacation. However, if you are easy-going and suddenly find a hot tour for a short time (3-7 nights), you can do this: fly to Turkey as part of the tour, relax, but do not return, but continue the journey on your own (for example, by a rented car or buses) - so you can save a lot on flights, hotel accommodation and meals!
To Turkey on your own: vacation reviews
Recently, a tendency has emerged - more and more people prefer to travel to Turkey without an intermediary tour operator, which, I think, is very correct - this is the only way to get to know the country as efficiently as possible, from no one or anything. We have read many reviews of independent travel to Turkey and summarized them below.
Positive reviews about independent travel in Turkey boil down to the following points:
- Inexpensive tickets, especially if bought in advance. Tickets are almost always available and not only from Moscow.
- Transport links in Turkey are well developed, which allows you to easily move around the country.
- Abundance of attractions, beautiful nature, clean beaches.
- Average standard of living, not too expensive hotels and food.
- Freedom of action: the opportunity to see the sights on your own, without depending on the guides.
- No visa for Russians.
- Responsive people.
- Tasty food.
There are few negative reviews about holidays in Turkey, some travelers write that in hotels they have encountered cases of theft and presentation of an unreasonably high bill. They also noted that not all Turks are friendly and benevolent - there are also those who seek to cash in on tourists, so you do not need to unconditionally trust everyone. Often, employees of the travel industry and traders try to bring travelers to certain shops and establishments - they receive a percentage of each brought tourist.
Numerous helpers are also annoying, so some travelers recommend going to Turkey in winter - it is unlikely that you will be able to swim, but prices are much lower, there are no pesky merchants, the weather conditions are pleasant and there are no numerous tourists. At this time, you can safely explore the natural and cultural attractions of the country, as well as get acquainted with the national cuisine and go shopping.
Find out also about the best resorts in Turkey for families with children: Belek, Alanya, Kemer, Side.
