Getting around — Central Anatolia

Central Anatolia is sprawling and requires transport organisation.

Two main airports serve the region. Ankara Esenboğa (ESB): 35 km north of the city, daily flights from Istanbul (1h, Turkish, Pegasus), Izmir, Antalya, Trabzon. Limited European flights (Lufthansa, Pegasus from Stuttgart, Vienna). Belko Air bus to Ankara-centre (45 min, €5). Konya (KYA): domestic flights from Istanbul (1h, Turkish, Pegasus) and some international connections (Germany, mainly). No direct flights from Paris to Ankara or Konya — Istanbul stopover required.

The YHT train (Yüksek Hızlı Tren, Turkish high-speed) is an excellent means of transport for the region. Istanbul-Ankara: 4h15, hourly departures, €40-80. Ankara-Konya: 1h45, 6 departures/day, €20-40. Comfortable, punctual, ecological. For Lake Van: no high-speed train, domestic flights Istanbul-Van (1h45) or overnight bus Ankara-Van (12h, economical).

Rental car — essential to explore beyond cities (Hattuşa, Çatalhöyük, Lake Salda, Lake Tuz). Expect €25-50/day, agencies in Ankara and Konya. Roads in good condition, little traffic outside cities. Distances: Ankara-Konya 260 km/3h, Konya-Cappadocia 240 km/3h, Konya-Antalya 510 km/6h, Ankara-Hattuşa 200 km/2h30.

Long-distance buses — efficient and cheap. Metro, Kamil Koç, Pamukkale companies connect all the region's cities with high comfort. Ankara-Konya 3h30, 200-400 TRY (€6-12), 10 departures/day. Online booking on obilet.com.

In the cities (Ankara, Konya), trams and metros cover the main axes. Ankara: 4 metro lines and 1 tram line. Konya: 1 tram line connecting the airport to the city centre via the Mevlana Mausoleum. BiTaksi app works in Ankara but not in Konya — direct negotiation.