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Author Topic: self drive or transfer from Airport  (Read 13076 times)

Offline sunlover

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self drive or transfer from Airport
« on: August 01, 2008, 10:34:59 PM »
We are going to Kalkan on 11th August, flight at 12.00 noon, so by the time we arrive and get through airport it will be getting on for about 8.00pm if we are not delayed.  We have hired a car but now after hearing reports about the drive from Dalaman to Kalkan we are wondering if we should have a transfer, there are five of us.  What is the drive like, especially if it is dusk getting on for night.  We have hired a car but will we actually need one, want to do a bit of sight seeing, Patara Beach etc. is it easy getting about.  Our villa is by the Samira Apartments so will probably need a taxi to local beach.  Cant wait to get there, it will be a long day as we have to leave home at 6.00am and think the drive at the other end might be a bit much.

Any help, thanks a lot

Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=2125.0

Offline Em1

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Re: self drive or transfer from Airport
« Reply #1 on: August 01, 2008, 10:43:06 PM »
Hi
The drive from Dalaman is fine. Driving in Turkey is very pleasant after the busy roads in the UK. Members have suggested you drive a little slowly for the last few miles - but then you would naturally do that if the road had just been laid and you could see loose gravel on it?
Give it a go! ;D
Em
Em

Offline itstime

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Re: self drive or transfer from Airport
« Reply #2 on: August 01, 2008, 11:06:14 PM »
If you''re near the Samira you''re right in the centre of town and wouldn''t need a car to get to the local beach. If however you''re near the Samira Deluxe then that is a bit further out.

Offline Lantana

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Re: self drive or transfer from Airport
« Reply #3 on: August 02, 2008, 07:45:28 AM »
Without wishing to be alarmist, your instincts to take a transfer rather than drive are right. Driving at night in Turkey can be very dangerous. We personally know of five people, experienced drivers, killed in night time traffic accidents here.   You will be contending with an unfamiliar road, tiredness, possibly a few drinks on the plane.  You will encounter a road which is unlit. There will be vehicles travelling without lights, those that do use lights almost never dip them when approaching oncoming traffic. The journey is over 100 kilometres, a long way to maintain your concentration.

To give you an example of what you may encounter, in the past ten days here, a very experienced driver was involved in a serious accident when a lorry travelling in the opposite direction, attempted to overtake on a blind bend, causing a head on collision. At the beginning of the week, a local restauranteur was killed when his car went off the road late at night .

To put things in perspective we have driven thousands of miles in Turkey in the last ten years without mishap but we have had dozens of near misses, which have been caused by incidents which you would never experience in the UK and so would be totally unprepared for here - the worst of which was a car doing a U turn on a motorway and heading at speed towards us in our lane.  We survived to tell the tale but we are very, very cautious about driving at night and always have  a transfer if arriving at Dalaman at night.

Lantana

Offline Em1

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Re: self drive or transfer from Airport
« Reply #4 on: August 02, 2008, 08:27:54 AM »
Hi

I am sure any reasonable person would not consider driving while tired...let alone after a few drinks! Most people in the UK may consider one drink before driving, but a few?? I am shocked that anyone would even consider writing someone may drive after a few drinks.

A trip of some 65 miles or so is what many people in the UK drive to and from work each day, often on unlit  and busy roads; it is not a long way. In the UK we have people who drive without any care for anyone else, overtaking in an unreasonable manner, causing accidents. In fact we have a TV programme dedicated to showing us these people roaring around our streets and the potential danger these people cause. However people still get back in their car the next day, as experienced drivers can cope with these issues on most occasions.

Accidents happened everyday on the UK roads, and no one says anything, but when one talks about driving in Turkey people get alarmist! I drive many miles each year, and see mishaps nearly every week, with the amount and stupidity of people on the roads.

Admittedly you sometimes see people driving (or riding) in Turkey on the wrong side of the road, but you do in Italy and France too! If you are a careful driver, driving at a moderate speed, you can easily spot these people and simply go around them.

I have driven along the coast of Turkey many times, which is where the original post stated the car would be used. It is my opinion that driving in Turkey is a synch compared to the UK and much of Europe, and alarmist views are simply just that.

Em

Offline littlelin

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Re: self drive or transfer from Airport
« Reply #5 on: August 02, 2008, 08:38:21 AM »
If you use a car hire company in Kalkan, they will pick you up at the airport, drive you to Kalkan and leave the car with you.
Apartment owner nr. Kalamar.

Offline foreverkalkan

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Re: self drive or transfer from Airport
« Reply #6 on: August 02, 2008, 10:00:56 AM »
After reading that i would be worried about coming to Turkey let alone driving, the road from Dalaman to Kalkan and further round the coast is fine, yes there are crazy drivers but as its been said you get that anywhere but at least you''ll be in control,  I''ve had some very scary transfers,

Offline kevincat99

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Re: self drive or transfer from Airport
« Reply #7 on: August 02, 2008, 11:21:39 AM »
Driving in Turkey is usually easier than in the UK as there is usually so little traffic about - and if you are sensible and assume that ever other driver on the road is going to do something foolish you will be OK.
Fortunately most of the main roads are very good and wide which helps
However there are hazards which you usually don''t get in the UK - sheep on the road - fallen rocks etc but just drive sensibly and you won''t have problems
Driving at night can be a little unsettling - but again just take it easy - but as Em says getting off a plane in the middle of the night after you have been awake most of the day before - had a few drinks on the plane - strange car - fractious children maybe - driving on the opposite side, on unlit roads which you may not be familiar with and Turkish "hazards" all present problems and it is a long journey!!
So if in doubt don''t do it - but Turkey is no different in that respect to lots of places abroad

Offline jstjdsunshine

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Re: self drive or transfer from Airport
« Reply #8 on: August 02, 2008, 11:32:27 AM »
Sunlover
I would strongly recommend get a transfer the road isnt sign posted and lit as you would have in the UK, the first few miles are very confusing and you will think surely this cant be the right road etc etc as there are a few ''B'' road sections of the D400. Driving in the day is far easier. transfer companies in Kalkan such as Adda, Abi and Enes are all reliable.
 

Offline headroom

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Re: self drive or transfer from Airport
« Reply #9 on: August 02, 2008, 02:00:30 PM »
The road to Kalkan is not a white knuckle ride, if you can drive in the cities in the U.K. you can drive here with no problem. There are no towns to go thru,(just a couple of villages) there are only two right turns and on the whole the roads are brilliant, there are reflective markers on the side of the road all along the route which in the dark work well at indicating the route there are also chevron boards at virtually every bend.
 The scariest ride I ever had was when we actually had a a transfer, we have been 12 times during the last 3 years and I have driven every time since that first trip.
  Having your own car is very worthwhile it gives you such freedom, relax and enjoy!
Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

Offline Kalkan regular

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Re: self drive or transfer from Airport
« Reply #10 on: August 02, 2008, 02:02:29 PM »
We drive from the airport everytime and consider the roads very good. My husband doesn''t speed and as others have said he assumes people won''t give way, may be a bit unpredictable and keeps his eye on anyone joining from a side road. To be honest we have seen much worse drivers in England and abroad than in Turkey. We consider the road from the airport is simple and well signed with only I proper turn to the right after Fethyie and doesn''t go through the middle of any busy towns and cities.

My husband doesn''t drink on the plane or in the airport and is an experienced driver. If it is your first time driving abroad it probably isn''t a good idea to pick up a car as it is going dark and so a transfer by a Kalkan firm and then hiring a car may be the safest bet but will be more expensive, someone may do you a deal.

Offline The Reds

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Re: self drive or transfer from Airport
« Reply #11 on: August 02, 2008, 03:08:18 PM »
Hire a car at Dalaman. The drive to Kalkan is fine, even at night. Just be carefull, don`t speed and relax. You will probably only encounter maybe 30 cars on the D400 anyway.

Jav

Offline sunlover

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Re: self drive or transfer from Airport
« Reply #12 on: August 03, 2008, 12:17:06 PM »
Thanks for all your replies, after reading them, we have decided to drive ourselves, although there were some mixed reviews.  My Husband has driven in Spain, USA, Cyprus and covers thousands of miles in the UK each year.  (I personally would not even think about driving in a foreign country, just driving on the other side of the  road would be too much for me) so he is quite experienced.  He would not drink on the plane if he knew he was driving aftrewards, like one of the replies said, some of the drivers transferring you are quite scary.  We will take it easy and hope for the best.  Thanks once again, we will  report back on how we got on.

Offline kalkan4eva

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Re: self drive or transfer from Airport
« Reply #13 on: August 04, 2008, 11:47:30 AM »
Sunlover, if everything goes on time, you will most likely be nearer 7pm than 8pm leaving the airport. In June this year, our flight was 11am and we were slighly delayed but were still through the airport at Dalaman by 6pm. Most of your journey won''t actually be in the dark.. :)
Better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt :)

Offline routemaster

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Re: self drive or transfer from Airport
« Reply #14 on: August 04, 2008, 07:28:33 PM »
Without wishing to be alarmist, your instincts to take a transfer rather than drive are right. Driving at night in Turkey can be very dangerous.

I echo Lantana. Don''t drive at night.

Offline kalkan wife

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Re: self drive or transfer from Airport
« Reply #15 on: August 04, 2008, 08:49:57 PM »
One word of warning, it is highly likely that your hire car will NOT have any fuel in it, this is normal practice here and you will need to fill-up as soon as you can. Be prepared for VERY expensive fuel too, around 3.5 lira or 1.5 pounds a litre (ouch). It costs us abou 80 pounds to fill-up our modest Peugot 307! On the plus side there will be a petrol pump attendant and probably someone to clean your windscreen!

Offline Mercimek

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Re: self drive or transfer from Airport
« Reply #16 on: August 05, 2008, 06:23:17 AM »
I echo Lantana''s advice. The difference between driving here and the UK is here in Turkey you need to be aware of what everyone else is doing! As careful or good a driver you may be you can not compensate for vehicles appearing from no where, overtaking on bends or driving in the wrong direction without lights.
After a long flight, maybe an unplanned delay to add to your stress you would be best to take a transfer/ driver for your hire car.
And Em1, whilst you may not wish to believe it many people believe there are very lax drink driving rules here and it is therefore ok. Beware they do breathalyse.

Offline onelove

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Re: self drive or transfer from Airport
« Reply #17 on: August 05, 2008, 05:09:06 PM »
Hire a car and drive, its no worse than anywhere else in Euroland, just take your time and relax and no harm should come to you, the roads are really quite good and well marked and for most of the journey very wide, so easy for the madder drivers out there to over take you, after all your on holiday, no need to rush, that''s what you are getting away from.....isn''t it ! ! !
Latest weather report...... Large outbreaks of Efes followed by intermitent spells of vodka and tonic ;-))
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Offline Lantana

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Re: self drive or transfer from Airport
« Reply #18 on: August 05, 2008, 05:41:52 PM »
The quote ''it''s no worse than anywhere else in Euroland''  is, I am sorry to say completely incorrect.
 A recent survey (2007) carried out by one of Turkey''s most prestigious universities found that drivers in Turkey are 11 times more likely to be involved in serious road traffic accidents than drivers in any other country in Europe, including the UK.

Based on the number of cars on the road, the same survey found that road deaths in Turkey are 4 times higher than in the UK.

For me, these statistics coupled with what I see every day are more than enough to keep me off the roads at night.

I may well be over cautious but I don''t believe in taking avoidable risks.

Lantana

Offline Chris18648

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Re: self drive or transfer from Airport
« Reply #19 on: August 05, 2008, 05:58:16 PM »
A Friend in Gocek offered to drive us back to Dalaman . He did like a bevy or two. I said,you cant drive when you have had a drop or three. :)
In Turkey,he said with a flourish,we drink,we drive,we don''t think death. :o
It was a few years ago but I have never forgotten it.And yes,it was said in jest,but I still am a nervous passenger whilst in Turkey. :-X


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