Yalova

Yalova is a city in Marmara Region, Turkey. It lies to the south of Istanbul, across the Gulf of Izmit. Get in By boat The quickest and easiest way to get to Yalova from Istanbul is to take a fast ferry [1] from one of Istanbul’s many jetties. The major jetties with a connection to Yalova are located in Yenikapı (south of Sultanahmet), Kabataş (near Taksim) and Bostancı (Asian side). The voyage takes 70 minutes and costs 14 TL per person, 12 TL per person in vehicles, 67 TL for cars and 5 TL for bicycles. Concessions of about 1-2 TL is available for students and for those who buy their tickets online through İDO's (the ferry operator) website. There are also fast ferries from Pendik, a suburb of Istanbul in Asian Side. There is a cheaper ferry line between Eskihisar just east of Istanbul and Topçular, about 30 km to east of Yalova. These ferries take about 45 minutes to cross the Gulf of Izmit and in 2010 it costs 45 TL for a car and 55 TL for a minibus, free for passengers within the car. Passengers without a vehicle pay 2.80 TL per person. You cannot book this service, you just turn up and pay when you get there. In Topçular, it’s possible to find minibuses heading for Yalova running on the highway lying just next to the harbour. By car Take the roads numbered: D130 from Izmit (east) and D575/E881 from Bursa (south). There are also car-ferries from various points in or near Istanbul. Get around See Do Visit the hot springs. There are many services offered. Buy Eat There are some tea gardens by the shore where you can also eat balık ekmek (a fish sandwiched inside half a bread). Drink Sleep Contact The telephone code of Yalova is 226 (+90 226 when calling from out of Turkey). It used to be 216 prior to late 1990s, so old guidebooks may say so, which is not useful any more. Get out Cinarcik nearby is a popular family vacation resort. Termal to the south is one of Turkey’s oldest hot spring resorts (which dates back to Romans, last time it was renovated was 1930s with a design based on that of Carlsbad of Czech Republic). On the way to Termal, you may also check out Karaca Arboretum if it’s weekend. Armutlu on the southern side of the peninsula is also a town known for its hot springs. Bursa lies some hundred kilometers south. A bus ride there takes around an hour and costs 9 TL pp. This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!