Getting to Çeşme

Çeşme sits at the western tip of the peninsula beyond İzmir, and almost everyone arrives the same way.

By air: İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport (ADB) is the arrival point, with domestic connections through Istanbul and Ankara and direct international flights in season. From the airport the drive to Çeşme is roughly 80–100 kilometres on the İzmir–Çeşme motorway, usually about an hour and fifteen minutes outside peak weekend traffic.

By road: the motorway is fast, tolled and straightforward. Coming from İzmir city centre, allow an hour without traffic and considerably more on a Friday evening in July, when the whole city appears to be heading the same way.

By bus: intercity coaches and shuttle services run from İzmir's Otogar and from the airport to Çeşme's bus station. This is the practical option without a car, though you will still want transport once you are on the peninsula.

By ferry: there is a seasonal ferry crossing between Çeşme and Chios (Sakız) in Greece, a short trip that also connects onward to other Greek islands. Schedules are seasonal and change year to year, so check current sailings before planning around it.

Arriving by sea: Çeşme marina takes visiting yachts and is a formal port of entry, which is why the harbour has a different rhythm from the rest of the town.

A note on timing: if you can avoid arriving on a Friday afternoon or leaving on a Sunday evening in high season, do. The motorway is the peninsula's only artery and it behaves like one.