Do I Need Turkey Hotel Reservations?

Should you make all your hotel reservations in advance of your trip to Turkey?

It's a common question.

There's no simple answer, but here are points to consider:

1. Reserve Your First Night
It's a good idea to reserve at least the first night or two of your stay in Turkey. The day you arrive will be confusing and time-consuming enough without having to look at several hotels to find the room you want at a price you want to pay. If the hotel you've chosen in advance is not exactly what you want, you can always find another one—but you won't have to search for it that first night, tired, perhaps jet-lagged, and totally unfamiliar with Turkey.

2. Make "Rolling Reservations"
You can make "rolling reservations:" reserve your first few nights in Turkey in advance, before leaving home. As soon as you arrive in Turkey, ask your hotel clerk or a travel agency to help you make a reservation for your next destination(s). Have the names and phone numbers of a few hotels in each place you want to visit. This will help the clerk or travel agent to get started. If a chosen hotel is full, that hotel may recommend a similar hotel nearby.

3. Reserve Special Hotels
If there is a particular hotel or class of hotel that you really want to stay in, reserve your room in it as far in advance as possible. The most popular hotels may fill up at any time of year, summer or winter, particularly on weekends and holidays (both Islamic and non-Islamic).

4. Reserve at Peak Times
Each year is different in Turkish tourism. 2005 and 2007 were boom years so busy that some unlucky travelers spent nights sleeping in chairs in hotel lobbies because they had no advance reservation and all rooms were full. 2006 was a lot calmer, with most hotels having extra rooms available at most times of year. Watch TurkeyTravelPlanner.com for bulletins of how busy a year is shaping up to be, and plan accordingly.

High summer (mid-June, July, August, and early September) is the busiest time for visitors in Turkey, but May can also be very busy, and weekends, special events and holidays can fill hotels in certain places at any time of year.

5. Get to Your Next Destination Early
If you want to be a vagabond and find hotels when you arrive in a place, at least travel early in the day. This often works fine in Turkey if it's not a boom year or one of the busiest months. Get an early start on the road and plan to reach your destination by mid-afternoon—late afternoon at the latest!—to give yourself time to find the hotel you want. You will get the vacant room, while those who arrive in the evening or at night may be out of luck. Most hotels know by 10:00 am or 11:00 am if they will have rooms available for that night.

6. If All Else Fails...
If you find yourself in a new place in the evening and the hotels seem full, ask any hotelier to help you find a room. Turks are very hospitable and if the hotelier has the time and ability to help you, s/he probably will. But there may be little s/he can do if everything's full. You may end up paying more than you want, or staying farther away from the center, or in a hotel below your preferred standard.

In summary, there's no clear, consistent answer to the question "Should I reserve my hotel rooms in advance?" It depends on a number of factors. You must decide, guided by the tips above.

Where to Stay in Turkey

When's the best time to go to Turkey?

Where should I go? What should I see and do?

What about transport?

Recommended Itineraries

Travel Details

Site Index

Turkey Travel Planner Homepage

Hmmm... Looks good—but will it have a room for me?
Use the Venere box below to check on hotel room availability.

City
Lodging Type
Rating

Check in:
Check out:
Persons:
Rooms: