On a recent trip to Ovacik I endeavoured to get there by the cheapest means as amongst others I object to the high cost of private transfers.

I arrived late afternoon via an Onur air flight from Glasgow intending to catch the Havas transfer bus to Fethiye but because this leaves from the domestic terminal, I got there only to see it disappearing from view.

Undeterred, I got a taxi to the Otagar in Dalaman (cost 20 YTL) and a Dolmus to Fethiye Otagar (cost 5YTL) There isn’t much room for a lot of luggage however and I was pushed to get my suitcase in the boot, but the driver and his assistant cheerfully rearranged the other luggage to accommodate mine.

I might have been able to get a Dolmus to Ovacik for 2.5 YTL but again if these are pretty full there isn’t room for a lot of luggage. This Scot relented (must have been the heat !) and got a taxi for a further 20 YTL making a grand total of 45 YTL or £16.50 (this was the end of July when the exchange rate was around 2.70 YTL to the pound.)

On the return trip in order to catch a 6AM flight I caught a Dolmus into Fethiye before midnight when they mostly stop running, for 2.5 YTL but then had to wait until 02.20 for the Havas bus from the Marina. It also meant a good walk down to the marina but it was a beautifully balmy night so I could take my time and the time spent by the marina was very pleasant. The transfer cost 16 YTL , so a total of 18.5 YTL equated to around £7.

In all, the round trip cost a total of £23.50 as opposed to the £60 a two way private transfer would have cost.

So if you’re on your own, prepared to go out of your way a bit and spend time waiting it can be done a lot more cheaply. But I have to accept that if you’re tired and tetchy from a 4 hour flight, maybe with delays thrown in, a transfer from door to door can be much more appealing.

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