Car hire Ankara

Introduction

Ankara is the capital of Turkey. It's however not the largest city of the country, which is Istanbul. In the city many remainders can be found from the Greek, Roman and Byzantine times. Ankara also has a pleasant, old center and many interesting museums.

Population

The city has over four million inhabitants.

Location

Ankara is centrally located in Turkey on the Anatolian plateau at about 350 kilometres southeast of Istanbul. The oldest part of the city was built on the left bank of the Ankara Çayı. The last few years the city has grown tremendously. A hundred years ago, before Atatürk proclaimed Ankara capital, the city only had some tens of thousands inhabitants; now there are more than four million. So there are vast suburbs.

Economy

Istanbul is the economic heart of Turkey. Ankara is mainly relying on its status of capital. The city council therefore plays an important role as does education. The city also functions as the trade center for products from the surrounding agrarian region.

Airports

Esenboğa International Airport is located 28 kilometers northeast of the city. The recently completely renovated airport is easily reachable by rental car from the beltway around Ankara (O-20). The exit to the airport (via D-140) is clearly indicated.

Public Transport

Ankara has a good public transport system. Busses run very frequently. They are however often crowded during rush hour. The same applies to the metro. Turkey's capital disposes of two metro lines that meet at Kızılay station.

Traffic and Parking

Especially in the old center with a lot of one-way streets, it can be difficult to find your way around. Finding a parking space in the street is also difficult. Fortunately there are various parking garages (Otoparkı) in the city center where you can park your rental car safely and for a reasonable price.

Hotels

Ankara offers a good supply of accommodation. Cheap guesthouses are mostly found in the Ulus district, in the old town center. Ankara is not a tourist draw such as Istanbul. In general you therefore don't need to book your hotel room long time in advance.

External Sources

For more information about Ankara we recommend Google and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Ankara
• Official website Ankara (Turkish, English)
• Tourist Information Ankara (English)