Both Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines offer plenty of flight choice from Istanbul to Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport. When you've finished your Izmir side-trip, there are hourly buses to Bodrum from Izmir Otogar (bus station), taking three hours for the trip. 3. From Istanbul to Bodrum by Bus. Street view in Bodrum. Both Ankara and Izmir are modern cities, but their roots predate, say, Istanbul and Ankara is easily the older of the two, and so are the archaeological sites around Ankara. Ankara also has the better museums. That being said, Izmir is prettier and closer to the relatively modern ruins of Pergamum or Ephesus, etc. Report inappropriate content. Sweet, sticky Turkish delight is on offer in every colour of the rainbow while salty sour olives range from deep black-purple to bright green. A visit to Kemaraltı Market is definitely one of the tastiest things to do in Izmir. Address: Konak, Anafartalar Cd. Opening hours: every day from 8 AM – 8 PM. Marmaris has more humidity and is a hotter resort than Bodrum. So if you don’t mind baking hot temperatures, choose Marmaris. If on the contrary, you prefer a bit of a cool breeze – then go to Bodrum. Both Marmaris and Bodrum are resort-cities popular with Turkish and European youth. *Narlidere is further away from the center of Izmir. Better than Balcova in that sense but still can not meet the criteria. *Start thinking with the rea from Guzelbahce. You are then both in Izmir and outside Izmir. *If you drive little bit further away, then you come to the Urla area where some working at the Nato base in Izmir reside. Istanbul has a larger population, and is about 3.2 times larger than the population of Ankara. When comparing the sizes of Ankara and Istanbul, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. As Izmir doesn’t get many international tourists, Kemeraltı is very local-oriented, making it a more authentic and laidback experience than Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar. Interestingly, this area was the location of an ancient port castle that ceased to be of use once the original port silted up in Ottoman times. In the winter, Istanbul is a little warmer than Milan. Typically, the winter temperatures in Istanbul in January average around 6°C (43°F), and Milan averages at about 5°C (41°F). In the winter, Istanbul often gets less sunshine than Milan. Istanbul gets 75 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Milan receives 119 hours of full sun. mrUC.