Nevşehir, Cappadocia, Turkey

Capital of a Cappadocian province of the same name,Nevşehir, 285 km (177 miles; 4 hours) south of Ankaraand 730 km (454 miles; 12 hours) southeast of Istanbul(map), is mostly a transfer point for tourists.

There's nothing wrong with the city of Nevşehir (NEHV-sheh-heer, "New City," alt. 4134 feet/1260 meters, pop. 95,000). It's mostly modern, having been founded only in late Ottoman times (a mere baby by Anatolianstandards!), although there have been settlements here for at least 5000 years.

It's got a fortress on a hill, a nice big museum a few decent hotels, and Cappadocia's major bus terminal.

In 2014 a gigantic underground city was discovered beneath the hilltop fortress. Excavation is continuing, but it will be years before this discover is opened to the public.

Until the underground city is ready for visitors, there's not much to hold you in Nevşehir. Most people just transferat the Nevşehir bus terminal on their way to or from towns such as Avanos, Göreme, Uçhisar, Ürgüp, or the Underground Cities of Kaymaklı and Derinkuyu (map).

You could use Nevşehir as a base for visits to Cappadociaand the Göreme Open-Air Museum, but Ürgüp and the town of Göreme are closer and more interesting.

Here's how to get to Cappadocia from Istanbul, İzmir & Ephesus, Pamukkale and Antalya by bus, car, train and plane.

By the way, many bus companies will sell you a ticket "to Göreme" or "to Ürgüp," but what they mean is that your big comfortable bus will go as far as Nevşehir, after which you must transfer to a servis minibus or taxi to be shuttled to the smaller town. (The transfer should be—and usually is—included in your bus fare. The major bus company serving Nevşehir—Nevşehir Seyahat—is usually dependable in this regard.) More...

Some less-than-honest bus companies actually just drop you in Nevşehir and let you fend for yourself. Ask the ticket agent specifically how you will be getting to your final destination.

The airport at Tuzköy, near Gülşehir, 30 km (19 miles) northwest of Nevşehir, is called the Nevşehir-Kapadokya Airport (NEV).

There are daily flights from Istanbul to Nevşehir, but more daily flights to to Kayseri's Erkilet Airport, making that the more common air route to and from Cappadocia. Airport shuttle vans serve both airports.

The nearest train stations are at Konya and Kayseri.

—by Tom Brosnahan