Where to stay in Antalya
Antalya is two trips in one: the old town and the city beaches near the airport, and resort towns 30 to 65 km away along the coast. With a car, the old town and ancient Side both restrict vehicles, and at the resorts parking is a question for the hotel.
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How the areas differ
Kaleiçi is the walled old town above the old harbour, entered through Hadrian's Gate. Its hotels sit in the old lanes, where the governorship has taken up complaints about late-night noise, so it suits a short stay on foot. Konyaaltı is the long pebble beach west of the city below the cliffs, backed by apartment blocks and the Bey Mountains. Lara is the beach to the east, about 16 km from the airport by road.
Beyond the city, the airports authority puts Serik, the district of the Belek resort area, 30 km from the airport, Kemer 57 km and Manavgat, next to ancient Side, 65 km. Belek is a resort area of hotel complexes. Kemer is a marina town under the mountains on the D400 coast road. Side has the Temple of Apollo on its shore and a pedestrian entrance to the ruins.
Staying with a rental car
Kaleiçi has the tightest rules. In May 2024 the Antalya Governorship decided that vehicles with entry permits are registered by plate, that no vehicle may enter or leave the old town after 14:00, that deliveries run from 07:00 to 14:00, and that no car may park outside the areas the metropolitan municipality designated. Before booking a Kaleiçi hotel, ask where its guests leave the car.
The local press reported in March 2026 that the metropolitan council approved a new street parking tariff requested by Anet, a municipal company: the first 15 minutes free, then 40 TL up to 30 minutes, 70 TL up to an hour, 100 TL up to two hours, 250 TL up to six hours and 350 TL for the day. The decision itself could not be read, so those amounts are unverified as of September 2026.
At Konyaaltı, the beach park dropped its free first hour of parking on 24 March 2025 under a decision of the metropolitan transport board. At Side, the entrance to the ancient city has been closed to all vehicles since a transport board decision of 25 December 2019, and the Manavgat municipality sends drivers to the car park at the Side bus station, with a shuttle and a pedestrian road to the ruins.
No motorway or bridge toll applies in Antalya province. The police check average speed between two points on roads in the province, and since February 2026 a fine on a rented car can be issued to the renter. GetCar's guide Driving in Turkey with a Rental Car: Tolls, Speed Limits and the 2026 Fines covers the limits and the fines.
Tax and registration rules for a guest
The accommodation tax is national. From 1 May to 31 December 2026 it is 1% of the room price before VAT, half the 2% set in the law, and it appears as its own line on the invoice. When an agency or booking site sold the stay without the tax, the hotel invoices it to the guest after the stay.
Holiday flats and villas let for up to 100 days need a Ministry of Culture and Tourism permit. The listing must show the permit number and say whether parking is included, a plaque marked Turizm Amaçlı Konut hangs at the entrance, and all the flat owners in the building must have agreed.
Every hotel and permitted flat records each guest's identity document and passes it to the police at once, and may not accept a guest who cannot show one.
When to book what
For Kaleiçi, settle the parking before the room. For the resorts, compare the drive: Belek is about 34 km from the airport by road, Kemer about 60 km and Side about 68 km, on roads without tolls. In the city, Konyaaltı is about 8 km from Kaleiçi by road and Lara about 16 km.
The 1% accommodation tax rate runs to 31 December 2026; after that the 2% in the law applies unless a new decision extends the cut.
Which area for which trip
A short stay in the old town on foot: Kaleiçi.
A city beach stay, or a month in an apartment: Konyaaltı.
A beach hotel close to the airport: Lara.
A resort hotel about 34 km from the airport: Belek.
A harbour town at the start of the coast road to Kaş: Kemer.
A beach stay beside a ruined city: Side.
Questions
Which area of Antalya is best for a first visit?
Kaleiçi for the old town and the harbour on foot, with the car left outside it, or Konyaaltı for a beach inside the city.
Can a hotel guest drive into Kaleiçi?
Only in a vehicle with an entry permit registered by plate, and no vehicle may enter or leave after 14:00, under the governorship decisions of May 2024. Ask the hotel how its guests park.
Are there toll roads around Antalya?
No. None of the toll motorways or bridges on the 2026 list is in Antalya province, so the drives to Belek, Kemer and Side are free.
How much is street parking in Antalya?
The local press reported a March 2026 tariff from 40 TL for up to 30 minutes to 350 TL for a day, with the first 15 minutes free. The council decision itself was not read, so the amounts are unverified as of September 2026.
Is there a tourist tax on Antalya hotels?
A national accommodation tax of 1% of the price before VAT from 1 May to 31 December 2026, shown on the invoice. There is no separate city tax.