ANZAC Day is an important day for Australia and New Zealand and is commemorated in different parts of the World on April 25 every year. The history of the day goes back to the First World War. Every year, on April 25, thousands of people come to Çanakkale. In this post, I would like to give a few details about transportation and accommodation to Çanakkale...
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| ANZAC Parade, Canberra |
First of all, I would like to remind you that there will be two holidays in April. Details via Some Dates in 2023 and Tips for Your Traveling to Türkiye. 21-22-23 April is Holiday of Breaking the Fast. April 23 is National Sovereignty and Children's Day. April 23 is coming to a Sunday, so there may be population movements towards the big cities that evening. Ticket prices may be high, I think there may be congestion in traffic.
Hotels in Çanakkale
Top 5 Hotel Booking Sites for Türkiye
Çanakkale is a city that has lands on two continents, just like Istanbul. The Gallipoli Peninsula, where ANZAC Cove is located, is located south of the European side of the city. While one side of the peninsula faces the Dardanelles, the other side faces the Aegean Sea. Most of the monuments, cemeteries and museums belonging to this front of the First World War are also located on this peninsula.
Therefore, choosing your hotel from the Gallipoli district of Çanakkale will provide convenience at the transportation point. On the other hand, if you stay in the city center of Çanakkale, you can take advantage of the regular ferry services. Also, if you are considering renting a car, the Çanakkale 1915 Bridge was opened last year and you can save time.
As you can imagine, the number of hotels in Gallipoli is relatively low. Therefore, you can also evaluate the hotels in Çanakkale.
How to go to Çanakkale?
Çanakkale has an airport on the Anatolian side. Only Turkish Airlines flies to Çanakkale Airport (CKZ) from Ankara.
The fact of the matter is that several airports can be considered for transportation to Çanakkale by air. Options such as Balıkesir Airport and Çorlu Atatürk Airport are not far away; however, there are no international flights to these airports.
Unfortunately, there are no direct flights from Australia and New Zealand to Turkey. At least one transfer is required. So I have two suggestions for you. Istanbul Airport & Izmir Airport:
i. Istanbul Airport
There is a cooperation between Turkish Airlines and Malindo Air. You can find a connecting flight on their websites. You can travel from Sydney to Bali (Indonesia) or Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) with Malindo Air and then to Istanbul with Turkish Airlines. There are also different collaborations: You can reach Bangkok (Thailand) with Thai Airways and then come to Istanbul with Turkish Airlines. To Phuket (Thailand) with Jetstar and then to Istanbul with Turkish Airlines... All these options can be viewed on the Turkish Airlines website. Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways may be considered if you wish to operate all flights with the same company.
There are several different options to go from Istanbul Airport to Çanakkale. You can find some more details via İstanbul Airport Transportation Guide
- You can come to Tekirdağ with Istanbul Seyahat and continue from there to Çanakkale with a different bus of the same company. It will cost an average of $18-19; however, the same company does not have a regular bus service from Tekirdağ to Çanakkale. You can also continue with a different company (Çanakkale Truva, Pamukkale, Metro etc.) from Tekirdağ.
- You can come to Silivri from the airport by HAVAIST. From Silivri, you can continue to Çanakkale with Çanakkale Truva or Istanbul Seyahat. It will cost an average of $19-20.
when you reach Silivri or Tekirdag.
- Your other option is to go to Esenler Bus Terminal. If you go with HAVAIST, you pay less than $4. You can easily find a bus from Esenler to Çanakkale. You can go to Çanakkale with companies such as Kamil Koç, Metro, Pamukkale. Some of these companies do not stop in Silivri and/or Tekirdağ. Bus prices from Esenler to Çanakkale cost an average of $16. In addition, Tek Silivri Yılmaz and Trakya VIP organize expeditions with vehicles for 20 passengers and their prices are more economical: around $11...
ii. Izmir Airport
Coming to Izmir Airport from Australia and New Zealand can cause difficulties both financially and in terms of time. Therefore, Izmir Airport can only be an option for those coming from the UK or other European countries.
In the past, bus schedules were organized by HAVAŞ to go from Izmir Airport to the Bus Terminal. I can't find them at the moment; but if you wish, you can ask again at the airport. The other option is the bus line 204 by ESHOT. With this bus, which continues at night, you can reach the bus station in a short time. You can use this bus by buying "Ticket (Bilet) 35". It costs 20 Turkish Lira, a little over $1.
There are buses that go directly to Çanakkale. In addition, buses going to Edirne direction can be preferred. If you are going to Gallipoli, do not take the buses whose last stop is Çanakkale. Prefer buses that continue to places such as Gallipoli (Gelibolu), Keşan, Edirne, Kırklareli. You can find some more details via İzmir Airport Transportation Guide
You can go to Çanakkale with companies such as Pamukkale, Kamil Koç, Çanakkale Truva, Isparta Turizm etc. Ticket prices are around $12-14 on average.
Note: The prices listed are the US Dollar equivalent of today's Turkish Lira. I can't make any promises about the change in the dollar rate or prices.
Once and for All
Finally, I would like to include a letter written by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of Turkey, who also served in Çanakkale. I think the letter written in 1934 is very meaningful for the convergence of distant geographies and the establishment of peace. The letter addressed to the mothers of the ANZAC soldiers who came to Çanakkale during the First World War and lost their lives here is as follows:
"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives ... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours ... You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well."
An Australian mother's response to this letter is as follows:
“The warmth of your words eased our sorrow for our sons who vanished in Gallipoli, and our tears ended. Your words are a consolation to me as a mother. Now we are sure that our sons rest in peace in their eternal rest. If your Excellency accepts, we would like to call you ‘Ata’, too. Because what you have said at the graves of our sons could only be said by their own fathers. In the name of all mothers, our respects to the Great Ata who embraced our children with the love of a father.”
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