GETTING TO ANKARA

• Fly directly into Ankara from a European city. In June Lufthansa has two daily flights from Frankfurt to Ankara. Austrian Airlines flies a few times a week from Vienna, and Alitalia flies on Saturdays from Rome. Flying directly to Ankara is strongly suggested.
• Fly to Istanbul from almost any major European city and NYC/JFK and Chicago (direct via Turkish airlines). All major airlines have lots of scheduled flights into Istanbul.

After clearing through immigration and customs, you can switch to the domestic terminal and fly into Ankara with Turkish Airlines. You can purchase your domestic tickets from your travel agent. The cost is about $150 round trip, and it is a 45 minute flight.

You can also take cab to the intercity bus terminal in Istanbul and take a bus to Ankara. There are buses every hour or more frequently. It is strongly suggested that you try to get a ticket on either the VARAN Bus Co. or ULUSOY Bus Co. buses. Both have certain services where either the lower deck is nonsmoking or the whole bus is nonsmoking. Once you clear Istanbul, the trip to Ankara takes about 4.5-5 hours on the freeway. The buses of these companies are very comfortable with all relevant amenities. The cost is about $20 one way. You can purchase RT tickets with a certain discount. Other bus companies are also OK.

• There are also daily buses to Istanbul from various nearby countries like Bulgaria, Romania, etc.
• Certain airlines also have flights to Izmir on the west coast of Turkey. You may fly there and then take Turkish Airlines to Ankara. Check with your travel agent for details.

 If you arrive Ankara by VARAN or ULUSOY buses, you are already very close to Bilkent. Just take a 5 minute cab ride to the Hotel Bilkent or to the University Main Building. If you arrive by any other bus, the bus will take to the main bus terminal in Ankara which is also very close to Bilkent. Take a cab from the terminal to your destination.

Bilkent University and Bilkent Hotel are on the western outskirts of the city proper, about 8 km from the city center (Kizilay). From the city, take the Eskisehir highway, to the Bilkent exchange/overpass (just before which you will see various signs with Bilkent or Real in it), and 3km after the overpass you will come to traffic lights and see on the right tall metal post with BILKENT CENTER on it. For Bilkent Hotel turn left and go straight, pass the next light (do not follow right here) and 300 meters later turn right to Hotel Bilkent entrance. For Bilkent University (where the dorms are) follow straight from the first lights and you will come the University gate. If necessary, tell the security staff that you are attending the  symposium and you will be staying in the dorms. The symposium will be held in the Fine Arts Faculty conference center (couple hundred meters from the dorms.) During the symposium  we will provide shuttle service between the site and the Hotel.

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