Hi there we have just returned from altinkum yesterday and it is very quiet out there at the minute. The weather was great for pretty most of the time but, this last weekend it was lashing down with rain and it was a bit chilly at night

my mam lives in turkey and she says its very quiet and the locals are getting worried. she also did say that the prices have gone up and some things are the same price or dearer than the uk and is wondering whether this could be 1 of the reasons why there are less visitors

just returned from marmaris/icmeler on tuesday.very quiet.our friends who were bed and breakfast where the only ones in there hotel.they could choose when they had breakfast and have anything they wanted ,british breakfast included at no cost,icmeler seemed busier than marmaris but then it is smaller.our apartments only had 2 room full where as they had 8 the same time last year.hassle seemed no worse than usual,market traders were trying to bump up their prices too.for thoose who have been before it was ok because you know what to pay.i think many people are booking last minute to get the cheap deals as travel agents prices are still quite high even though it was expected to be low prices due to last year been quite too

We are flying out from Cardiff on Sunday, staying at the Gardenya hotel in Bodrum. I hope it is pretty quiet, we were in Turkey when England played in some football tournament and it seemed like everyone stayed at home to watch it on the telly. We thought it much nicer with it less busy, more room in the bars and on the beach etc. It would be nice for us if it's the same this year. (Although I know not everyone feels like us)

to big phil were going again to the gardenya in august hope you enjoy your holiday give us a review cheers ian the saint

Well I don't know if there are other people who think this way but my brother is still debating over where to holiday this year, along with his wife's sister and her family. This sister doesn't want to go to Turkey again because she is worried about bombings/terrorist attacks.

Which is such a shame if a lot of people think like this.

Just returned 2 days ago from Icmeler and i thought it was pretty quiet even compared to last May

i have spoken to friends in icmeler and they say it is quite even before bombings
i just hope people dont get put of again because people rely on tourists for a living and it would be a shame if they suffer cause of it

just got back from hisaronu / olu it is a bit busier than last year although the season was late starting talking to many of my local friends who own hotels they say the main part of the season is fully booked although june seems very dead at the moment

I arrived back from marmaris 21st may and it seemed very quiet to me. I think a lot of it is to do with the prices. A lot of stuff, meals and drinks can be bought here in the UK cheaper. turkey is no longer a cheap place for a holiday

I must agree we came back from marmaris on 25/5/07,
the prices have gone sky high to the last time we went 4yrs ago.
Some nice meals but they were pricey, people go to turkey because
it is a buitifull country and because( it was cheap).but not any more.

ps: I dont think we will be going back unless we can pick up a good bargain.

how much were the meals and the drink(in pounds please).many thanks

I have been talking to 2 Restauraunt/Bar owners who have told me that this year is actually worse than last year, Prices are the same for this year as they were for last year, I was in Marmaris for a week at the end of April and I didnt notice any difference in Prices from October 2006, 5 course meals £6.99, Pint of effes beer £1.20, Remember this also with regards to Turkey, when it's busy the prices they charge actually go up as they change the boards/signs etc as and when they wish to.

A large efes was between 3 & 5 lira (£1.25 - £2.00)
A pizza was on average £6.00
Sunday lunch £7.20
Steak, chips and a bottle of water £10.00
Jacket potato and a can of fanta £4.40
English breakfast £2.00 (without tea or coffee)

Oh dear, I'm sad to hear that. I went to Turkey 2006 and 2005 and it was relatively cheap, but not as cheap as some would make out. It's either because it is quiet and these traders have to recoup their losses one way or another, or because of the success in tourism they have had over the years that they have seen fit to hike the prices, in the hope or knowledge that us Brits in particular would still cough up.

If I went again, and was paying those prices, I know the Turks could whistle for their tips! However only tip being is to tell them not to exploit us and lower their prices. Turkey's main attraction has always been down the value for money it once had...

Just back from a weeks holiday in Calis. We have been there several times over the last few years and it certainly is a lot quieter than normal. Prices have risen, you cannot blame the owners of the bars and restaurants because they still have their bills to pay and live!
In fact, one restaurant we have visited many times put their prices up for the meals by an average of 2 lira while we were there. I certainly don't begrudge paying more because the food is excellent and the service is second to none. Lets face it an increase of 2 lira is only about 80p.
We were still getting a three course meal with copious amounts of bread and garlic butter and an apple tea thrown in for under £6.80 each!
Bargain!!!!!!!!

Bodrum was very quiet and uncrowded last week, although BigPhil took up a lot of room!

As were the places we visited. Gumusluk and Camel Beach were near deserted. Pumakalle was nowhere near bustling but the pool was full to bursting with overly pushy Russians.

I've never been of the view that Turkey is particularly cheap. Admittedly, I can only go by the prices since I first went there (2004), and I have heard that Turkey was incredibly cheap back in the 90's, and early 2000's, but that certainly isn't the case now.

I've travelled extensively over Turkey, have visited most of the major resorts, and have spent months at a time living there. Except for the truly authentic Turkish cafes', most of the restaurants which cater for tourists, besides all having more or less the same menu, charge pretty much the same price: and I've never found it cheap!

Very often, restaurants will offer certain deals: 'Steak Diane £6.95!', but when you tot-up all the extras that most people have with their meal - a starter, salad, wine/beer, soft drink, dessert, the cost is comparable to many restaurants all over the world. I can buy a bottle of house wine in a London restaurant for £12 (very acceptable one too); in Turkey, a bottle of Yakut (equivalant standard) can cost as much as 30TL.

I'm sure if you're happy to dine in a Turkish cafe in some back street, drinking water or cay with your meal it will work out cheaply. I've eaten in those type of places (usually in the winter) and the food is often remarkably good; home-cooked style - typical Turkish, but if I was on a two-week holiday there, I would want to eat somewhere more special than that!

It isn't just food and drink either: taxi's and petrol are expensive. In fact, petrol is more expensive in Turkey than in the UK.

I sometimes take a taxi from Dalaman Airport to Fethiye and they ask for 100TL - which is more expensive than the UK. A taxi from my house to Heathrow/Gatwick (I'm in between the two) costs just £28.

Having said that, I am able to barter at Dalaman with the taxi drivers, and can often pay just 70TL for the trip.

But all in all, I don't think Turkey is a cheap country. And woe betide anyone who fancies a bottle of Jacob's Creek or Jack Daniel's; you'll need a bank loan to buy those in a supermarket! All imported goods are ridiculously expensive. Even Colman's mustard costs an arm and a leg.

The properties may be cheap, rates/water etc, and coach travel is amazingly cheap (and very good too!), but not much else is cheap. Except bread.

Strawberry

We've only gone AI to turkey & we do still eat out, but we pick pricy places. £30+ for a meal for 2. Paid £60 with without puddings or drinks at the White Dolphin! But there does seem to be lots of cheap places to choose from.

But I think the holiday package that you can actually book is fantastic value.

We've just come back from the Aegean Dream Resort Hotel, if that place were in Greece they would be charging double.

I think the markets are pretty cheap.

We went to Ephesus & entry was £4 each (for a wonder of the world)
& the mauseleoum £2 each (ditto)
Damn thats cheap.