Hi chrris,
Try theses for flights
http://www.firstchoice.co.uk
http://www.flythomascook.com

Get in touch with your hotel re, local transfer, 1 big piece of advice is obviously you need to be flying into Bodrum airport ( just read your hotel is 40kms from airport so expect to be paying about £20 - £25 each way for your transfers )

Just had a look for flights for you, there is one from Manchester at 22.45 on the 5th, will get in to Bodrum around 05.00 on the 6th and returning on the 13th at 04.25 from Bodrum for £379. for 2 people, that is through thomascook, you will have to alter your booking with the hotel by 1 day though

As for currency it is Y.T.L. , ( yeni turk lira ) the exchange rate varies from month to month but when we were there the rate was about 2.7 to the £, we normally take about £50 worth of turk lira with us then change or get money from the A.T.M's as we need it.

The weather in May is normally fantastic, hot during the day but it can be chilly at night, so suggest partner takes a cardi or something,

Anything else just ask away

Kev

Hi Kev

Thank you so much for your advice - sorry for not replying sooner - major ISP problems AND nightmare Xmas shopping All weather connected!!!

Re transfers - 40km is not too bad, but I will definitely contact the hotel about this - hopefully they will be able to suggest something a bit cheaper than £25/£20 - but if not so be it!!

Re flights - thanks for taking the time to look for me - as usual I'm in the "book now and be sure" OR "wait a bit a to see if something else comes up" quandry I'm like this every time we go away I will keep looking over the next month or so cos we would prefer to fly exact date and, if possible, earlier in the day on the 5th.

Re currency - your thoughts match mine. As we use Nationwide we always take only minimum local currency then use ATMs. Will keep an eye on the exchange rate over the next couple of months!!

Re weather - sounds just exactly what I had expected. Cardis - the "other half" is a bit of a boring old f**t about his clothes - but he hasn't been reduced to cardis just yet

I will most definitely take up your offer of further help!! How often and where have you been in Turkey - if you don't mind me asking

Chris

Hi Chris,
I thought about the cardi after i wrote the reply, and thought that maybe the post was from a female but decided not to alter it anyway, just a point though, i'm 50 and wear them however they are the trendier type, not the old knitted one's granny used to make
We have been going to Turkey for the past 14 odd years, 1st icmeler, 2nd Altinkum, 3rd Gumbet (nr Bodrum ) but for the last 9 or 10 years we have been going to Ovacik which is Olu Deniz region ( Fethiye / Hisaronu ) and now normally we go there twice a year, out of all the places we have been/ seen there is only 1 place that we would never go back to, I won't mention it by name because it may well upset the regulars that go there
so anyway good luck with your flights search, i just tried searching again and found same flight for £ 344 this time but it was through http://www.flightline.co.uk that is for 2 people, sorry i'm taking it for granted that there are only 2 of you travelling,
I honestly think that because Bodrum is not as well used as say Dalaman that there may well be fewer flights to choose from so you may well have no choice but to take that flight, if i'm wrong then i'm sure that someone will correct me.
Cheers Kev

Hi Kev

Cardis my OH is muuuuch older than you but says he wouldn't be caught dead in one - it's an age thing His daughter bought him a really trendy one for Xmas a couple of years ago - it is still languishing - in its wrapping paper - at the back of the wardrobe

You obviously love Turkey - going back so often I think I can guess where it is that you would not return (some friends have been there and say the same thing - but have returned to Turkey), but as I too don't want to upset anybody will mention no names

I am hoping that this visit of ours is going to convince the OH - I've been trying to get to Turkey for about 5 years now but he keeps saying "I don't fancy it!!" He is one of those "I don't want to go back to the same place again" freaks, so I gave him the option - Turkey or Portugal again (we were there in May this year and I loved it). Then when I showed him the information about the accommodation he became his usually enthusiastic self - "Oh that looks OK doesn't it". Which was enough for me - I booked it - without doing my usual research about flights, etc

Thanks for the link to Flightline - I have used them many times before so will probably give them a ring and ask them what they can come up with. I have also used Dialaflight in the past might try them too My main problem with the flights found so far - is the timing but I will persevere - should be able to find something over the next four months

Yes - you are right in assuming it's just the two of us - all encumbrances flew the nest many years ago - which is why we have been able to holiday at least three times a year over the past few years
Thanks again for your help

hi chrisrow
kevin is right about all aspects, if you go to links on my site i have direct links to a number of flight companies please try that it could help
regards
john

Hi John

Thanks for the links - very helpful
Regards

Chris

not a problem chris glad to help happy christmas

Just thought I'd let you know - I've found the right flight at last

Booked with http://www.goldtrail.co.uk - depart 5th May from Manchester at 10.00 am - return from Bodrum Saturday 12th at 6.00 am - including flight meal ( ) - £328 for both of us

I'm well pleased 'cos I've got exactly what I wanted timing wise at, what I think, is a very good price
Now maybe I can start thinking about Chrimbo

Hi Chris,
Well done, yes you got a good price on the flights, well resonable for that tme of year anyway and good times too.
Merry Christmas.
Kev

Chris not wanting to put a damper on anything but i noticed you said you used Nationwide. Hope it's a visa card or similar as we were unable to get money from the ATM's with Nationwide. Mind i think ours may only be link?? Let your bank know too when you are travelling as for the first time this year we had terrible problems getting money from ATM, infact we were refused by many although funds were available. My son, who hadn't come on holiday with us, text to say the bank had phoned and i had to ring them. I suppose they are cautious now due to fraud. When i got home i rang them and they said in future please let them know when we are away

Hi Hev

Thanks for that - yes I thought it was a reasonable price too. But you never know with these things - if I find something cheaper later on I will be well p****d off It's something to do with my tartan blood

I haven't sorted out transfers yet - will work on that after Christmas

Hi al321

Thanks to you too Our cards are Visa and we have never had a problem using ATM's abroad - but as this is our first time to Turkey I will take your advice and check with Nationwide before we go

Merry Christmas