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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

Turkey. Where to stay?

11 replies

lottie63 · 09/03/2013 08:07

Has anyone any recommendations? this is what we d like:

needs to be pretty
Wont be hiring a car so shops/beach need to be accessible on foot

Likewise we d need transfer from airport

Ideally 3 bedrooms

Is a package the best thing?

We ve 2 kids, aged 8 and 11

OP posts:

whendoigetaliein · 09/03/2013 11:22

Hello

Been to Hisaronu - wasnt too impressed - no character - although Olu Deniz was beautiful. We also went into Fethiye - which was busy

Then we discovered Turgutreis - biggish town - lots of Turkish people holiday there. Fly to bodrum and then maybe 45mins (private transfer). It is fab as has shops, places to eat, beach etc. Also can get Dolmus to Bodrum (wouldnt stay there but worth visiting) - gumusluk (beautiful) and many more places.

We have stayed at Mandalinci (but it is now all inclusive so wouldnt go again). We stayed in private apartment couple of times but no pool so wasnt the same as having a pool you could dip in and out of.

Finally - we found Palmiye apartments - they are fantastic. You can book direct or I think maybe through Monarch/cosmos? lovely people run them and there is a pool and you can just walk through to the main town/beach within few minutes. They get a lot of repeat visitors - which is how we discovered them as we were in a restaurant talking to some people who stay there every year. The apartments are set back down a small lane so quiet all the time. We are currently looking for flights for end of may (school hols) as would like a weeek then -we are going USA in summer so cant get there in main hols.

Happy hunting - but i would certainly look at turgutreis

bakerbump · 09/03/2013 14:20

Another vote for Turgutreis, there's plenty to do (we loved the outdoor cinema) but without being too big and touristy.
We stayed AI (La Blanche) so can't advise on appartments

whendoigetaliein · 09/03/2013 22:12

Glad not just met that loves Turgutreis.

Outdoor cinema - how come I dont know about that - where is it?

We often walk up to La Blanche, looks great but we like to self-cater so not for us.

SooticaTheWitchesCat · 12/03/2013 12:02

The Bodrum Peninsula is beautiful, Turgutreis, Yalikavak, Bitez, Gumusluk, Ortakent and many more resorts are all within an hour of Bodrum airport and it is very easy to travel by bus so you wont need to hire a car

We have been going there for years now (we even lived out there for a few years) and we don't normally book a package as it can work out a lot cheaper to book flights and accomodation seperately.

bakerbump · 19/03/2013 17:43

Well it was about 3 years ago, but the outdoor cinema is close to where all the boat trips run from. Everyone chills out on bean bags and there's a stand that sells fresh popcorn. Mostly new releases but worth checking its in English first!

waitandsee · 05/04/2013 09:02

This thread is exactly what I am looking for, trying to plan a holiday to Turkey for a group of five couples, each with a a baby/toddler and the Palmiye apartments look like they could fit the bill. Has anyone stayed at them and if so, do you know if babysitting or a creche might be arrangeable locally?

waitandsee · 05/04/2013 09:51

willyoulistentome · 05/04/2013 10:25

We have been to Turkey twice and loved it both times. We chickened out of hiring a car first time, but went for it second time. The roads were fine and map reading was easy as there were actually not that many roads where we were. Sarigerme. We drove out on loads of trips. So glad we hsd the car as it wad BOILING and we were self catering so carrying home shopping was hard going for DH. I would not hesitate to hire a car again. Hope you have a great time

SooticaTheWitchesCat · 05/04/2013 11:29

Where is Palmiye apartments waitandsee? Are they in Turgutreis?

I personally wouldn't recommend getting anyone to babysit for you. You would be leaving your child with a stranger and they may not be qualified to do the job. We always take our children out with us in the evening, we never stay out really late and don't go to noisy bars or anything so they are fine. When they are babies they will just sleep in the push chair if they are tired.

waitandsee · 05/04/2013 12:01

Thanks sootica - they are in Turgutreis, another poster mentioned them further up and after a quick google they looked really good. I'm a bit of a dilemma, because want the ease (and price) of self catering, but it would be fab to have use of a creche as can see that any relaxation would be out the window whilst permanently keeping an eye on a toddling DD near a pool... hmm, perhaps we just can't afford the break we want!

whendoigetaliein · 06/04/2013 12:57

hello Wait and See

I posted about Palmiye -they are great but no creche or babysitting service - and not aware of anything locally. Also - would you really want to just arrange some random babysitting locally? - dont mean that to sound abrupt but with so many of you i cant see that working anyway. - especially with little one.

I think if creche/babysit faciliites are essential you would be better looking at All Inclusives as they might offer that on a formal basis. In Turgutreis there is La Blanche and Aegean Dream (?) - maybe consider that - you might find easier to book that number of rooms as well at a bigger All Inclusive as palmiye cant have more than 25 apartments (if that).

although palmiye is lovely - people who run it are so nice and will fuss over the children. there is a deep pool and a toddler pool which is lovely to sit in. If there a lot of you it might be worth booking asap - also book direct with the apartments and get your own flights sorted - you will save a lot doing it that way. we are currently looking at flights for end of may and if we book direct i think we will save about £600.

Night times are lovely in Turgutreis - with lots of families out - pushing babies in prams - there are cafes open and an outdoor craft market at night down by the marina. Very family friendly. There is one street with noisier bars - but not really that noisy and I dont think you would be going there with such little ones. Restaurants and cafes are open very late and in my experience over the years when mine were really little and on hot holidays we would just take them with us and they would often sleep in buggy after a nice walk and we would then eat late if we wanted to - with them next to us.

Hope that helps and hope you get sorted - sounds like hard work having to get holiday sorted for so many of you. you willl need a holiday by time you have done all the research good luck

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