Antalya
Many visitors to Antalya airport may not even visit this vibrant and multi-faceted city , instead they will be whisked off to the many all inclusive beach resorts along the long Mediterranean coastline. Perhaps they may venture to the city and see the old city and harbour. But Antalya offers far more. It is so easy and cheap getting around on the excellent public transport system. Besides, the feel of most of the city is very local but many will be able to communicate in English. Spend a few days here and explore a lot more than just the wonderful beaches.
CONTENTS
- Antalya transport map
- Weather in Antalya
- Getting to Antalya
- Getting about Antalya by public transport
- Fatih - EXPO tram line
- Historical town, harbour and nostalgia tram (new page)
- EXPO 2016 site in Antalya (new page)
- Lara Beach, Cable car and tram T3 (new page)
Antalya Transport Map
Blue Line – Bus No. VS18 – Cable Car
Green Line – Bus No. LF09 – Lara Beach
Note – The map only contains a small number of bus lines in Antalya due to the need for simplicity.
Weather in Antalya
For around four months in summer the weather is almost very hot, dry and sunny every day with the odd patch of rain being a welcome relief. This is the time to lounge around the beach or hotel pool and venture out in the morning or later in the evenings when the sun sets late. In October and November and early spring the climate is favourable for those withing to spend time exploring and still get some sun and swimming in. Winters can be very rainy and cooler but still warmer than more northern and eastern parts of Türkiye (Turkey).
27°C
Getting to Antalya
The main bus station is located about six kilometres from the centre of the city. Unlike other secondary cities in Türkiye Antalya makes it easy for the first time visitor to use public transport to get to their hotel or other location. Smart cards can be bought from vending machines at the bus station or Otogar tram station that is directly connected to the bus station. This tram takes you into the centre of town. It takes around 6-8 minutes to get from the bus station to the otogar using a underground walkway.
Antalya is connected to many towns and cities throughout Türkiye with regular buses to Istanbul and also Alanya just two hours away on a pleasant and fast expressway.
The airport (Antalya Havalimanı) is located 13 kilometres northeast from the city centre. It serves as the destination for visitors to the beach resorts stretching all along the region’s Mediterranean coastline. One of the nearest hotels to the airport is the IC Hotels Airport.
For independent travellers the airport is also conveniently connected to Antalya’s efficient tram network. The line branches off from the Fatih-Expo line so be careful to take a Havalimanı terminating tram rather than one heading for Expo.
Getting around Antalya by public transport
Antalya is blessed with one of the best transport systems in the country with an extensive tram network called AntRay that connects most points of interest and services in the city as well as a well regulated bus network. The antalyakart is a stored value smart card used on buses and trams. It is easy to buy a card and load using kiosks located all over the city including all tram stations. Don’t forget to register your HES code before using the card, details can be found on the button below. You can use an English language screen. When boarding simply place the card on the screen at the entrance to the tram station or when boarding a bus and the fare will be deducted from value on the card.
The whole system is far easier to understand and navigate using the excellent antalaykart app on iphone or android. On this app you can find all bus routes with maps plus times for each bus for each stop.
The centre of the city can be easily covered by walking although care should be taken during the summer months when temperatures can rise to 40 degrees. Overall mixing walking and public transport will allow for a very rewarding experience.
ANTALYA BY TRAM
Currently there are three tram lines operating in Antalya. The most useful is the AntRay Fatih-Expo line which opened in 2009 and also includes a branch extension to the airport. The recently opened AntRay Atatürk-Varsak line to the north of the city is currently of limited interest to visitors. The Nostalji (heritage) tram opened in 1999 running every half hour on a single track using ex-Nuremburg tramcars. There are no direct connections between any of the lines.
There is ongoing construction of extensions and upgrades to the lines which will allow greater connectivity in the future.
Fatih-EXPO Line T1 (a/b)
This is most likely the main tram line you will be using during your visit to Antalya. The service operates on an almost 24 hour basis at a frequency of around eight minutes. About one in three trams run to the airport (Line T1b) rather than to Expo (Line T1a). T1 also connects with the main bus terminal plus a number of large shopping centres. There are also some other interesting places to stop off and visit on this line.
The stations themselves are minimal and with limited covering so there is little protection from the sun during hot weather. Sometimes it is better to find a shady area near the entrance and enter when a tram is about to arrive. The review of this line begins at the northern terminal station at Fatih.
While the end of line at EXPO may be very interesting the tram itself is underutilized. For the last leg of the journey the tram is almost empty.
Fatih station
The line starts and terminates at this station about 8 kilometres north of the city centre. There are a number of attractions that justify coming here. The PARKFUNtastic is a short walk from the station and is a 25-hectare adventure themed park including go-karting, zip line and paint ball. There are a few restaurants and cafes in the park.
The station also is near to Antalya Zoo although it is quite a walk from the station to the entrance. There have also been negative reports about poor conditions of the animals. The writer did not enter the zoo so cannot comment on the state of the zoo’s environment.
Kepezaltı station
The next station is of little interest although there is a 125 hectare real estate development called Suryapi Antalya in the construction phase which aims for a population of 70,000 and will include retail and other entertainment offerings. It will be interesting to visit this project over the coming few years to see progress .
Ferrokrom - Vakıf Çiftliği - Otogar - Pil Fabrikası stations
These stops hold little interest for visitors although the Otogar station will be of obvious benefit as it connects directly with the intercity bus station.
Dokuma station
There are a number of good reasons for getting out at Dokuma tram station. Firstly, there is one of the nicest and most interesting parks in the city and secondly the stop is also close to two shopping centres.
A few minutes-walk from the tram station takes you to Dokuma Park. This seven-hectare park was originally a large textile factory complex but after its closure the site was rejuvenated into a destination in the city. It has a multitude of activities that can keep children occupied for hours. The park contains a number of museums including one dedicated to toys as well as an Open Air Museum with replicas of most of the major current and former structures found in Türkiye like the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.
There are also lots of green spaces and play areas for the kids as well as a small traditional shopping avenue and plenty of cafes. The park is very popular so it may be best to visit during weekdays.
Retail relaxation
In the summer walking around the park can be quite taxing so next to the park is one of the best shopping centres in the city and a place to cool down. The ÖzdilekPARK Antalya Mall is large and well designed and contains a wide variety of shopping and food & beverage outlets including a food court. If the kids are still restless after a visit to the park, then there are plenty of entertainment options at the mall.
Close by is another shopping centre called Antalya Kipa AVM. This contains fewer but larger shops such as a hypermarket and is less interesting but worth a visit if in the area if you have extra time.
Çallı – Emniyet – Sigorta - Şarampol stations
Çallı station is one of two underground stations on the tram line (the other being Otogar) as it passes under Gazi Boulevard, the arterial road in Antalya. There is not much to see at this stop.
As the tram comes up for air at Emniyet station the street scene becomes busier as you approach the centre of the city. At Sigorta the tram starts to travel along a long pedestrianized throughfare with many shops along the way and this continues at Şarampol station and then onward towards Muratpaşa. While there are no actual places of interest it makes for a pleasant stroll to the centre of town with reasonable shading from the apartments.
Muratpaşa station
This station is located close to the city centre and is a very busy area with a number of hotels and restaurants. It is also situated next to MarkAntalya shopping mall, a very popular place for locals and tourists alike. Many buses heading for the beaches also stop around here so it is likely, one way or another that you will pay a visit.
Ismetpaşa station
This is the station that serves the main tourist attractions in the city such as Kaleiçi, the historic city centre as well as the scenic harbour area. It is also the closest connection to the Nostalji (nostalgia) tram, via a short walk.
Doğu Garajı- Burhanettin Onat- Meydan – Kışla – Topçular – Demokrasi - Cırnık stations
These stations have no real sights that would interest visitors but there are a number of hotels located near these stations if you are looking for alternatives away from the centre but with good access.
This section of the tram ride is overground so you can see the outskirts of the city. It is more sparsely populated than the centre and the tram will run along a highway.
Altınov- Yenigöl - Sinan stations
There are two shopping centres located at Altınov and Sinan stations. If the weather is not too hot it would be possible to visit both on foot by walkimg along the main road. Agora mall is a short walk from Altınov station and also has a free shuttle bus connecting them. The mall has a nice outside area with restaurants plus the usual indoor area with many shops plus a food court. Nearby you can also find Metro cash & carry store and IKEA.
At Sinan station you can find the Mall of Antalya which also combines Deepo Outlet Centre. The mall is long and not so interesting ascetically although it does contains a wide variety of shops. In between the two shopping centres is Yenigöl tram station where there are some outlet shops.
Yonca Kavşak - (Havalimanı/Airport) - Pınarlı ANFAŞ - Kurşunlu - Aksu-1 stations
These stations are of little interest although for those flying out of Antalya the Havalimanı station will be very useful. Note that the tram either terminates at the airport or EXPO which is the final station on the line.
EXPO station
The last stop on the line and one of the most interesting and less visited places in Antalya and a real surprise. Read more about this EXPO by clicking below.
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