Side, Turkey: The Honest Resort Companion for UK Package Holidaymakers
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You've booked your package holiday to Side. Perhaps it was with Jet2holidays, loveholidays, On the Beach or someone else. The flights and hotel are sorted, but the bits in between are often left to you: how you get from the airport to your hotel, which day trips are worth it, how you'll use your phone, and whether the hotel will look like the photos.
This companion covers those gaps honestly. It's a template we use for every resort, so it sticks to things that are true whichever hotel you're in. Always check the details of your own booking.
Side in a nutshell
Side sits on Turkey's Mediterranean coast in Antalya province, east of Antalya city. Its old town covers a small peninsula, with Roman ruins scattered among the restaurants and shops, a harbour, and the columns of the Temple of Apollo at the water's edge. Most package hotels are not in the old town itself. They are spread along the beaches and resort areas around it, such as Kumköy, Kızılot and Çolaklı, and near the town of Manavgat. Where your hotel is affects how long your transfer takes and how easily you can reach the old town, so check its location on a map before you go.
Summers here are hot, especially in July and August. Plan sightseeing for the morning or late afternoon and keep the middle of the day for the pool.
Getting from Antalya Airport to Side
Most UK flights for Side land at Antalya Airport (AYT). Side is roughly 65–75 km away by road, usually around an hour to an hour and a quarter in normal traffic, and longer at busy times. You have four realistic options:
- Your tour operator's coach transfer. Jet2holidays packages generally include return coach transfers. With loveholidays and On the Beach, transfers are usually an optional extra you add when you book or afterwards. Check your booking confirmation to see what you have.
- A pre-booked private transfer. A driver meets you at arrivals and takes you straight to your hotel.
- A taxi from the rank. Taxis wait outside the arrivals exits, and the airport displays a fare board by the rank. It's a long journey, so expect a much bigger fare than a ride into Antalya city.
- Public transport. There's no direct bus. You would need the tram or bus to Antalya bus station, a bus to Manavgat and a minibus on to Side, which takes three hours or more. It's only realistic with light luggage and plenty of time.
Our Antalya Airport to Side transfer guide goes through each option step by step.
Antalya Airport (AYT) to Side
66 km, about 56 min free-flow (approximate). Allow 60–75+ minutes in traffic. Package flights generally use Terminal 2, but check your booking.
Open this route in Google Maps
Approximate route: 66 km by road from Antalya Airport, International Terminal 2 to Side (old town / resort centre). The calculated free-flow drive time is about 56 minutes. That is an estimate with no traffic, so allow longer. Published guides put the drive at about 60 to 75 minutes in normal traffic, and longer in peak summer. Shared coach transfers add time for hotel drop-offs.
Towns along the way: Aksu (~8 km, on the route), Kadriye (Belek area) (~22 km, near the route), Serik (~31 km, on the route), Gündoğdu (~50 km, on the route), Manavgat (~65 km, near the route). There are fuel stations and roadside services along the main road, but we have not mapped individual stops.
Package coach or private transfer: the honest trade-off
| Shared coach transfer | Private transfer | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Often included or cheap per person | Priced per vehicle, so better value for families and groups |
| Time | Stops at several hotels, so it can take much longer than the drive itself | Direct to your hotel |
| Waiting | May wait for other flights' passengers | Driver usually tracks your flight |
| Return pick-up | Time set by the operator, sometimes many hours before your flight | You choose the time, within reason |
| Children | Child seats not usually provided | Child seats can often be requested (confirm when booking) |
Our view: if your transfer is included and your hotel is close to Side, the coach is usually fine. If you are landing late with tired children, your hotel is near the end of a long coach route, or you are four or more people paying extra for transfers anyway, a private transfer is often worth comparing.
The best day trips from Side
Ancient Side (no transport needed)
Walk the old town's main street past the ancient gate and agora to the Roman theatre, the small museum and the Temple of Apollo by the harbour. The temple is free to view and lovely at sunset. The theatre and museum charge entry. Go early to avoid the heat.
Manavgat waterfall and river cruise
Manavgat waterfall is wide and low rather than tall, with tea gardens beside it. It's often combined with a relaxed river boat trip. Manavgat town also holds a big weekly market. Check which day locally.
Green Canyon boat trip
The Green Canyon is a reservoir set among forested cliffs inland from Manavgat. Most visits are boat cruises with swimming stops, and some are combined with a jeep safari.
Aspendos and Perge
Aspendos has one of the best-preserved Roman theatres anywhere, and it still hosts performances. It's well under an hour from Side and is often paired with the ruined city of Perge.
Köprülü Canyon rafting, boat days and big days out
Köprülü Canyon offers beginner-friendly rafting, often bundled with other activities. Boat trips along the coast leave from the area's harbours, and family boats are calmer than party boats. Pamukkale is possible as a very long day trip (several hours' drive each way). The Land of Legends theme park in Belek is popular with families.
Phone, data and money
Turkey is not in the EU, and UK networks often treat it as a separate, more expensive roaming zone. Check your network's Turkey rates before you go and set a spending cap. A Turkey or regional eSIM, installed at home on Wi-Fi, is a simple alternative for maps, messaging and booking apps. See our eSIM guide for how to set one up.
Turkey's currency is the Turkish lira. Some resort businesses also quote prices in euros or pounds. When a card machine offers to charge you in pounds, choose lira instead, because the conversion rate offered at the till is often worse. Carry some cash for minibuses, markets and tips.
Pre-trip checklist
- Passport: valid for at least 150 days from your arrival date, with a blank page. Check GOV.UK's Turkey entry requirements for your passport type.
- Travel insurance: essential, because the UK GHIC is not valid in Turkey. Buy it as soon as you book and check the medical cover.
- Transfers: confirm whether they're included, and if not, decide on coach, private or taxi.
- UK airport parking or lift: pre-booking parking is usually cheaper than turning up.
- Phone: check your Turkey roaming charges or set up an eSIM.
- Plugs: Turkey uses European two-pin sockets, so pack adaptors.
- Sun: high-factor sun cream, a hat and a refillable water bottle. Most visitors drink bottled water, so ask your hotel.
- Day trips: book popular ones before peak dates, and check the cancellation terms.
What the hotel photos don't show you: a checklist for any hotel
Hotel photos are taken on the best day, with wide-angle lenses, often years ago. Use this checklist on any hotel, in Side or anywhere else, before you go or before you book your next one:
- Find the date of the photos. Compare the official photos with recent guest photos on review sites. Sort reviews by "most recent".
- Check the room you booked, not the one pictured. Photos often show the best room category. Look up photos of your exact room type.
- Main building or annex? Some hotels put certain room types in a separate block, sometimes across a road.
- "Beachfront" vs "near the beach". Use the map to check the walking distance and whether there's a road to cross.
- What is the beach actually like? Sand, pebbles or a platform? Are sunbeds free or charged?
- Sunbeds and shade at the pool. Search reviews for "sunbeds" and "towels" to see whether there is a rush for loungers.
- Noise. Search reviews for "noise", "disco" and "road". Evening entertainment, nightclubs and main roads don't appear in photos.
- Building work. Search recent reviews for "construction" or "renovation", and look at the area on a recent map or satellite view.
- Hills, stairs and lifts. Important with a pushchair or limited mobility.
- What's in all-inclusive? Check the hours, which bars and restaurants are included, whether à la carte needs booking, and what costs extra.
- Air conditioning and Wi-Fi. Is it controlled in your room, and does Wi-Fi work in the rooms or only in the lobby?
- Kids' clubs and facilities dates. Some run only at certain times of the season.
- Extra charges. Look for safes, beach towels, sunbeds, spa, and local taxes payable on arrival.
FAQs
How long is the transfer from Antalya Airport to Side?
By road Side is about 65 to 75 km from Antalya Airport, which usually takes around 60 to 75 minutes in normal traffic. It can take longer in peak summer, and a shared coach that stops at several hotels can take considerably longer.
Is there a direct bus from Antalya Airport to Side?
No. The public route involves the AntRay tram or bus 600 to Antalya bus station, an intercity bus to Manavgat and a local minibus to Side. Allow three hours or more.
Does my GHIC work in Turkey?
No. The UK GHIC and EHIC are not valid in Turkey, so travel insurance with medical cover is essential. Check GOV.UK for the latest advice.
Do British citizens need a visa for Turkey?
At the time of writing, holders of a full British citizen passport can visit Turkey visa-free for tourism for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Your passport must be valid for at least 150 days from the date you arrive. Other passports have different rules, so check GOV.UK before you travel.
Free: the post-booking countdown checklist
Tell us when you fly and where, and we'll send the printable checklist now, then short reminders timed to your trip: documents and insurance at 8 weeks, transfers at 4 weeks, day trips at 2 weeks, data and money in the final week, and a last check 48 hours before. Unsubscribe any time.
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