Well that was a short and sweet visit to Catania. The reason I was there was to relocate before my travel day, breaking up what would otherwise have been an exhausting trip. This travel day flying from Catania to Antalya was much more manageable. I’m sure glad I had the sense to pre-book a private transfer though, I’ll tell you why.
CAT to IST
I had only a short bag drag across the street in the wee hours of the morning darkness, to the bus stop. Luckily, my transportation arrived quickly, and I was on the bus and headed to the airport in no time.
Catania airport is a decent size. There are a few stores before security, and a good selection after. Once I checked in, I found a quieter side of the departure lounge to enjoy my last Italian cornetto and cappuccino. I will surely miss these delectable morning treats.
One mistake I made here, was going through passport control too early. Because I was heading to Turkey which requires a visa for entry, I needed to pass through this extra checkpoint after security. The area past here, is tiny, and I had given myself extra ‘just in case’ time. So I was basically in one small room with a single hallway to spend the next hour or so.
The flight on Turkish Airlines was great! Nice good-sized seats with ample leg room. This was a two-hour flight, and guess what? We were served a full hot meal which included real metal cutlery! No way this would ever happen in Canada. You might get a small bag of pretzels if you are lucky.
Istanbul
The last time I flew into Istanbul I was at the SAW airport. This time however, my layover was in the IST airport, the larger and newer of the two.
The most ridiculous thing about this new airport is the size. For example, we landed at 12:47 (I have the video of the landing of course), and we taxied for 27 minutes! At 13:14 we parked close to the terminal, and then had to hop a bus to drive another 6 minutes to reach the actual terminal building! Madness!
Luckily, I had booked flights with a two-hour layover. We left Catania late because of a rain storm and then spent over 40 minutes getting to the terminal once we landed in Istanbul!
This new terminal is huge, like really huge. It is a cold empty space with very little character or feeling. There is plenty of seating but none right up close to the gates.
IST to AYT
I flew Turkish Airlines once again to Antalya and the flight was a little over an hour long. To my surprise, we were served a hot and substantial sandy! Chicken and tomato, it was airplane food, but was not too bad.
The flight was boring as we were over clouds virtually the entire time. A little peek through here and there, but that’s okay. Win some lose some.
Antalya
Landing in Antalya was uneventful. The arrivals hall is easy to navigate being fairly small. The wait for luggage was not too long. Once out the doors, there are rental car booths and a bank of ATM’s.
It was late afternoon and the skies were threatening. Thank goodness I had the sense to book a private transfer for this arrival. At the hotel in Catania yesterday, when I was figuring out how to get from the airport to the Airbnb, I decided to check the weather.
Private Transfer
The original plan was to take a bus into downtown Antalya, and then get a taxi from there. I was nervous about this, first of all, not speaking the language, no SIM card and no Turkish Lira.
Secondly, I would be getting off the bus in the dark and have to navigate a taxi ride, which are notoriously scammy to tourists here.
So when I checked the weather forecast and it was showing rain, I though to myself, no way Jose! Not going to be standing at a random bus stop in the dark and pouring rain, trying to figure out how to not get ripped off by a taxi.
So. I booked a ride with Suntransfers from the Antalya Airport to my Airbnb in Konyaalti. It was pure luxury to walk out of the terminal, find a kind gentleman holding up a sign with my name and handing over my suitcase. The cost was €23 or $33 CAD, and we were driving for over half an hour. Normally that is too much for me to pay, but in this case it was the right decision for me.
The ride was in a small bus I had to myself! I was instantly in Turkey mode, just from the interior decor of the vehicle. It was a long ride, much longer than I had anticipated, but I was dry, safe and taken right to the door of my new home.
