Antalya City Center→Side

Antalya's old town and central hotel districts sit on the western side of the bay. Side sits far along the coast to the east, on a small peninsula near Manavgat. Between the two lie 62 km of suburbs, resort strips and flat coastal plain. A private transfer from Turkey Transfer turns that distance into one simple ride. A driver collects you at your city-centre address, and the same car stops at the door of your hotel in Side.

This page explains how the journey goes, where you arrive, and how to plan the day around it. It also covers the practical questions that come up most often with this route: luggage, children, early and late travel, and the trip back.

The road distance is 62 km, and a private car normally covers it in about 65 minutes. That is a long enough drive to settle in properly. It is not so long that it becomes a day of travel.

Your driver leaves the city centre and heads east through the outer districts of Antalya. The route then joins the D-400 coastal highway, a dual carriageway that carries most of the traffic between Antalya and the eastern resorts. From that point the drive is steady and simple. The road runs mostly straight across the flat coastal plain. The mountains stay inland on your left for much of the way, and the Mediterranean lies off to your right.

Along the way you pass the resort areas that give this coast its reputation. The Belek area is roughly the halfway point of the trip, and it has a service area with clean facilities. After Belek the highway continues past Serik and on toward Manavgat. The last part of the drive leaves the main road and takes you down to Side itself.

If you want a short break, say so when you book or tell the driver during the journey. A pause of 5 to 10 minutes at the Belek service area is part of the ride. Parents with small children often use it, and so do passengers who have just landed from a long flight.

On a normal day the drive takes about 65 minutes. Mid-week drives are the most consistent, and in most months you can plan on roughly an hour.

Summer is different. In July and August the Saturday changeover period fills the coast road with holiday arrivals and departures. On those days the same journey can stretch to around 80 minutes. Friday and Sunday evenings in high season can also slow the eastern exit from Antalya.

Because your transfer is booked for a set time, a slow stretch of road does not change your plan. It only changes how early you should leave. These simple rules help:

• If you have a dinner reservation in Side, add 15 to 20 minutes in July and August.
• If you must catch a boat trip or an excursion on arrival day, leave earlier than the minimum.
• If you travel mid-week outside high season, 65 minutes is a safe working figure.

The pickup can be almost anywhere in central Antalya. Many guests start inside Kaleiçi, the old walled town, where the lanes are narrow and some hotels sit on streets that cars reach only slowly. Others start in the Muratpaşa district, in the modern centre around the main squares and shopping streets.

The two starting points differ a little. A Muratpaşa pickup is the standard case for this route. Konyaaltı lies on the far western side of the city, and it adds about 10 minutes of cross-town driving before the eastern highway begins. If you stay in Konyaaltı, mention it when you book so the pickup time allows for it, and confirm the price with the booking team.

Give your driver the exact hotel name or address and a mobile number. In the old town, a short walk to the nearest point where the car can stop is sometimes the easiest solution. Your driver will tell you where to meet. Your bags are loaded for you, and the air-conditioned vehicle is sized to your group, from a private sedan for a couple to a larger van for a family.

Side is not one dot on the map. A transfer to "Side" can mean several different places, and the right drop-off depends on where your hotel stands. The fare for this route covers the whole Side district zone. That zone includes:

• Side town and the old peninsula
• Kumköy
• Çolaklı
• Sorgun
• Evrenseki
• Titreyengöl
• Manavgat centre

The same vehicle and the same driver take you to a hotel in any of these places. The driver drops you at the hotel entrance, not at a bus stop. Because the zone is large, you should tell us the exact hotel name when you book.

This is the heart of the resort and the part most visitors picture. The old town sits on a narrow peninsula. Ancient columns, shops, small hotels and restaurants stand side by side, and the lanes are busy in the evening. If you want to walk to the harbour, the temple and the beach, this is the area for you. It suits couples, first-time visitors and anyone who likes an evening stroll more than a hotel pool.

Next to Side lie Kumköy and Çolaklı, with long sandy beaches and a more relaxed resort feel. These areas suit families who want a hotel with its own space and a beach within reach. You are a short ride from the old town, but not inside its crowds.

Sorgun and Titreyengöl are quieter, greener parts of the coast. Hotels here are often larger, set back in gardens and designed around the pool, the beach and the buffet. Choose these areas if you want to stay in one place and rest. You can still reach Side town in a short taxi ride when you want a night out.

Evrenseki is a beach-and-resort area, and Manavgat centre is a working town with a river, markets and the base for the waterfall excursion. Staying in Manavgat suits travellers who want local life more than a resort atmosphere.

Side's ancient town has several pedestrian-only stretches. This matters for hotels that sit among the narrow lanes near the harbour.

In that case, the driver takes you to the closest legal vehicle stop, usually near the harbour wall. From there the driver helps you walk with the luggage to the hotel door. The distance is normally 100 to 200 metres at most. Where the surface allows, a wheeled luggage trolley is used. In some places the paving is old cobble, so wheeled suitcases bump along and a soft bag is easier to carry.

Hotels outside the old town, in Kumköy, Sorgun, Çolaklı and the other areas, have normal road access. For those, the car goes directly to reception.

A few practical points help the arrival go well:

• Tell the hotel your arrival time in advance, especially if you arrive late.
• Keep the hotel's phone number ready in case the driver needs to confirm the entrance.
• If your group has a wheelchair or a pushchair, mention it at booking so the driver chooses the closest stopping point.
• In high season, evening traffic around the old town is slower, so allow a few extra minutes at the end of the journey.

Side is built around a Greco-Roman ancient town on a slender peninsula reaching into the Mediterranean. After a 65-minute drive, many guests drop the bags and walk straight out to see it.

The seafront Temple of Apollo is the best-known image of the resort. Its row of marble columns stands right beside the water. It looks its best near sunset, when the stone takes on a warm colour and the sea behind it turns dark. The Roman theatre is a short walk inland and still dominates the skyline above the rooftops. Walk through the town at a slow pace, because the ruins are not behind a fence. They stand among the shops, cafés and lanes, and you pass columns and old gates as part of an ordinary walk.

The old harbour is the natural meeting point. Restaurants line the quay, and boats lie against the wall. It is a pleasant place for a first drink once you have unpacked.

Long sandy beaches stretch away on both sides of the headland. That is a real difference from Konyaaltı in the city, which is a pebble beach. Side's sand is fine, the water is shallow near the shore in many places, and the stretch of coast continues through Kumköy, Çolaklı and Sorgun. Families with small children often prefer this.

The nearby Manavgat waterfall is an easy excursion once you have settled in. It is a short trip from Side, and many guests combine it with a visit to Manavgat town. Plan it for a day when you are not travelling.

Side is a place to eat outside. The harbour restaurants serve fresh fish with the water almost at your feet. The old-town lanes have smaller places, and the evening is when the town is at its liveliest.

If you arrive in the evening, your first meal can be simple. Ask the hotel for a table, or walk to the harbour and choose a place where you can see the temple. A later dinner is normal in Turkey, so a 21:00 table does not look unusual.

A 65-minute drive is manageable with children, but it helps to plan it.

• Child seats and booster seats are available on request. Tell us the number and ages of your children when you book, so the seats are fitted before you arrive.
• Use the Belek service area stop if your child needs a break. The stop takes 5 to 10 minutes.
• Pack snacks, water and one favourite toy in a bag you can reach in the cabin.

On arrival, families with pushchairs should ask for a hotel outside the old town if narrow lanes are a worry. The beach hotels in Kumköy, Çolaklı and Sorgun have easier access, and the beach itself is gentle and sandy.

The trip works at any hour. A private car does not depend on a bus timetable, so the pickup time is your choice.

For an early start, plan the pickup earlier than you think you need. The coast road is quiet in the early morning, and the drive is usually smooth. For a late arrival in Side, let your hotel know in advance so that reception is ready when you reach the door.

An early start suits the guest with a morning flight, who leaves Side in the dark and arrives in time for check-in.

For the journey back, plan from your flight time and work backwards. The road from Side to Antalya is the same coastal route, so the same traffic rules apply. In July and August, and especially on Saturday, build in extra time, because the Saturday changeover period slows the road.

A sensible plan for the return:

1. Decide the time you need to be at the terminal for check-in.
2. Add the full drive time from your Side hotel, using the longer figure of about 80 minutes if you travel on a busy summer Saturday.
3. Add a margin for the pickup, for luggage and for any stop on the way.
4. Tell the hotel and the driver the final pickup time the evening before.

If you stay in the old town and your hotel is on a pedestrian street, allow a few extra minutes for the walk to the car. If you stay in Sorgun or Titreyengöl, the car comes to the hotel entrance, so the pickup is quicker.

You can also book a round trip. A round trip with the same driver is priced below two separate one-way fares. That suits guests who stay in Side for the whole holiday and return to Antalya at the end.

Some guests like to break the journey. The Aspendos amphitheatre lies east of Antalya, in the same part of the coast, and it is one of the best-preserved Roman theatres in the region. A 20-minute stop at the site can be agreed with the booking. The driver leaves you at the entrance, waits in the parking area, and continues to your hotel afterwards. Longer visits and evening festival arrangements are priced separately, so ask about them before you travel.

Side is a summer resort, and July and August are the busiest months. The beaches are full, the harbour is lively, and the road from Antalya is at its slowest, particularly on Saturday. If you want the full holiday atmosphere, this is the time. Book your transfer early and leave a margin on both journeys.

Spring and autumn are calmer. The old town is easier to walk, the temple and theatre are pleasant to visit in softer light, and the road is quieter. Mid-week journeys in these months are the most consistent, and the 65-minute figure holds well.

To book, give us the pickup address in Antalya city centre, the name of your hotel in Side, the date, the time and the number of passengers. Add the number of bags and any child seats. Choose the vehicle that fits your group and its luggage. If you are unsure, message us before booking and we will suggest the best fit.

With these details agreed in advance, the ride is simple. A driver meets you in the city, the car is ready, and about an hour later you are at your hotel on the Side coast, ready to walk down to the harbour and see the temple before dinner.

Side makes a good base because several different places lie within reach along the same coast. Most are easier by private car than by public transport, since the sights are spread out.

• The ancient city of Side deserves more than a first evening. Besides the Temple of Apollo and the theatre, the old town holds the agora, the remains of Roman baths and a museum. A slow half day on foot covers the main sites.
• Manavgat river boats leave from the town of Manavgat and follow the river towards the sea. It is a calm, shaded outing and a good contrast to a beach day.
• Alanya lies further east along the coast and is known for the castle on its headland. Plan a full day, because the road adds real distance.
• The Taurus foothills rise behind the coastal plain. Inland villages and the Köprülü Canyon area offer cooler air and green scenery, but they make a long day out.

If you plan one of these outings, tell us the day and the hour when you book. A driver can then wait or collect you.

Manavgat town has a working market culture. Stalls sell fruit, vegetables, olives, cheese, spices and dried fruit, and the atmosphere is more local than the souvenir lanes of Side. Visit in the morning, when the produce is freshest and the heat has not built up. Keep your bags light, because everything you buy must travel home with you.

In the lanes of Side old town you will find leather goods, ceramics, textiles and jewellery. Prices at tourist stalls are often discussed, so compare two or three shops before you decide. The evening is lively, but the shops are quieter in the morning.

Look for these Turkish classics on menus along the coast:

• Meze plates to share, such as yoghurt with herbs, aubergine dishes and stuffed vine leaves
• Grilled fish and seafood at the harbour restaurants
• Köfte, the grilled meatballs found in almost every town
• Gözleme, a thin folded flatbread with cheese, spinach or potato
• Baklava and fresh fruit to finish, with Turkish tea or coffee

Many hotels in Sorgun, Çolaklı and Kumköy serve buffets. Even so, eat out once or twice. A dinner in Side or Manavgat shows a different side of the coast.

The coast east of Antalya attracts golfers who play in the Belek area, cyclists, divers and families with several children. Each group needs a little planning.

Count the pieces, not only the people. A golf bag, a bike box, a diving bag or a folded pushchair takes the space of a passenger. When you book, list every large item, so we can suggest a vehicle that holds your group and the gear together. A sedan suits a couple with normal bags. A minivan suits a family with a pushchair, or four golfers with their bags. For bigger groups, choose a larger vehicle or two cars.

• Pack bike boxes and golf bags in hard or well-padded cases, because the driver loads them at the kerb.
• If your group splits between two hotels in Side, say so at booking. The zone is wide, and the drive between Sorgun and the old town adds minutes.
• For a pickup in Kaleiçi, large cases are hard to move in the narrow lanes. The driver will tell you the nearest point where the car can stop.

An evening departure leaves a long gap after hotel check-out. It can be a pleasant extra day if you plan it well.

Ask reception whether your bags can stay in the luggage room until the pickup. Then take a light bag with swimwear, a towel and a change of clothes. Ask whether the hotel offers a shower for use after the beach.

A simple order works well:

1. Spend the morning on the beach or in the old town, when the streets are quiet.
2. Eat a late lunch at the harbour, so that you are not hungry on the road.
3. Return to the hotel in the early afternoon, change, and collect your bags.
4. Meet the driver at the time you confirmed the evening before.

Do not use the spare hours for a long excursion. A boat trip or a drive to Alanya can overrun and cut into the margin you built for Saturday traffic. Keep the last day close to your hotel, and keep the pickup time fixed.

Before you leave, check passports, chargers and the room safe. The most common last-day loss is a charger left plugged in behind the bed.