Izmir to Ephesus

[Pluto_fan]

We're docking in Izmir on November 3. Port time is 9-4, so I know we need to be organized and ready to hit the ground running! I am really hoping we will be able to tour Ephesus including the terrace houses, as well as the house of Virgin Mary. So my questions for the experts:

 

With 9-4 port time, how much time will we realistically have ashore? When will we be able to get off the ship, and when will we have to be back on?

 

I've read an estimate of 1hr10mins travel time from Izmir to Ephesus. Does that sound about right? So 2.5 hours of our shore time will be in transit?

 

Looking at various tour companies recommended here (Ephesus Shuttle, Hello Ephesus, Ekol), it looks like they are asking USD$75-$100 per person for these tours (including Izmir pickup and Terrace Houses). For our family of 5, that adds up very quickly! :eek: Are there any good alternatives? Taxi/private driver? Renting a car? (my husband will drive anywhere...when we drive to Paris, he drives around that crazy traffic circle around the Arc de Triomphe just for fun :rolleyes:) I have read several recommendations saying that having a guide at the ruins is really worthwhile, but if it's going to break the bank to take a tour, we'd rather wander on our own than not go at all!

 

I'd appreciate any input you can provide! Thanks! :)

[Hlitner]

We think your travel time calculation is about right (it could actually take a little longer). The least expensive way to get to Ephesus with a group of 5 would be to simply rent a car, but many folks tend to avoid driving themselves in Turkey. So, you really do not have any other option other then booking a tour and we strongly recommend a private excursion (we personally like Ekol). The decent private tour companies should provide you with a nice air conditioned van, driver, and professional guide. There is no way to get around the cost as you are paying for the van, driver, and probably a separate guide for the entire day. And you must keep in mind that there are admission fees to get into the ruins at Ephesus plus an additional fee to get into the Terrace Houses (most of the private excursions include the admission fees). We have been to Kusdasi four times, visited Epehsus 3 times, and will be back again next spring. The ruins are absolutely amazing and worth the money, so its one of those times you just need to bite the bullet and spend those big bucks.

 

Hank

[Pluto_fan]

Hank, thank you for your reply. I guess I'm not surprised, but I was hoping there might be another option I hadn't thought of. :o Better to know now and plan accordingly.

[Turtles06]

I will second Hank's advice. Your time is truly limited, and if you were to rent a car, you would waste a good bit of it picking up the car, figuring out where to go, dropping off the car. And heaven forbid something were to happen, you'd be on your own in terms of catching up with the ship. Better to have a reputable tour company take care of everything when you only have a day, and want to see some sights that are an hour's drive (or more) from the port.

 

We used Ekol Tours in Jan. 2010 for a private tour from Izmir of Ephesus, including the Terrrace Houses (as well as the Mary House and the Temple of Artemis) and it was by far the single most fantastic day of our 12-day Med cruise. There were four of us, and it cost at that time about $94 US pp. It was WELL worth it. Our guide simply made the ruins come alive for us. I realize that for five of you in one family, you are looking at a large sum in absolute terms, but broken down per person, for a van, a driver, and an English speaking guide, it's really worth it.

 

If you do use a private tour operator, then given the travel times to and from Izmir, you'll want advice from them about how much will be reasonable to do. (I doubt you'll have time for anything more than Ephesus [including the Terrace Houses], as you'll need to leave time to get back to the ship.)

 

Ephesus is amazing.

 

Have a great trip!

[jane33]

I guess it is better to go organised with a private company, as we went to Ephesus (from Izmir port with ephesus and ephesus travel [68$ P.P] )the guide knew exactly how to avoid from the crowds.You do not have to wait for the other group members or rush around the crowds and you may have the opportunity to make little changes in your itineray as these companies do organise tailor made tours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We're docking in Izmir on November 3. Port time is 9-4, so I know we need to be organized and ready to hit the ground running! I am really hoping we will be able to tour Ephesus including the terrace houses, as well as the house of Virgin Mary. So my questions for the experts:

 

With 9-4 port time, how much time will we realistically have ashore? When will we be able to get off the ship, and when will we have to be back on?

 

I've read an estimate of 1hr10mins travel time from Izmir to Ephesus. Does that sound about right? So 2.5 hours of our shore time will be in transit?

 

Looking at various tour companies recommended here (Ephesus Shuttle, Hello Ephesus, Ekol), it looks like they are asking USD$75-$100 per person for these tours (including Izmir pickup and Terrace Houses). For our family of 5, that adds up very quickly! :eek: Are there any good alternatives? Taxi/private driver? Renting a car? (my husband will drive anywhere...when we drive to Paris, he drives around that crazy traffic circle around the Arc de Triomphe just for fun :rolleyes:) I have read several recommendations saying that having a guide at the ruins is really worthwhile, but if it's going to break the bank to take a tour, we'd rather wander on our own than not go at all!

 

I'd appreciate any input you can provide! Thanks! :)

[M.trendy]

I would definitely consider getting a private guide for Ephesus though--the place is overrun with large cruise tour groups that it's hard to get close to the signs to read things and we found having a guide was really helpful. We used a local company and guide, Company : ephesus and ephesus(they have a website or info@ephesusandephesus.com ) guide is Hakan , he was very good and informative--they can also arrange a car to pick you up in Izmir.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I guess it is better to go organised with a private company, as we went to Ephesus (from Izmir port with ephesus and ephesus travel [68$ P.P] )the guide knew exactly how to avoid from the crowds.You do not have to wait for the other group members or rush around the crowds and you may have the opportunity to make little changes in your itineray as these companies do organise tailor made tours.

[Hlitner]

I am going to "pile onto" some of the other comments. We probably have a reputation, among many of the board regulars, as somebody who generally dislikes (hate might be an appropriate word) any kind of tour. In fact, most of my 9000+ posts have been aimed at helping folks do their own thing independent of any tour. We have visited the ruins at Ephesus 3 times (maybe 4 but who remembers) having done it with a cruise ship tour from Izmir, on our own from Kusadasi (we actually used the local van/buses), and most recently with a private guide (hired through Ekol) where we had a driver and guide for just the two of us. When we booked our guide we e-mailed Ekol that we had already been through the ruins several times and expected a guide that could give us a more in-depth tour. OUr guide had 2 college degrees and was a wealth of knowledge. During our visit to the ruins we extended our stay in the ruins an extra hour (it was our own guide and we could modify the agenda) because our guide was able to tell us stories about the ruins (he was even friendly with the curator of the ruins) that we had never heard (or read) on previous visits. To us, going through the ruins with a large tour group was akin to be on a cattle drive....but having our personal guide was a totally amazing experience. The bottom line was that hiring our own guide actually did not cost anymore then taking a similar cruise line tour (with a group of about 50). And finally, we come to the tale of shame that underlies many cruise line excursions to Ephesus. Most of those tours still do not include a visit to the Terrace Houses....which is one of the most amazing parts of the ruins. Large groups are not permitted to go through the Terrace Houses with their guide and there is a small additonal entrance fee to the building that contains that part of the ruins. So you can watch tour after tour bypassing this amazing exhibit and hear the guides saying something like, "To the left are the Terrace Houses which is one of the newest areas open to tourists." Of course they say this as they keep walking past the entrance :( Many of those large tours have their own "secret" agenda which is to minimize the time in the ruins so they can give you more time at a jewelry or carpet factory where the tour company gets a cut of the action.

 

Hank

[Pluto_fan]

Thanks, everyone! Hank, I have read some of your other posts and know that you do encourage people to tour on their own...so that lends even more weight to your suggestion to hire a guide for Ephesus. I guess this will be the one port that we "splurge" on this cruise. Now I just have to get my husband to read all these comments, so he understands why we're doing it. :rolleyes:

[MarleneAm]

Thanks, everyone! Hank, I have read some of your other posts and know that you do encourage people to tour on their own...so that lends even more weight to your suggestion to hire a guide for Ephesus. I guess this will be the one port that we "splurge" on this cruise. Now I just have to get my husband to read all these comments, so he understands why we're doing it. :rolleyes:

 

The reason to spend the money to see Ephesus and the Terrace houses is that these are the most varied and interesting Greek and Roman ruins in all of the Med. You walk down the main street of the ancient city and get to see not only Greek theaters but Roman public bathrooms and signs for houses of ill repute and the standing ruins of one of the most famous libraries, among many other things. With a good guide, you will really see how people lived there. I'm not Cruisemom42 who is the ancient history expert and has seen and known in depth many ruins, but in my experience these are the best and most interesting mixed Greek & Roman ruins I have ever seen.

[cruisemom42]

I'm not Cruisemom42 who is the ancient history expert and has seen and known in depth many ruins, but in my experience these are the best and most interesting mixed Greek & Roman ruins I have ever seen.

 

:D:D

 

.....I am, and I agree these are some pretty impressive ruins. I think you hit the nail on the head. There are few places (particularly accessible places) that have the "wow factor" of Ephesus.