From Dalaman Airport to Marmaris
Most people come to Marmaris via Dalaman Airport, about 65 miles (110km) away. From the airport you’ve a couple of ways to reach Marmaris:
- By Taxi – the rank is right outside the arrivals hall. Fares are regulated, in theory, but you might want to agree the price before you set off, if only so the driver knows that you know! There’s a large board near the rank giving the standard fares, or you can check them on the airport website. The current fare (March 2014) is 140 TL, about £40 to Marmaris, a little more if your charter company is at the far side of the bay towards Yalanci Bogaz.
- By Airport Shuttle Bus – this leaves from the Domestic Terminal; if you’ve come in to the International Terminal, exit the arrivals hall and turn left. It’s about a 200m walk. Services are operated by Havas. Check the times on www.havas.net. The bus terminates at the main bus station, about 15 minutes walk from Netsel marina and it’s all downhill! Go out of the bus station and turn left – it’s obvious.
- By Public Bus – no public services run from the airport, so you’ll have to take a taxi to Dalaman bus station, on the north side of Dalaman town, about 5 miles from the airport. From there you can get bus direct to Marmaris though more usually you have to change at the junction where the Marmaris road leaves the main coastal highway. Expect the second vehicle to be a Dolmus, a local minibus service. Bus staff and fellow travellers are very helpful and will tell you where to change. From Marmaris bus station follow the directions above.
The usual two alternatives are available – you can book a private transfer on line, or there are a couple of car hire companies at the airport.
Finally, if you’re planning on grabbing refreshments at Dalaman be aware that it’s expensive, even by airport standards (though a little better now the Turkish Lira is on the slide). A coffee, a coke and two small buns set me back over £20 a couple of years ago!
From Rhodes to Marmaris
There’s a ferry service between Rhodes and Marmaris, with two departures a day in high season, dropping to one a day in mid season. In low season it doesn’t run every day so check first. The port in Marmaris is right next to Netsel Marina, though annoyingly, you have to walk out of the port past the marina to get in (unless the gate in the wall on your left has been left open)!
You can book online at rhodes.marmarisinfo.com. The current fare (March 2014) is 40€. You can also buy your ticket at the port – I’ve not done the trip for a couple of years but this used to mean queuing at one window to pay the fare, then at another to pay the port tax. Journey time is about an hour with about another hour for faffing about with customs and tickets.