Istanbul/Sea of Marmara
High-speed catamarans and car ferries operate from Istanbul to Yalova (a quick way to get to Bursa), Bandirma and other towns around the Sea of Marmara. These ferries can cut driving times if you're heading for Bursa, Bandirma, Canakkale or the Aegean coast. For a full timetable, ticket prices and online booking visit www.ido.com.tr.
Black Sea
Turkish Maritime Lines operate a weekly ferry service along the Black Sea coast in summer, departing
Istanbul on Monday calling at Sinop, Samsun, Trabzon and Rize, before returning via the same ports,
arriving back in Istanbul again on Friday.
You can find a list of agencies for booking at
www.tdi.com.tr/eng/acentalar.shtml
Istanbul-Izmir
TML also operate an overnight ferry service between Istanbul and Izmir during the summer, which
departs Friday evening, arriving in Izmir on Saturday morning. On the return leg, the ship departs Izmir
Sunday evening, arriving in Istanbul early Monday morning. This is a lovely way to travel between the two
cities, particularly coming from Izmir when the minarets and domes of Old Istanbul greet you as you
steam across the Sea of Marmara.
You can find a list of agencies for booking at
www.tdi.com.tr/eng/acentalar.shtml