Avsallar→Antalya Airport

The last morning of a holiday in Avsallar always feels slightly rushed. Suitcases are half-closed, someone is hunting for a missing sandal, and everyone keeps glancing at the clock and wondering about the road. A private transfer from Avsallar to Antalya Airport (AYT) takes that worry away. The drive is 104 km and takes about 79 minutes in normal conditions, which is a little over an hour and a quarter of sitting back while the coast slides past the window.

Turkey Transfer is a local, family-run team based on this stretch of coast, and we plan every Avsallar departure around your actual flight, not around a guess. Give us your flight number when you book. We then work backwards from your departure time, add a sensible buffer for the road and for check-in, and agree a pickup time with you. All you need to do is be ready in the lobby.

This page walks through the whole journey: the road itself, how to choose your pickup time, what to expect at the terminal, and how to use a long last day in the best way. It also covers the corners of Avsallar and its neighbouring villages, in case you are still deciding where to stay on a future visit, and the day trips worth saving for next time.

Avsallar sits at the western edge of the Alanya district. That makes it one of the closer Alanya-area resorts to Antalya, though it is still a proper cross-district drive and not a short hop. The trip uses the main coastal corridor westward: the D-400 coast road and, for part of the way, the faster motorway link that runs parallel to it. Your driver chooses the better option on the day, depending on traffic and on where you are staying.

The 79-minute figure is what the journey takes with ordinary traffic and no unusual hold-ups. It is a useful baseline, not a promise about any one morning. Treat it as the shortest sensible time and plan around it, not on top of it.

Heading west out of Avsallar, you leave the Alanya side of the coast behind and enter the Manavgat district. The landscape stays much the same for a long stretch: the sea on your left, the Taurus foothills inland on your right, and a steady string of hotel complexes, orange groves, greenhouses and small roadside towns between them.

The stretch near Manavgat and the Side junction is the busiest part of the whole drive. Side is one of the best-known ancient sites on the coast, and its signs are hard to miss. Manavgat itself is a working town with a river, a bridge and the traffic that goes with both.

After Manavgat the road moves into the Serik district and the Belek resort belt, a long run of golf courses and large beach hotels. Belek has its own flow of airport traffic, which is why it matters for timing. A few minutes beyond it come Aksu and then the airport. If you are watching the clock, Belek is the point at which the airport feels close.

Outside the peak months, the drive is calm. Mornings and middays can run close to the 79-minute figure, and early-morning departures often run smoothly because the coast road is still quiet.

In July and August the picture changes. Holiday traffic builds around Manavgat and Belek, and transfer vehicles, buses and rental cars all queue for the same junctions. In these months it is sensible to allow an extra 20 to 30 minutes on top of the normal journey. We add that margin to your pickup time automatically, so it is never a surprise on the day.

Weekends deserve a little extra thought. Many hotels change guests on the same days, so the roads between resort areas and the airport carry more vehicles at certain hours. Your driver knows these patterns well and will tell you if the day looks heavier than usual.

Road works, a vehicle breaking down on the coast road, or a slow lorry on a single carriageway can all cost a few minutes. This is the reason we never plan a pickup that leaves only the bare minimum of time. A transfer that arrives early is a pleasant start to a journey. A transfer that arrives late is not.

Pickup time depends on three things: your flight time, the length of the drive, and how early you want to be at check-in.

For international departures, plan to be at the terminal about three hours before the flight. That gives time for the bag-drop queue, passport control and security without hurrying. If you are travelling with children, extra luggage or a group, a little more is better than a little less.

Here is a simple way to think about it:

• Start with your departure time.
• Subtract about three hours to find your target arrival at the terminal.
• Subtract the drive: about 79 minutes in normal conditions, with a summer margin on top.
• Subtract a few minutes for loading the luggage and leaving the hotel.

The result is your pickup time. We do this calculation for you when you book, but it helps to know how it works, so that you can see why an afternoon flight sometimes still means a late-morning pickup.

If your flight leaves before dawn or in the first hours of the morning, the pickup will be in the middle of the night. The roads are quiet then, which is useful, but the hotel is quiet too. Tell reception the evening before, and ask whether a breakfast box is possible, since the main restaurant may be closed at that hour. It is worth asking in advance.

An evening or late-night flight leaves you with a full last day. The usual problem is checkout, because hotel rooms are normally released around midday. Ask reception about luggage storage and about a late checkout, and agree on a time with your driver once you know what the hotel can offer. Our drivers can collect you from the lobby, from a restaurant in the village, or from a sightseeing stop along the route.

We regularly collect guests from Granada Luxury Beach, Rubi Platinum SPA Resort & Suites, Utopia Resort & Residence and Annabella Diamond Hotel & Spa in Avsallar. Guests at Özkaymak Incekum Hotel and Özkaymak Select Resort Hotel, a little further toward Konaklı, receive exactly the same door-to-door service. Kolibri Hotel, Grand SunLife and Pegasos Royal are equally familiar to our drivers.

Your driver waits in the lobby with a name board at the agreed time, and we let reception know as well. The evening before departure we send the driver's name and estimated arrival time over WhatsApp, so there is nothing to wonder about on the morning itself.

Large resorts can have long driveways, several buildings and more than one entrance. Because our drivers know the entrances and drop-off points of the hotels above, they do not spend time looking for the right door. If you are staying somewhere else in Avsallar or nearby, just give us the hotel name and any room or block information that helps, and we will find it.

Antalya Airport lies on the far side of Aksu, east of the city of Antalya, and it serves the whole Turkish Riviera. The terminal complex is large and busy, especially in the summer months, with many flights leaving in the same few hours.

Your driver brings the vehicle to the departures area, helps with the luggage and points you toward the correct entrance. Tell us your airline when you book, since that helps your driver choose the right drop-off point. Check the terminal printed on your ticket or on your airline's message, because the airport uses more than one terminal building.

Once inside, you will normally go through a first security check at the entrance, then find your airline's check-in desk or bag-drop point, then go through passport control, then a second security check. Each step can have a queue. This is the reason we plan around three hours for international flights and do not cut it close.

The standard fare covers one large suitcase and hand luggage per passenger. If you are travelling with a surfboard, golf clubs or extra cases, say so when you book so that we send a vehicle with enough room.

Baby and child seats are available on request. Please tell us the age of each child at the time of booking, so that the right seat is fitted before the vehicle arrives.

You can pay in cash or by card on the day. The price is agreed at booking, so there is no need to negotiate at the roadside or to watch a meter.

If your flight is in the evening, there is no reason to spend the day in the lobby with your bags. Avsallar rewards a slow last morning.

The beach at Avsallar is a long strip of fine, golden sand, and it is quieter than the beaches of the larger resorts. A last walk along the water early in the morning, before the sun beds fill up, is a good way to end a stay.

A short taxi ride away is Incekum Beach, within the Günnücek nature park. The name means "fine sand," and the pine forest that backs the shore makes it feel different from the hotel beaches. Many visitors find the pine-scented path down to the water one of the prettiest short walks in the area.

On the hill behind Avsallar are the ruins of Syedra, an ancient city that most visitors never hear about. There are remains of a colonnaded street, baths and an agora, and the views run in two directions: toward the sea on one side and the Taurus foothills on the other. It is a short ride from the village, and it makes a good morning visit if you want something other than the beach.

Heading east toward Alanya, the Dim River valley is known for its riverside restaurants. Fish, salad and cold drinks beside the water are a favourite last-day lunch for many regular visitors. Because the valley is east of Avsallar and the airport is west, plan this as a morning or early-afternoon visit with a clear return time in mind.

Two famous places sit directly on the road to the airport. The first is Side, with its ancient theatre, its harbour and the temple ruins at the water's edge. The second is the Manavgat waterfall, a short distance inland from the main road. A half-day stop at either one does not need a long detour, and we can collect you from there and drive straight on to AYT.

Avsallar is a small coastal town with its own centre, a weekly market, pharmacies, small supermarkets and a high street that stays lively in the evening. It feels like a Turkish town and not like a resort bubble, which is a big part of its appeal.

The hotels cluster along the shore and on the slopes behind it, and many of them are all-inclusive. That suits families, couples and anyone who wants to arrive, unpack and stop thinking about logistics.

Avsallar suits holidaymakers who want a long beach, a calm atmosphere and a real village within reach. It is a good base for families with young children because the beach is gentle and the hotels are used to families. It also suits couples who want a quiet week with an occasional evening walk in the village.

Incekum is the area around the nature park and the beach of the same name. It suits visitors who value trees and shade. The hotels here sit close to the pine forest, and the surroundings are greener than much of the coast.

East of Avsallar, toward Alanya, lie Türkler and Konaklı. Both share the same easy beach-and-hotel rhythm. They are good choices for travellers who want a resort stay with slightly easier access to Alanya town itself. The Özkaymak hotels mentioned above sit toward the Konaklı side.

West of Avsallar, in the direction of Antalya, lies Okurcalar. It has a similar quiet, resort-based character and is slightly closer to the airport. Guests staying there will find the drive a little shorter than the figure on this page, and the transfer works the same way.

Evenings in Avsallar are relaxed. Many guests eat at their all-inclusive hotels, but the village has plenty of choice for those who want a change. Turkish grills, fish places, pide and lahmacun restaurants and small cafés line the main streets.

A good last-night routine is a walk through the village, a glass of fresh orange juice or a Turkish tea, and perhaps a small gift from the market or a local shop. Olive oil, spices, Turkish delight and dried fruit are all easy to take home. If you buy anything liquid, keep it for your checked bag.

If you are leaving very early, eat a proper dinner and go to bed. If you are leaving in the evening, leave time for a relaxed last lunch rather than a rushed one. Either way, confirm the pickup time with us before you go out for the evening, so that you know exactly when you are expected in the lobby.

Travelling with children changes the plan in small ways, and a transfer that is easy for adults can be tiring for a child.

The journey takes about 79 minutes in normal traffic, which is long enough for a baby to need feeding and for a toddler to get restless. Plan the last meal so that children are not hungry at pickup, and keep snacks, water and a favourite toy in a bag you can reach without opening the suitcases.

Tell us the age of each child when you book. We fit baby and child seats on request, and the right seat depends on the age and weight of the child. This is not something to settle at the kerb.

Start earlier than you think you need to. A family with young children moves slowly through a terminal, and a calm check-in is worth more than a rushed one. If a child naps in the car, you will arrive at the airport with an easier few hours ahead.

For a long departure day, consider asking the hotel for a quiet corner or a spare room for the children to rest, if your checkout was earlier than your pickup.

Many visitors ask how early to leave for the flight home. For an international departure from AYT, aim to be at the terminal about three hours before the flight. Then add the 79-minute drive. In July and August, add a further 20 to 30 minutes.

If your flight is at 10:00, for example, you plan to reach the terminal around 07:00. Counting back the drive and the loading time, that means leaving the hotel in the early hours, so confirm the exact pickup time the day before. Set an alarm and ask reception for a wake-up call. If anything delays you on the morning, tell the driver as soon as you can, because a few minutes of notice lets us adjust.

Avsallar is a good base for exploring, and several of the best sights lie close to the road you take to the airport. If you are planning a longer stay or a return visit, here are some ideas.

About 25 to 30 minutes east of Avsallar, Alanya has a castle on a rocky peninsula, the Kızıl Kule (Red Tower) at the old shipyard, and Cleopatra Beach. Damlataş Cave, in the town, is known locally for the air inside, which many people say eases breathing.

Further into the valley, around 30 to 35 minutes away, Dim Cave is the longest stalactite cave in Turkey that is open to visitors. Fish restaurants line the Dim River nearby, and in summer there is river tubing for those who want to cool off.

Roughly 35 to 40 minutes toward Manavgat, you reach Side with its ancient ruins, and the Manavgat waterfall. Both are easy day trips and, as noted above, both lie on the road to the airport, so they can also fit into a departure day.

Closer to Antalya are Aspendos, famous for a very well-preserved Roman theatre, and Perge, an ancient city with a long colonnaded street. Both are in the Antalya area, within reach of the airport side of the coast, and both are better with a driver than with a bus timetable.

In the city of Antalya itself, the Düden Waterfalls and the old town of Kaleiçi, with its narrow streets, harbour and Ottoman houses, make a good half-day.

The coast has a Mediterranean climate with long, hot, dry summers and mild winters. The sea season is long, running from spring into the autumn.

April and May are green and comfortable. The sea is still cool, but the days are pleasant, and the roads are quiet. This is a good time for sightseeing, because the ruins at Syedra, Side and Aspendos are much more comfortable to visit than at midsummer.

June to September is peak beach season. Days are hot, the sea is warm and the resorts are busy. Traffic is heavier, particularly around Manavgat and Belek, so the extra 20 to 30 minutes in our planning matters most in these months.

September and October are warm, the sea is still pleasant and the crowds start to thin. Many regular visitors consider this the best time for a relaxed beach holiday.

Winters are mild compared with northern Europe, though some hotels and restaurants close or reduce their services. The drive to the airport is quieter, with fewer vehicles on the coast road, and the journey tends to be close to the standard 79 minutes.

Give us your name, your hotel in Avsallar, the number of passengers, your flight number and departure time, and any extra luggage or child seats. We confirm the pickup time and send the driver's name the evening before. If your flight time moves, message us on WhatsApp and the pickup moves with it. The route covers 104 km and about 79 minutes in normal conditions, with a margin for summer traffic.

Whether you leave at dawn, at noon or after a long last evening, the plan is the same: a driver in the lobby, a calm road to the terminal, and time to spare at check-in. That is how a good holiday should end.