Getting Around, Marmaris Travel, Transport and Car Rental
(Marmaris, Mugla Province, Turkey)
Travel options to Marmaris include bus transport and planes, with the vast majority opting for the latter. A regional airport, Dalaman Airport, is within a 90-minute bus ride of the resort and receives a decent range of flights from the UK and from within Turkey.
You can also bus it down from
Istanbul and the Turkish capital of
Ankara, although there is no direct rail transportation to Marmaris. Public transport in the city includes a local variety of minibus, known as a dolmus, as well as taxis and foot power. Car and motorbike rental is popular with visitors wishing to travel outside of the city, as there is a great deal to see nearby.
Dalaman Airport (DLM) / Arriving by Air
Address: Dalaman, Mugla Province, TR-48770, Turkey, TR
Tel: +90 0252 792 5291
Dalaman Airport is the closest airport to Marmaris, lying an hour or so to the east, near the town of Dalaman. This busy facility is a regional airport, but is also served by charter and scheduled carriers from the UK and elsewhere in Europe, such as
Denmark (
Copenhagen),
Germany (
Berlin,
Dusseldorf,
Hamburg,
Hanover and
Munich),
Italy (
Milan), the
Netherlands (
Amsterdam,
Eindhoven and
Rotterdam) and
Sweden (
Oslo and
Stockholm).
Thomsonfly and EasyJet both serve Dalaman Airport, as does Turkish budget airline OnurAir. Shuttles, buses and taxis all travel into the city from outside of the two terminals (domestic and international). Milas Bodrum Airport (BXN) to the north-west is a viable alternative.
Milas Bodrum International Airport (BXN) Guide
Car Rental
Cars can be rented from Dalaman Airport on arrival, although it is a better bet nowadays to pre-book online. Not only do you get invariably better rates, you also get the car you want hassle-free.
There is plenty to see around Marmaris, and driving here is nowhere near as bad as in the main Turkish cities. Hire cars allow you to easily take day trips to neighbouring Turkish towns and seaside resorts, such as Datca, Icmeler, Mugla and Turunc.
Buses and Coaches
Buses arrive in Marmaris from a large number of major destinations in Turkey and the bus station is not far from the city centre.
The travel time from Istanbul is about 14 hours, and approximately ten hours from Ankara. The minivan-looking dolmuses are the de facto way of getting around the city for those not into walking, with many connecting the nearby suburbs of Armutalan and Icmeler. There are also other local bus options, where you simply hail to get one to stop.
Trains
There is no rail service to Marmaris.
Taxis / Water Taxis
Metered taxis can be had in Marmaris, although prices are pretty steep. If you can't get the driver to use the meter, be sure to haggle and agree a price before you actually start your journey.
There are also boat taxis that run between the city and nearby Icmeler to the south. You can also access Icmeler by road, but taking the water taxi is certainly far more scenic and enjoyable.
Boats and Ferries
Ferries regularly arrive at the harbour all the way from
Venice (Turkish Maritime Lines), which is a fair journey but a useful one for avoiding the need to travel through multiple countries overland. In addition, there is also a high-speed ferry service, the hydrofoil, from
Rhodes (
Greece), which provides a relatively fast, affordable and pleasant journey.