Two weeks from Istanbul to Cappadocia: see Istanbul on foot, then pick up the car for the Dardanelles, Troy, Pergamon, Ephesus, Pamukkale, the Lycian coast from Fethiye to Antalya, and cross the Taurus to Konya and Göreme. Motorways with electronic tolls in the north, toll-free national roads in the south, and a one-way route that avoids doubling back.
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
April to June and September-October, when the heat stays bearable on the coast as well as in Anatolia. Summer brings intense heat and forest fires; in winter, snow can hit the Taurus and Cappadocia, and winter tyres are required from 1 December.
🚗 319 km · 4h30 of driving from Istanbul
O-3 to Kınalı, D110 via Tekirdağ, the O-6 motorway towards Gelibolu, then the ferry from Eceabat or Kilitbahir to Çanakkale.
🚗 197 km · 3h25 of driving from Çanakkale
D550 south via Troy, then a detour via Assos (Behramkale) and the coast of the Gulf of Edremit.
🚗 242 km · 2h50 of driving from Ayvalık
D550 to Bergama, then the O-33 and O-31 motorways via Izmir, with HGS tolls.
🚗 255 km · 2h55 of driving from Selçuk
O-31 via Aydın, then the Aydın-Denizli motorway, with HGS tolls. One-hour detour to Aphrodisias from the Kuyucak exit.
🚗 228 km · 3h20 of driving from Pamukkale
D585 via Acıpayam, then the D350 and D400: a plateau road, then a long descent to the coast.
🚗 120 km · 2h30 of driving from Fethiye
The coastal D400 via Kalkan, winding above the sea, with detours to Saklıkent and Patara.
🚗 183 km · 2h30 of driving from Kaş
D400 via Demre, Finike and Kemer: a long coast road that passes through many towns.
🚗 267 km · 3h35 of driving from Antalya
D400 to Serik, then the D687 across the Taurus via Derebucak; snow possible in winter.
🚗 235 km · 2h55 of driving from Konya
The dead-straight D300 across the Anatolian plateau, via Sultanhanı, Aksaray and Nevşehir.
In 8 days, pick up the car at Izmir airport and drop it off in Antalya: Selçuk (2 nights), Pamukkale, Fethiye (2 nights), Kaş and Antalya. Istanbul, the Dardanelles, Konya and Cappadocia are left for another trip.
| Small car, yearly average (Istanbul airport) | ≈ $30 a day |
|---|---|
| January, cheapest month | ≈ $24 a day |
| August, most expensive month (all categories) | ≈ $50 a day |
| SUV, yearly average | ≈ $77 a day |
| Kayseri airport, average | ≈ $28 a day |
| Vehicle | A city car is enough: the whole route is paved. The hire car already carries its HGS tag. |
|---|---|
| Where to pick it up | When you leave Istanbul, in the city or at the airport; dropped off in Kayseri. One way: check the surcharge on the quote. |
| Insurance | Compulsory third-party liability included; comprehensive cover optional. Check the car's mechanical condition before setting off. |
| Mileage | Often capped: 500 km a day at Garenta, extra kilometres charged. |
| Age and card | At least 21, young driver surcharge under 25; card in the driver's name for the deposit. |
⚠️ HGS tolls and speed camera fines arrive after you return the car: the rental company charges them later to the card left for the deposit.
Valid for six months for a tourist; Latin alphabet accepted, International Driving Permit sometimes requested by rental companies. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required.
As in mainland Europe; road signs follow international conventions.
50 in towns, 110 on dual carriageways, 130 or 140 on motorways depending on the operator.
Limit for private cars; licence confiscated on the spot, for up to six months.
Electronic tag compulsory on motorways and bridges; no payment at booths.
Law of February 2026; radar detectors banned (TL 185,000). TEDES cameras in towns.
ID compulsory; frequent police checkpoints on main roads: slow down.
On secondary roads, some vehicles drive with no lights at all.
Wait for the police (155) or the gendarmerie (156) to draw up the report, and keep a copy.
Check them in the hire car; winter tyres required from 1 December.
≈ €1.44 a litre for 95 unleaded (TL 80.38 on 21 September 2026)
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Check it before you go.
⛽ 2,046 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €210 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
Diesel costs more: TL 96.32, or ≈ €1.73. Converted at the ECB rate of 23 September 2026 (€1 = TL 55.73).
| Payment | By HGS only: tag supplied with the car, tolls recharged by the rental company |
|---|---|
| Passing with no credit | 15 days to pay without a penalty, then a fine of four times the toll |
| Istanbul to Kınalı (O-3) | TL 73 (2026 rate) |
| Malkara to Gelibolu (O-6) | TL 315 |
| Eceabat-Çanakkale ferry | TL 725 per car, passengers included (up to 7) |
| 1915 Çanakkale Bridge, if you skip the ferry | TL 1,480 from Malkara, TL 1,170 from Gelibolu South |
| North Aegean motorway to Menemen | TL 205 to 240 depending on the entry point |
| Izmir-Aydın, as far as Belevi (Selçuk) | TL 53 |
| Belevi to Aydın, then Aydın-Denizli to Pamukkale | TL 53, then TL 525 (TL 545 with the Kuyucak exit) |
| Lycian coast, Konya and Cappadocia | National roads, toll-free |
| Ministry sites (Ephesus, Hierapolis, Göreme) | Open from 08:00 to 18:45 |
| Dardanelles ferry | Sailings sometimes cancelled: the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge takes over |
|---|---|
| Crossing the Taurus (Antalya-Beyşehir) | Snow possible in winter; winter tyres required from 1 December |
| Cappadocia and Konya plateau | Cold winters: the same tyres required from 1 December |
Our itinerary has 15 nights, including 3 in Istanbul without a car, then about 2,000 km to Cappadocia. In 8 days, stick to the Aegean and Lycian coast, from Izmir to Antalya. To add Istanbul and Cappadocia, allow at least two weeks.
12-day car hire: about $290 to $600 depending on the season (Kayak averages of $24 to $50 a day), plus any one-way surcharge. Petrol: about 130 litres at TL 80.38 for 2,000 km, nearly TL 10,500 (€190) at September 2026 prices. Tolls and ferry: about TL 2,000 (€36).
Yes: a European Union licence lets you drive in Turkey for six months. Rental companies accept licences in the Latin alphabet together with your passport, but some ask for an International Driving Permit as a translation: best to carry one. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required.
Only through the HGS electronic system, with no cash booths. Hire cars have their tag: the rental company charges the tolls after you return the car. Without a tag or without credit, you have 15 days to pay online on the motorway authority's website (KGM); after that, the fine is four times the toll.
Roads between the big cities are in very good condition, but accidents are frequent, especially at night. Speed cameras are everywhere and fines have risen sharply with the law of February 2026. If there is an accident, do not move the car and wait for the police; a fatal accident leads to the immediate detention of the drivers.
Yes, at Kayseri airport, about an hour from Göreme, where rental companies show prices of around $28 a day on average. A one-way hire from Istanbul often costs extra: ask for it on the quote. You then fly back to Istanbul.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/turkey · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
