Turkey by campervan: best regions and routes
Where to go by campervan in Turkey: recommended regions, the best season, road access and practical route advice. What to know before you go.
Published 18 September 2026Last checked 18 September 2026
Currency
Turkish lira
TRY, not the euro. 55.90 TL to €1 on 18 September 2026
Insurance
Green card, TR box open
A crossed out TR box means the policy does not cover Turkey
Driving
Right
Every toll road needs an HGS account
Language
Turkish
English on the coast, much less inland
Power
230V, type F
Same two-pin plug as most of Europe
Emergency
112
One number for police, fire and ambulance
Areas of Turkey
The regions of Turkey: two coasts, a high plateau and a long way east
Turkey is wide enough that the region decides the trip. The coasts are mild, busy and expensive in season. The plateau is high, empty and cold in winter. The east has a short summer and some of the best driving in the country. Pick the region by the month, then pick the route.
Istanbul and Thrace
Istanbul and Thrace: the way in, and the hardest city to park in
The European corner, entered at Kapıkule from Bulgaria or Ipsala from Greece, and the only part of Turkey most people picture. Thrace behind it is flat farmland, sunflowers and wine, and the Gallipoli peninsula sits at its southern end.
Best May to June and September to October
What it is like
- Istanbul is a city of 16 million and driving into it in a van is a poor idea in every season.
- Thrace is quiet, green and quick to cross. Edirne's Selimiye mosque is worth the stop even if you are only passing.
Where to go
- Edirne, for the Selimiye mosque and the old bridges
- Gallipoli and the Dardanelles war cemeteries
For the vehicle
- The toll from Edirne into Istanbul on the O-3 was 168 lira for a car and 193 for a long van in 2026.
- Use the Yavuz Sultan Selim bridge to cross the Bosphorus. The roads authority's bridge table lists karavan on that bridge's permitted classes and not on the other two.
The Aegean coast
The Aegean coast: Greek ruins, olive country and the easiest driving in Turkey
From Çanakkale down through İzmir to Bodrum: olive groves, Greek and Roman cities, small harbours and the mildest introduction to Turkish roads. This is where most first trips happen, and for good reason.
Best April to June and September to October
What it is like
- İzmir averages a daily high of 33 °C in July and August and 12 °C in January, on state met office normals.
- The density of ancient sites is extraordinary: Ephesus, Pergamon, Priene, Aphrodisias, all within a short drive of each other.
Where to go
- Ephesus, early in the morning before the cruise groups
- Pamukkale's white terraces, inland from the coast
For the vehicle
- Resort towns restrict overnight parking on seafronts in season. Inland villages ten minutes away usually do not.
- Coastal lanes to small bays are narrow and steep. Walk them before you commit a long van.
Turquoise coast and Lycia
The Turquoise coast and Lycia: rock tombs above a sea that keeps its colour
From Fethiye east through Kaş and Demre to Antalya. Lycian rock tombs cut into cliffs above fishing harbours, the Lycian Way walking route running the length of it, and the warmest winter on the Turkish mainland.
Best March to May and October
What it is like
- Antalya averages a daily high of 34 °C in July and August and still 15 °C in January.
- It is also the wettest part of the Turkish coast in winter: 251 mm in December and 226 mm in January on met office normals.
Where to go
- Kaş, a harbour town that stayed small
- Ölüdeniz and the Butterfly Valley, from above rather than in the crowd
For the vehicle
- Much of this coast is protected. Between national park status, archaeological sites and the coastal law, a great deal of the seafront is off limits to an overnight vehicle.
- Karavan parks and campsites are concentrated around Fethiye, Kaş and Olympos, and they are the sensible base.