A honeymoon in Türkiye: where, when and how long

In spring and autumn, Istanbul plus Sapanca or Bursa works well: the weather suits walking and there are fewer crowds. In summer the Aegean side comes forward; in Bodrum a boat trip round the bays and an evening at the marina. In winter people go to Uludag and Kartepe for snow, while in Istanbul a Bosphorus-view hotel becomes the centre of the plan.

Five to seven days is a balanced length: three days in Istanbul, one out of town, the rest free. Putting one main stop in each day and leaving afternoons open keeps the programme from becoming tiring. If there is a flight between two cities, do not count that day as a sightseeing day; the airport and waiting take half of it.

There are three separate honeymoon routes in Türkiye, and the choice follows what the couple wants.

For sea and quiet: the Aegean and the Mediterranean. On the Bodrum peninsula, Türkbükü and Göltürkbükü are known for their calm; on the Antalya side, the boutique hotels of Kemer and Kaleiçi. The swimming season runs from late May to October, with July and August both the hottest and the busiest.

For city and view: Istanbul. Hotels along the Bosphorus, an evening ferry, dinner at Ortaköy or Bebek. Istanbul is usually the beginning or the end of a honeymoon rather than all of it — three days there, then the coast.

For green and cool air: the Black Sea. Uzungöl and the highlands are the most chosen route in summer; away from the crowds, cool air. But the distances are long and the roads mountain roads; it suits couples who want to explore more than to rest.

The commonest combination is three or four days in Istanbul, then five on the coast by domestic flight. Because the two regions are opposites, the trip does not go flat.

Two services appear often on honeymoon pages and we provide neither; writing that down at the start beats disappointing someone later.

We do not do wedding cars or wedding organisation. A decorated vehicle, floral arrangements, arranging a photographer — none of that is our field. Our vehicle is a black Mercedes Vito working as a transfer car.

Surprise arrangements in the hotel room — flowers, a cake, balloons — are not something we do either. Asking the hotel directly is both more reliable and cheaper; most hotels will oblige if you add it to the booking notes. We can pass that note on when we book in your name, but the hotel does the arranging, not us.

What we do is transport and the programme: airport meet-and-greet, intercity transfers, a car and driver by the day, private tours. That is what honeymoon couples ask for most anyway — moving at their own pace without joining a large group.