![\"turkey-roadtrip\"](\"https:\/\/goramki.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/turkey-roadtrip.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHighlights of the Trip<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n- Road Trip Adventures:<\/strong> Starting from Istanbul Airport, we rented a Renault Clio from Avec Cars and embarked on a scenic journey through Turkey’s diverse landscapes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Hot Air Balloon Ride in Cappadocia:<\/strong> An unforgettable experience soaring above the breathtaking Soganli Valley.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Turkish Cuisine:<\/strong> Menemen (scrambled eggs with tomatoes) became our comfort food, complemented by Lamachun (thin Turkish pizza), Pide, Doner kebabs, Gozleme (savory Turkish flatbread) a.k.a Aloo Paratha \ud83e\udd2a, Kumpir (stuffed baked potato with toppings) and Baklava’s!<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Historical Immersion:<\/strong> Exploring museums, palaces from Roman and Ottoman eras and gaining insights into Turkey’s fascinating past.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Itinerary at a Glance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n- April 4:<\/strong> Arrival in Istanbul \u2013 Pick up rental car, rest at a hotel near the airport.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 5-8:<\/strong> Cappadocia \u2013 Hot air balloon ride and exploring unique landscapes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 8-11:<\/strong> Antalya \u2013 Coastal charm and Mediterranean vibes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 11-12:<\/strong> Pamukkale \u2013 Visiting thermal pools and ancient ruins.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 12-14:<\/strong> Kusadasi \u2013 Gateway to historical sites like Ephesus.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 14-18:<\/strong> Back to Istanbul \u2013 Wrapping up with the city’s bustling energy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Budget Breakdown<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Our trip across Turkey was an incredible experience, but we did encounter a few budget surprises. While we had planned most expenses, we ended up overspending in a few areas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Airfare:<\/strong> INR 1,57,000 – Roundtrip airfare (Economy Saver) for 3 adults on Emirates (BLR – IST – BLR). Booked around 3-4 months in advance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Activities, Museum & Attraction Entry Fees:<\/strong> ~ INR 1,23,000 \u2013 The second-highest cost, encompassing the hot air balloon flight, entrances to ancient ruins, museums\/palaces, boat tours, and entry to Land of Legends for the three of us. While we initially expected the hot air balloon experience to be the most expensive, the combined cost of other activities added up quickly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Food:<\/strong> Approx. 44000 Turkish Liras (~ INR 98,000) \u2013 Full service restaurants were quite expensive, and since fast food options lacked vegetarian choices, we found ourselves dining at sit-down places more often. We averaged around INR 3000 per meal for the 3 of us twice a day in addition to snacks, beer, juices, water and ice cream throughout the trip.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Car Rental:<\/strong> 12280 Turkish Liras (~ INR 27,000) base rate for 10 days (Renault Clio Automatic Petrol) rented from Avec Cars. \n
\n- Additional Insurance<\/strong>: 3000 Turkish Liras (~ INR 6,500). While the base rate included CDW, I took the additional Gold Assurance pack which covered damages to either Tires, Glass or Headlights and Bodywork damages up to 9000 Turkish Liras. We never needed to use this since our road trip went without any hiccups, there were no unforeseen events.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Fuel Costs:<\/strong> 7900 Turkish Liras. (~ INR 17,500). We were over charged 1600 Turkish Liras by Avec as a penalty since we returned the car with only half a tank of fuel. Had we topped up the tank before the return, it could have saved us 800 Turkish Liras. It was a novice mistake.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Tolls:<\/strong> 3912 Turkish Liras (~ INR 8,500) \u2013 We didn\u2019t do enough research on highway tolls, which turned out to be way higher than expected. The rental car had an HGS RFID sticker on it which meant we did not have to pay tolls in cash or credit as we passed them but Avec automatically billed us for it 2-3 days after our return with an extra 7% service charge.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Hotels:<\/strong> 23700 Turkish Liras (~ INR 53,000) \u2013 Throughout the trip, we stayed in 2-3 star accommodations, except in Istanbul, where we opted for a 4-star property, making good use of my Accor points.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Visa<\/strong>: INR 13,000 – We were eligible to apply for Turkish e-visa’s since all the 3 of us have active US Visas (B1\/B2). We paid 50 USD each, the e-visas were issued immediately after payment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Reflections<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Turkey welcomed us with open arms, offering unforgettable sights, delectable dishes, and warm hospitality. Each stop had its unique charm, making this trip a kaleidoscope of moments we’ll treasure forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Itinerary at a Glance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n- April 4:<\/strong> Arrival in Istanbul \u2013 Pick up rental car, rest at a hotel near the airport.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 5-8:<\/strong> Cappadocia \u2013 Hot air balloon ride and exploring unique landscapes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 8-11:<\/strong> Antalya \u2013 Coastal charm and Mediterranean vibes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 11-12:<\/strong> Pamukkale \u2013 Visiting thermal pools and ancient ruins.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 12-14:<\/strong> Kusadasi \u2013 Gateway to historical sites like Ephesus.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 14-18:<\/strong> Back to Istanbul \u2013 Wrapping up with the city’s bustling energy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Budget Breakdown<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Our trip across Turkey was an incredible experience, but we did encounter a few budget surprises. While we had planned most expenses, we ended up overspending in a few areas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Airfare:<\/strong> INR 1,57,000 – Roundtrip airfare (Economy Saver) for 3 adults on Emirates (BLR – IST – BLR). Booked around 3-4 months in advance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Activities, Museum & Attraction Entry Fees:<\/strong> ~ INR 1,23,000 \u2013 The second-highest cost, encompassing the hot air balloon flight, entrances to ancient ruins, museums\/palaces, boat tours, and entry to Land of Legends for the three of us. While we initially expected the hot air balloon experience to be the most expensive, the combined cost of other activities added up quickly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Food:<\/strong> Approx. 44000 Turkish Liras (~ INR 98,000) \u2013 Full service restaurants were quite expensive, and since fast food options lacked vegetarian choices, we found ourselves dining at sit-down places more often. We averaged around INR 3000 per meal for the 3 of us twice a day in addition to snacks, beer, juices, water and ice cream throughout the trip.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Car Rental:<\/strong> 12280 Turkish Liras (~ INR 27,000) base rate for 10 days (Renault Clio Automatic Petrol) rented from Avec Cars. \n
\n- Additional Insurance<\/strong>: 3000 Turkish Liras (~ INR 6,500). While the base rate included CDW, I took the additional Gold Assurance pack which covered damages to either Tires, Glass or Headlights and Bodywork damages up to 9000 Turkish Liras. We never needed to use this since our road trip went without any hiccups, there were no unforeseen events.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Fuel Costs:<\/strong> 7900 Turkish Liras. (~ INR 17,500). We were over charged 1600 Turkish Liras by Avec as a penalty since we returned the car with only half a tank of fuel. Had we topped up the tank before the return, it could have saved us 800 Turkish Liras. It was a novice mistake.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Tolls:<\/strong> 3912 Turkish Liras (~ INR 8,500) \u2013 We didn\u2019t do enough research on highway tolls, which turned out to be way higher than expected. The rental car had an HGS RFID sticker on it which meant we did not have to pay tolls in cash or credit as we passed them but Avec automatically billed us for it 2-3 days after our return with an extra 7% service charge.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Hotels:<\/strong> 23700 Turkish Liras (~ INR 53,000) \u2013 Throughout the trip, we stayed in 2-3 star accommodations, except in Istanbul, where we opted for a 4-star property, making good use of my Accor points.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Visa<\/strong>: INR 13,000 – We were eligible to apply for Turkish e-visa’s since all the 3 of us have active US Visas (B1\/B2). We paid 50 USD each, the e-visas were issued immediately after payment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Reflections<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Turkey welcomed us with open arms, offering unforgettable sights, delectable dishes, and warm hospitality. Each stop had its unique charm, making this trip a kaleidoscope of moments we’ll treasure forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Budget Breakdown<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Our trip across Turkey was an incredible experience, but we did encounter a few budget surprises. While we had planned most expenses, we ended up overspending in a few areas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Airfare:<\/strong> INR 1,57,000 – Roundtrip airfare (Economy Saver) for 3 adults on Emirates (BLR – IST – BLR). Booked around 3-4 months in advance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Activities, Museum & Attraction Entry Fees:<\/strong> ~ INR 1,23,000 \u2013 The second-highest cost, encompassing the hot air balloon flight, entrances to ancient ruins, museums\/palaces, boat tours, and entry to Land of Legends for the three of us. While we initially expected the hot air balloon experience to be the most expensive, the combined cost of other activities added up quickly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Food:<\/strong> Approx. 44000 Turkish Liras (~ INR 98,000) \u2013 Full service restaurants were quite expensive, and since fast food options lacked vegetarian choices, we found ourselves dining at sit-down places more often. We averaged around INR 3000 per meal for the 3 of us twice a day in addition to snacks, beer, juices, water and ice cream throughout the trip.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Car Rental:<\/strong> 12280 Turkish Liras (~ INR 27,000) base rate for 10 days (Renault Clio Automatic Petrol) rented from Avec Cars. \n
- \n
- Additional Insurance<\/strong>: 3000 Turkish Liras (~ INR 6,500). While the base rate included CDW, I took the additional Gold Assurance pack which covered damages to either Tires, Glass or Headlights and Bodywork damages up to 9000 Turkish Liras. We never needed to use this since our road trip went without any hiccups, there were no unforeseen events.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Fuel Costs:<\/strong> 7900 Turkish Liras. (~ INR 17,500). We were over charged 1600 Turkish Liras by Avec as a penalty since we returned the car with only half a tank of fuel. Had we topped up the tank before the return, it could have saved us 800 Turkish Liras. It was a novice mistake.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Tolls:<\/strong> 3912 Turkish Liras (~ INR 8,500) \u2013 We didn\u2019t do enough research on highway tolls, which turned out to be way higher than expected. The rental car had an HGS RFID sticker on it which meant we did not have to pay tolls in cash or credit as we passed them but Avec automatically billed us for it 2-3 days after our return with an extra 7% service charge.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Hotels:<\/strong> 23700 Turkish Liras (~ INR 53,000) \u2013 Throughout the trip, we stayed in 2-3 star accommodations, except in Istanbul, where we opted for a 4-star property, making good use of my Accor points.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Visa<\/strong>: INR 13,000 – We were eligible to apply for Turkish e-visa’s since all the 3 of us have active US Visas (B1\/B2). We paid 50 USD each, the e-visas were issued immediately after payment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Reflections<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Turkey welcomed us with open arms, offering unforgettable sights, delectable dishes, and warm hospitality. Each stop had its unique charm, making this trip a kaleidoscope of moments we’ll treasure forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Fuel Costs:<\/strong> 7900 Turkish Liras. (~ INR 17,500). We were over charged 1600 Turkish Liras by Avec as a penalty since we returned the car with only half a tank of fuel. Had we topped up the tank before the return, it could have saved us 800 Turkish Liras. It was a novice mistake.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Activities, Museum & Attraction Entry Fees:<\/strong> ~ INR 1,23,000 \u2013 The second-highest cost, encompassing the hot air balloon flight, entrances to ancient ruins, museums\/palaces, boat tours, and entry to Land of Legends for the three of us. While we initially expected the hot air balloon experience to be the most expensive, the combined cost of other activities added up quickly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n