13 Vehicles in Turkey

To put Turkey into context, one could compare it to Birmingham's Spaghetti Junction: a discernible clutter of heaving cities, giving way to milder landscapes dotted with gems of natural wonder and inspired human accomplishments. Something of a diamond in the rough, Turkey caters more to those who consider European conveniences more of a hindrance than a comfort in their perfect idea of an authentic motorhome adventure. Want to find out more? Read on to find out what motorhome hire in Turkey could have in store for you.

Defining Turkey is something of a puzzle, lying as it does at Europe's end and at Asia Minor's door. The considerably smaller south-western flank lies within the Balkan Peninsula, neighbouring Greece and Bulgaria. This is where Istanbul can be found, as well as flocks of European and visa-free Russian tourists. The much larger eastern side lies in Asia minor (or Anatolia) and shares borders with Georgia, Armenia, Iran, the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan, and Iraq and Syria. Here things take on an altogether more conservative feel; where comfortable dwellings and facilities dwindle, locals are more inquisitive (and friendlier at that), and you'll be more of a novelty as a tourist.

Driving from Europe into Turkey is absolutely possible, and if you're planning on spending a few months on the road, it's a great way to see the landscape transform. You can get a ferry from Venice or Ancona in Italy to Igoumenitsa in Greece, from where it's a 550 mile drive towards Istanbul. This works out well if your vehicle is under 6 metres long, but vehicles longer than this incur considerably higher ferry transportation fees. An alternative ferry-free route would be to start in Germany, and make way your way down through Austria, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, before reaching Edirne, Turkey's westernmost city.

As Turkey is not a member of the EU, a visa is required for all British nationals and passports should be valid for at least 6 months on entry into the country. If you are bringing your motorhome over from abroad, check with your supplier that their travel conditions cover Turkey. Separate vehicle insurance is needed for both European Turkey and Asian Turkey, and cover needs to be fully comprehensive and not third party. For a simpler option, picking up your motorhome from one of our Turkish suppliers within the country means all the hassle of vehicle and insurance fees are already taken care of for you, and are included in the rental price.

There's a substantial choice of places to visit in Turkey, and on nearly every list of places to see before you die is Istanbul. This heaving city of more than 14 million can be at once intoxicating and extreme in its character, yet inviting and and warm once you've acclimatised. A superabundance of historical mosques, palaces and monuments will satiate your sightseeing appetite; and you would be seriously missing out if you didn't pay a visit to one of the thousands of tea and coffees houses, and spend a few hours savouring shisha from a hookah pipe.

Once you've got your fill of city fare, get yourself back aboard the motorhome and head out into the country, as there's a plethora of ancient monuments scattered across the landscape. We recommend heading to the popular Nemrut Dağı National Park in eastern Turkey. Here you'll find the enormous statues of a local pre-Roman king and his relatives (the Gods, naturally). After this, make your way towards the very centre of the country to gape at the dreamlike Göreme; a town which has been literally carved into volcanic rock, or the so-called fairy chimneys.

Most campsites are located along the coast, with only a few existing within the interior of the country. With a few exceptions, conditions and on-site facilities don't match western European standards. However, free camping is permitted pretty much everywhere in Turkey; so simply choose which view you want to wake up to, and make that your home for the night. What could be more natural and in line with the free-spirited nature of camping?

If the idea of motorhome hire in Turkey sounds as exciting to you as it does to us, we'd love to help you further! Check out all our great offers on motorhome hire in Turkey right here.