Car ferries operated by Gestaş cruise across the Dardanelles hourly (weather permitting), connecting Çanakkale withKilitbahir (15 minutes) and Eceabat (25 minutes), and Gelibolu with Lapseki (25 minutes)(map).
With ticket purchase and waiting time to board, plan on at least an hour for your crossing.
If you are driving from Europe, Greece or Bulgaria to the Aegean Coast or Anatolian Turkey, it makes sense to take these car ferries rather than to brave the intense (and unpleasant) traffic of Istanbul.
Fares
One-way/single fare for a car and driver is TL35, for a pedestrian or car passenger TL2 per person; round-trip/return fares are twice these amounts. At Gelibolu, in addition to the ferry fare, the municipality levies a TL4 per-car usage fee for the port.
Kilitbahir—Çanakkale Car Ferry
Çanakkale-Kilitbahir is the shortest distance and voyage time ( 12 to 15 minutes) in crossing of the Dardanelles. Sailings from Çanakkale are at 06:00, 07:00, 08:00, and at least every 30 minutes thereafter until 21:45 (9:45 pm); then at 22:30, 23:30 and 01:00.
From Kilitbahir, sailings are at 05:30, 06:30, 07:30, and at least every 30 minutes thereafter until 21:15 (9:15 pm); then at 22:15, 23:15 and 00:15. Use the Eceabat or Gelibolu ports in the middle of the night.
One-way/single fare for a car and driver is TL35, for a pedestrian or car passenger TL2 per person; round-trip/return fares are twice these amounts.
Eceabat—Çanakkale Car Ferry
Departures from Eceabat are at 02:00, 04:00 and 06:00 am, then every hour on the hour from 07:00 am until 24:00 (00:00, midnight), year-round. In summer, there are extra sailings between 07:00 am and 24:00 (midnight).
The voyage takes about 25 minutes. One-way/single fare for a car and driver is TL40, for a pedestrian or car passenger TL2 per person. If you cross and re-cross with a car the same day, the round-trip/return fare is TL45 total.
Departures from Çanakkale are at 01:00 am, 03:00 am and 05:00 am, then every hour, on the hour, from 07:00 am until 24:00 (midnight). In summer, there are sailings every 30 minutes between 07:00 am and 24:00 (midnight).
Gelibolu—Lapseki Car Ferry
Departures from Lapseki (30 km/19 miles northeast of Çanakkale) and from Gelibolu (40 km/25 miles northeast of Eceabat—map) are supposedly every hour on the hour, 24 hours a day, but in fact boats seem to load all the time and to sail as soon as filled. Several boats may be filling at the same time. They all sail to the same destination.
One-way/single fare for a car and driver is TL40, for a pedestrian or car passenger TL3 per person. If you cross and re-cross with a car the same day, the round-trip/return fare is TL45 total.
Tickets & Boarding
If you are going by car, in the busy summer season, especially on weekends and holidays, be at the dock at least a half hour before departure time and get in line for boarding. Walk-on passengers should buy their tickets 15 minutes before departure. Off season, drive up and (usually) drive on.
Schedule Information
The Gestaş website is fairly easy to use…if you know some Turkish. (Last time I looked, the English version was unavailable.) You may want to ask a friend for translation help.
—by Tom Brosnahan
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