Eviano

Turkey · Van trip · 14 days

West Coast Camper Van Tour

Two weeks in a camper between the Dardanelles and the Lycian Coast: Troy and Assos, olive groves, windy bays, beaches where you sleep by the water, and harbour towns where in the evening you simply park the van.

The route, day by day

  1. Day 1 to 3

    Çanakkale: Troy, Gallipoli and the First Night by the Sea

    You collect the camper in Istanbul, stock up at the first supermarket and drive via the O-7 motorway and the Çanakkale 1915 Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the world, to the Dardanelles, 320 kilometres, four hours. The first night you park at a caravan site near Güzelyalı south of town or right on the Kordon in Çanakkale, where the whole town strolls in the evening. On the second day Troy, 30 kilometres, with the new museum that finally makes the excavation understandable; honestly, without the museum or a guide Troy is an hour of wall remains. The third day belongs to the Gallipoli peninsula: take the ferry from Çanakkale to Eceabat, then drive the van to the battlefields, cemeteries and beaches of 1915; you need the whole day. Alternatively take the ferry to Bozcaada, an island with wineries and beaches, though campers are better left on the mainland. On to Izmir: 330 kilometres on the D550 with a stop in Assos, the Temple of Athena above the Aegean with a view of Lesbos, and Ayvalık, five hours of driving in total, a full day with breaks.

    Tours at this stop: Troy with a guide ↗Gallipoli battlefields ↗

    Open the Çanakkale travel guide →

  2. Day 4 to 5

    Izmir: The City from the Pitch and Restocking Supplies

    With the camper you do not drive into the centre of Izmir but park it on the edge: there are caravan parks in İnciraltı in the west of the city right on the water, and from there you take the bus or tram to Konak and Alsancak. The first day belongs to the city: the Kemeraltı Bazaar with its courtyards, boyoz and çay for breakfast, the clock tower, in the afternoon the Asansör lift with its view over the bay, and in the evening the Kordon with midye dolma eaten by hand. On the second day you restock supplies, refill the water and, if you have not done so yet, drive to the village of Şirince or to Ephesus, 80 kilometres south, as a day trip, with camper parking at the lower gate. If you only pick up the van in Izmir, you start the route here and do Çanakkale as a loop at the end or leave it out. Two nights; a camper holiday needs no more city than that. Pitch around CHF 20 (about EUR 21) per night with electricity. On to Çeşme: 85 kilometres on the O-32 motorway, one hour, toll via the HGS sticker.

    Tours at this stop: Ephesus day trip from Izmir ↗Kemeraltı street food tour ↗

    Open the Izmir travel guide →

  3. Day 6 to 7

    Çeşme: Surf Bay, Altınkum and Nights on the Beach

    The Çeşme peninsula is camper country: between Alaçatı and the south coast there are several caravan parks and tolerated pitches on the beaches of Altınkum and Pırlanta, where the water is turquoise and the meltem blows every afternoon. You are best off on the south shore, more sheltered than the surf bay. On the first day Alaçatı in the morning while the stone lanes are empty, then the surf beach, where you take a taster lesson or watch the kitesurfers, lunch away from the main street with its Istanbul prices. The second day belongs to the coves: Altınkum, Pırlanta, Ayayorgi, shuttling between them in the van, swimming, reading a book. In the evening Ilıca with its warm springs in the sea or the castle in Çeşme town, and kumru, the bread roll with sucuk and cheese that you only get here. Wild camping on the peninsula is restricted in high season but no problem in May and October. Pitch around CHF 20 to 25 (about EUR 21 to 27) per night. On to Bodrum: 300 kilometres back along the O-32, the O-31 via Aydın and the D525 via Milas, a good four hours.

    Tours at this stop: Windsurfing lesson in Alaçatı ↗Çeşme coves boat trip ↗

    Open the Çeşme travel guide →

  4. Day 8 to 9

    Bodrum: Peninsula Coves instead of Town

    Bodrum town is a chore with a camper, narrow lanes, no parking, so you leave the van outside and visit the town for one afternoon: the Crusader castle with the underwater museum and the oldest shipwreck in the world, the white lanes, the harbour. You sleep on the peninsula: there are caravan sites in Bitez and Akyarlar in the south and near Gümüşlük in the west, where you park among olive trees five minutes from the water. The second day is peninsula day: Gümüşlük in the morning with the island you wade across to, fish right by the water at lunchtime, Türkbükü or Yalıkavak on the north coast in the afternoon, back to the van in the evening. If you have a day to spare, take the ferry to Kos, leaving the camper at the harbour and taking your passport. Bodrum is expensive and crowded in July and August, in May and October the quietest corner of the route. Pitch around CHF 20 to 30 (about EUR 21 to 32) per night. On to Fethiye: 230 kilometres via Milas, Muğla and the D400, three and a half hours, longer with a swimming stop in Akyaka on the Gulf of Gökova.

    Tours at this stop: Castle and underwater museum ↗Bodrum coves boat trip ↗

    Open the Bodrum travel guide →

  5. Day 10 to 12

    Fethiye: Ölüdeniz, Kabak and the Gorge

    The bay of Fethiye is the route's camper highlight: the big caravan park in Çalış north of town sits right on the pebble beach with sunsets over the islands, and for three days you fan out from here. Day one: Ölüdeniz, early before the buses from Hisarönü arrive, or straight on to the Kabak valley, the wilder bay at the end of the road, hike down, swim, evening in the van at the car park above with a sea view. Day two: the Saklıkent Gorge, 50 kilometres, rent rubber shoes, and the Lycian city of Tlos on the slope, then back to Fethiye for fish from the market, cooked for you in one of the restaurants around it. Day three: paragliding from Babadağ for CHF 70 to 100 (about EUR 75 to 107), or the abandoned village of Kayaköy and Gemiler beach with the Byzantine ruins on the island offshore. Refill water, empty the toilet; the park in Çalış has everything. Pitch around CHF 20 per night. On to Kaş: 110 kilometres on the D400 with Patara, 18 kilometres of sand, camper parking behind the dunes, two and a half hours of pure driving.

    Tours at this stop: Paragliding from Babadağ ↗Saklıkent Gorge and Tlos ↗12 Islands boat trip ↗

    Open the Fethiye travel guide →

  6. Day 13 to 14

    Kaş: Kekova from the Water and the Long Drive Back

    Kaş is the most beautiful end point the coast has: a small harbour, no package-tour buses, dive schools, bars with a view of the Greek island of Meis. Campers park at the caravan site on the Çukurbağ peninsula or on the beaches towards Kalkan; Büyükçakıl is close to town. The first day is boat day: the tour to the sunken city of Kekova with swimming above the ruins, or you rent a kayak in Üçağız and paddle over the walls yourself. In the evening harbour, mezze, a last rakı. On the second day Kaputaş beach in the morning before the steps fill up, then the castle of Simena on foot, fish in Üçağız at lunchtime, packing and emptying tanks in the afternoon. Pitch around CHF 20 (about EUR 21) per night. Return journey: if you collected the van in Izmir, you drive 450 kilometres back via Fethiye, Muğla and Aydın, six to seven hours, a full day. To Istanbul it is 900 kilometres and two driving days, which is why a one-way rental from Istanbul to Izmir or Antalya pays off if your rental company offers it, usually for a surcharge of CHF 150 to 250.

    Tours at this stop: Kekova boat trip from Kaş ↗Kayak tour over the sunken city ↗Discover scuba diving in Kaş ↗

    Open the Kaş travel guide →

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What the route costs

Rough total per person for the whole route, mid-range, travelling as a pair. Flights and hotels vary by season; details are on the destination pages.

  • Getting there 342 EUR
  • Accommodation 300 EUR
  • Food 449 EUR
  • Local mobility 963 EUR
2,054 EUR
Total per person · 14 days

Money & payment: You pay in Turkish lira (TRY). The exchange rate moves a lot, which is why all prices here are given in francs and euros. Cards are accepted almost everywhere; you need cash for the dolmuş, markets and tips.

Rental car for this route

A rental comparison link will follow once the partner programme is live. Until then, compare directly with the rental companies or at your arrival airport.

Tips for the route

Renting a camper: in Istanbul and Izmir there are a handful of rental firms with panel vans and overcab models, often also via the big platforms. Reckon with CHF 90 to 140 (about EUR 96 to 150) per day including mileage, a deposit of 500 to 1,000 francs, minimum age 25 to 27; a Swiss category B licence covers up to 3.5 tonnes. Book three months ahead; in low season there are discounts of a third.

Pitches: caravan parks are called Karavan Parkı or Kamp in Turkish, cost 15 to 30 francs with electricity and showers, and the apps Park4Night and iOverlander list most of them. Wild camping is tolerated on beaches outside the villages, not in national parks and not overnight on petrol station forecourts, although many petrol stations offer water, a toilet and a çay. In July and August the municipalities push people onto the official sites at popular beaches.

Tolls and bridges: the motorways and the Çanakkale Bridge are charged via the HGS sticker fixed to the vehicle and billed on by the rental company; the bridge alone costs around CHF 25 (about EUR 27) for a camper. Diesel costs about the same as in Switzerland, there are petrol stations every 20 kilometres, and cards work everywhere. Reckon with ten litres per hundred kilometres for a panel van, around 1,500 kilometres on this route.

Driving style: Turkish drivers are faster and closer than you, and lorries on the D550 and D400 overtake campers too. Keep right, let them pass, give a short honk before blind bends. Do not drive at night. The coastal road between Fethiye and Kaş and the descents to Kabak and Kaputaş are steep and narrow; with an overcab camper over six metres Kabak is not a good idea, so park at the top.

May, June, September and October are the months: 15 to 20 degrees at night, 25 to 30 during the day, the sea bath-warm from June, the beaches empty, the pitches free. In July and August the van is an oven at 35 degrees in the sun and barely bearable at night without air conditioning. In winter some of the parks are closed, but wild camping on the Lycian Coast is glorious then.

Bring: a head torch, mosquito repellent, a snorkel, a line for drying laundry and an adapter for Turkish sockets, which are type F like in Switzerland, so Swiss three-pin plugs need the adapter. Supermarkets of the Migros and CarrefourSA chains are in every town, and village markets once a week have the best vegetables. Do not drink the tap water; large bottles of water cost one franc.

Frequently asked questions about West Coast Camper Van Tour

How long do you need for the west coast by camper?

Fourteen days for six stops with two to three nights each and legs of three to five hours. In ten days you leave out Çanakkale and start in Izmir. With three weeks you drive more slowly, add Datça and Dalyan and take the van back to Izmir without a one-way surcharge.

When is the best time?

May, June, September and October. The van is then pleasantly cool at night, the sea warm enough, and pitches and beaches are yours. July and August are too hot for a vehicle without air conditioning, and the coastal towns are full. April and November work with a fleece, but many caravan parks are then closed.

Can you actually rent a camper and wild camp in Turkey?

Yes, both. Rental firms are based in Istanbul, Izmir and Antalya, the fleets are small, so book early. Wild camping is tolerated on beaches and in villages, not overnight at petrol stations and not in national parks. Caravan parks with electricity, water and waste disposal exist at every stop on the route, and the apps Park4Night and iOverlander show them.

What does the camper tour cost per person?

Around CHF 1,920 (about EUR 2,050) per person travelling as a couple: flight 320, pitches and two hotel nights at the start 280, food with self-catering and restaurants 420, camper for fourteen days with diesel for 1,500 kilometres, tolls, ferries and one-way surcharge 900. The camper is the big item; everything else is cheaper than a hotel trip.

Is driving the camper difficult?

Not on the motorways and the D400, which are wide and well paved. The demanding parts are the old towns of Çanakkale, Bodrum and Kaş, which you should not drive into with the van, and the steep spur roads down to coves like Kabak or Kaputaş. Drive defensively, let others pass, never at night, and you have two relaxed weeks.

Which shorter or longer version is there?

Shorter: Izmir to Fethiye in ten days without Çanakkale and Kaş, van from and back to Izmir. Longer: from Kaş continue via Olympos and Çıralı to Antalya in three days and drop the van there, which gives you the whole west coast in a good two weeks. Or two nights on Bozcaada before Çanakkale, but then with a tent instead of the camper.

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