FormerNJGal

I'm putting together a six week trip for myself and my husband for September into early October. We want to spend about 10 days in Istanbul to start. After that we'd like to see several archeological sites (Hattusus, Gobekli Tepe, Ephesus and perhaps others). We also want to go to Cappadocia and spend some time relaxing at a nice a beach resort. We are in our 60s and don't want to spend "one night here, one night there." We do best when we spend at least two or three nights in each place before moving on to the next place. Less stressful that way!

I'm not sure in what order to do the trip. Should we do beach first or inland archeological sites first? In late September/early October, will the water still be warm enough to be pleasant near Bodrum (for example)? Should we do the beach part first and the inland eastern sights second? Or vis-versa?

I've always wanted to see Rhodes and wonder if there's a ferry to there -- and is it complicated since we'd be going from Turkey to Greece and then back to Turkey?

Are there any other worthwhile destinations in Turkey I should check out?

I'm still learning about Turkey. I've never been there before, so I appreciate any insight, especially regarding transportation. We plan on driving, but wonder about trains or flying between long distances.

nk15

Weather wise, it makes sense to do the beach first and the sightseeing later, when the water is warmer and the weather cooler, respectively. September is typically quite warm for swimming in the region.