Notes from the road between Antalya and Side

An hour in a van is a long conversation. Somewhere around the Aspendos junction, most passengers start asking things: is the old town walkable, which day is the market, is the waterfall worth it, can we drink the tap water, will the children be all right in the heat. We answer the same good questions all season, so we have written the answers down, as plainly and practically as we would say them on the D400.

These notes are not a guidebook. They do not cover every museum or rank restaurants. They focus on the practical side of being here: getting from A to B, timing things around the heat and the traffic, and avoiding the small mistakes that cost a morning.

• April and May: warm days, cool evenings, green hills and wildflowers. The sea is still fresh, but sightseeing is at its most comfortable
• June to September: long, hot, dry days, often well above 30 °C in July and August. The sea is warm, the beaches are full and the D400 is at its busiest, especially on Saturdays
• October: often the sweetest month, with warm sea, softer sun and quieter roads
• November to March: mild by northern European standards but with most of the year's rain. Some resort hotels close for the winter, while Manavgat and Side old town stay lived-in

In high summer, plan outdoor sightseeing such as Aspendos or the old town for the early morning or the evening, and keep the middle of the day for the shade and the sea. The ruins at Side are open to the sky, and the stone holds the heat well into the afternoon.

Check the entry rules for your passport before you travel, as they differ from country to country and can change. The local currency is the Turkish lira, but euros and pounds are widely accepted in resort areas, and cards work in most hotels, restaurants and larger shops. Smaller market stalls in Manavgat prefer cash in lira.

Mobile roaming can be expensive outside the EU tariffs some travellers are used to, so many people switch data off on landing and rely on Wi-Fi. That is no problem for a booked transfer, since the driver is waiting for your name, not your call. Once at the hotel, it is worth saving our WhatsApp number for local rides later in the week.

Turkish is the local language, but English is widely spoken in hotels, shops and restaurants along the coast, and German and Russian are common too. A few words go a long way: merhaba for hello and teşekkürler for thank you.