Getting around · Bodrum · Turkey
Getting around Bodrum
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Haluk Comertel, CC BY 3.0
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Quick answer
Dolmuş minibuses from Bodrum's bus station connect every village on the peninsula, and Bodrum Town itself is walkable. Taxis are convenient but expensive, and a hire car or scooter makes it easy to explore the bays. Not essential if you stay in Bodrum Town or a single resort, as dolmuş minibuses cover the peninsula.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Bus
- Airports
- BJV
- Need a car?
- Sometimes
- Travel pass
- Müzekart
Ways to get around
Bus
Dolmuş minibuses leave Bodrum's bus station for Gümbet, Bitez, Ortakent, Turgutreis, Gümüşlük, Yalıkavak and Göltürkbükü, running frequently in summer.
Check the time of the last dolmuş back, especially from Gümüşlük and Yalıkavak.
Taxi
Taxis are metered but relatively expensive for longer trips across the peninsula.
Ask your hotel for a rough fare before travelling, and confirm the meter is running.
Car
A hire car makes it easy to explore the bays and reach Ephesus or Didyma. Parking in Bodrum Town and Yalıkavak is limited in summer.
Walking
Bodrum Town's castle, Mausoleum, theatre, marina and Bar Street are all within walking distance of each other.
Boat
Water taxis and boats link some bays in summer, and ferries run from Bodrum to Kos and the Datça peninsula.
Tickets and passes
Müzekart
Turkey's museum pass, sold in versions for foreign visitors, covers state sites such as Bodrum Castle, the Mausoleum and Ephesus.
From the airport
Milas–Bodrum Airport (BJV) is about 36 km north-east of Bodrum Town, around 40 minutes by road. Shuttle buses timed to arrivals run to Bodrum's bus station, and taxis and pre-booked transfers serve all resorts.
Do you need a car?
Not essential if you stay in Bodrum Town or a single resort, as dolmuş minibuses cover the peninsula. A car is useful for beach-hopping and for day trips to Ephesus, Didyma or Lake Bafa.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Kos, Greece | About 30–60 minutes by ferry | International ferry from Bodrum |
| Ephesus | About 2 hours 30 minutes by car | Car or organised tour |
| Didyma and Miletus | About 2 hours by car | Car or organised tour |
| Milas, Iasos and Euromos | About 1 hour by car | Car |
| Lake Bafa and Herakleia | About 1 hour 30 minutes by car | Car |
| Datça peninsula | About 2 hours by ferry | Ferry from Bodrum to Körmen, then road |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Bodrum?
Not essential if you stay in Bodrum Town or a single resort, as dolmuş minibuses cover the peninsula. A car is useful for beach-hopping and for day trips to Ephesus, Didyma or Lake Bafa.
+How do you get from the airport to Bodrum?
Milas–Bodrum Airport (BJV) is about 36 km north-east of Bodrum Town, around 40 minutes by road. Shuttle buses timed to arrivals run to Bodrum's bus station, and taxis and pre-booked transfers serve all resorts.
+What is the best way to get around Bodrum?
Bus: Dolmuş minibuses leave Bodrum's bus station for Gümbet, Bitez, Ortakent, Turgutreis, Gümüşlük, Yalıkavak and Göltürkbükü, running frequently in summer.