Where to stay in Izmir

In the city, Alsancak runs along the Kordon seafront promenade, with apartment blocks behind it. Konak has the square with the clock tower of 1901 and the Kemeraltı market streets. Across the bay, Karşıyaka and Bostanlı are districts on the north shore, with city ferry piers.

Çeşme is the harbour town at the end of the motorway to the west, with a castle above its marina, about 96 km from the airport by road. Alaçatı, a village of stone houses, has its own exit before Çeşme. Selçuk, beside Ephesus, is about 59 km south of the airport.

The metropolitan municipality publishes the tariffs of the car parks run by İzelman, its car park company. In the February 2026 tariff, the car parks in Konak and Alsancak charge 150 TL for up to two hours and 300 TL for 12 to 24 hours, with monthly subscriptions at 7,500 TL. The Bostanlı multi-storey car park on the north shore charges 80 TL for up to two hours and 160 TL for the day. Open-air roadside parking costs 200 TL for up to 12 hours.

The bay has a car ferry. İzdeniz, the city ferry company, charges 240 TL for a car between Üçkuyular and Bostanlı since 1 April 2026, or 200 TL on weekday sailings between 10:00 and 15:40 and between 21:00 and 23:00. The car park at the Üçkuyular pier charges 30 TL for the first hour.

Motorway tolls in 2026 are 53 TL for a car from Güzelbahçe or Urla to Çeşme or Alaçatı, and 53 TL from the airport junction to Belevi, the exit for Selçuk. Payment is by HGS, the tag on the car. GetCar's guide Driving in İzmir: Airport, Motorway Tolls, the Bay Car Ferry and Parking covers the roads, the ferry and the car parks in detail.

Until 31 October 2026 the İzmir governor bans entry to listed forests and any stop or picnic at their edge; the list includes the Meryemana forest beside Ephesus, Uzunkuyu in Urla and forests in the Karşıyaka and Konak districts. Since February 2026 a traffic fine on a rental car can be issued to the renter.

The accommodation tax is national: 1% of the room price before VAT from 1 May to 31 December 2026, 2% before that, shown on the invoice as its own line. If a booking site sold the room without it, the hotel invoices the tax to the guest after the stay.

A flat let for up to 100 days needs a Ministry of Culture and Tourism permit. The listing must show the permit number and say whether parking comes with the flat, a plaque marked Turizm Amaçlı Konut belongs at the entrance, and every flat owner in the building must have agreed.

Hotels and permitted flats record each guest's passport and report it to the police at once, and may not accept a guest without an identity document.

For a city stay, book the car park with the room: the published day rate in the centre is 300 TL. For Çeşme or Alaçatı, allow for the tolls and settle parking with the host, since no municipal tariff was found there. For Ephesus, Selçuk puts the site about 4 km away by road.

The 1% tax rate covers stays up to 31 December 2026, and the forest ban runs to 31 October 2026.

A city stay on foot by the sea: Alsancak.

A short stay by the bazaar and the piers: Konak and Kemeraltı.

A residential month with cheaper parking: Karşıyaka and Bostanlı.

A harbour town at the end of the motorway: Çeşme.

A stone village a short drive from the sea: Alaçatı.

A base for Ephesus: Selçuk.