I remember passing my driving test way back when and being told by the examiner, “now you can learn how to drive”. Well, that takes on a significance when driving in Turkey. Nevertheless, having read many a travelblog on this very subject, I can compare it to my actual experience.
Where to hire a car
Having decided to spend a few days in Istanbul before heading south, we chose to go car free in Istanbul. This is definitely the best advice. Istanbul is wonderfully supplied with electric trams, buses, funiculars and metered taxis, all at sensible prices. We hired our car through Europcar, although all the other major players are at Istanbul International Airport. The reason for this was that we did not want to return to the airport, an hour away in the wrong direction, to pick up a car. Europcar has an office very close to Taksim square in the heart of the city, easily accessible by public transport.
Necessary paperwork
You will require photo I.D., either a passport or driving licence. If your licence is the old style paper ones, you will also require an International driving licence. We always take out an annual excess insurance policy to reduce the excessive costs charged by car hire companies. We usually use the comparison site money savings expert.
Road network in Turkey
Not quite sure what I was expecting, but the road network in Turkey is extremely modern and efficient. Even in mega cities such as Istanbul there are major road networks providing alternatives. Many motorways connect major cities such Istanbul – Izmir or Istanbul – Ankara. Many of these motorways are also toll roads. The speed limits on these roads are 120kph. There are plenty of fantastic service stations showcasing ‘Turkish delights’ rather than foreign businesses. Long may this last as it adds to the adventure.
Off the motorways, the roads connecting major sites such as Canakkale (Troy), Ephesus or Pamukkale, are dual carriageways. The speed limits vary considerably on these roads. We never quite found out what the actual speed was on these roads, although 90kph is a safe speed. However at junctions, the speed limits are clearly marked – 90, 70, 50 and even 30kph. These roads are frequented by police.
Tolls on motorways
If you are in a hire-car, simply follow the ‘HGS’ signs at the toll gates. The car hire companies are sent the invoice for the toll charges. Payment is through them. Our drive in Turkey cost us roughly £90.
What happens if you get a speeding ticket
Remember those changes in speed I mentioned above? Well having left the motorway at Bursa, we headed to Bandirma. Just outside Bandirma, we were caught by a speed gun. A little further on we were stopped by another police car. “You were travelling at 123kph” we were told, providing no evidence. The policeman checked our passport and drivers licence. Then, he duly handed a fine and told us to go to a PTT – i.e. the post office to pay. The policeman was polite and efficient. So far so good.
When we arrived in Izmir a couple of days later we headed to the Ptt. Although we had a local number plate, we also needed a tax number. We were directed to the tax office. You need photocopies of your passport and driving licence. Off we went in search of somewhere to photocopy our documents. We returned hopefully to Ptt to make the payment. They couldn’t give us a reason, but apparently the computerised system they operated did not like the details.
We were sent to try and make payment at a bank. We did the rounds ING, HSBC and at least 2 other banks. At some banks we did not get past the security guard. Eventually we arrived at Ziraat bank, a Turkish bank. It didn’t look hopeful here either. Fortunately someone more senior got involved. He was definitely more proactive and after using the tax number and the fine reference he managed to input the details into the banking system. It even offered us a 25% discount for prompt payment!!
Driving electric in Turkey
In Istanbul we had passed Jaguar Land Rover and BMW and seen the Jaguar i-pace and BMWi3 respectively on sale. So it appeared that electric cars were making a presence in Turkey. Chargemapis an app that provides the location of the charging stations. We have used it in Europe, but the app also show-cased several charging stations in Turkey, in the major cities and along motorways. Despite this, EV driving in Turkey is in its infancy. We located a single charge station at a BP service station once we had crossed the bridge over the Sea of Marmara.
Nangle angle
Driving in Turkey is probably the best way to travel door to door, but due to distances, two or more drivers is best.
Nangle facts & tips
There is little reason for having a car in Istanbul.
Europecar was one of the few International car companies with offices in the centre of Istanbul. The new International Airport, Istanbul is an hour (or more) north of the town.
The carbon footprint of our flights and road trip were offset at https://treesforlife.org.uk.
