Where to stay in Trabzon
Trabzon sits on the Black Sea with its airport 7 km from the centre. Sumela and Uzungöl lie inland, so choose the base by the drives you plan, then check where the car sleeps.
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How the areas differ
Meydan Park is the centre of the city. The tourism ministry's two-day guide starts there, with the Atatürk Mansion, the castle walls and the City Museum, and ends the first day on Boztepe, the hill that overlooks the city. Hagia Sophia, built in the reign of Manuel Komnenos (1238 to 1263), is about 4 km west of Meydan by road.
The airport lies within the Pelitli and Konaklar neighbourhoods, north of the Trabzon to Rize highway, 7 km from the centre. Municipal buses and dolmuş run on the coast road beside it, so a base near the terminal works for a late landing or a dawn flight.
Sumela Monastery stands in Maçka district, on a rock face about 300 metres above the Altındere valley. Maçka town is about 17 km by road from the monastery. Uzungöl, in Çaykara district, is a lake village with guest houses, small resort hotels and trout restaurants, about 94 km by road from Meydan.
Staying with a rental car
In July 2024 TULAŞ, the transport company of the Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality, opened an open car park for 450 cars on the old bus station site in Değirmendere, a neighbourhood about 2 km by road from Meydan. The rates it announced then: the first 30 minutes free, TRY 20 up to an hour, TRY 50 up to 6 hours, TRY 130 for a full day and TRY 2,000 a month. These are rates of July 2024; no 2026 confirmation was found, and TULAŞ publishes no tariff on its own site.
The airport car park follows the 2026 tariff of DHMİ, the state airports authority: TRY 90 for the first hour, TRY 125 for 1 to 3 hours, TRY 180 for 3 to 6, TRY 205 for 6 to 12 and TRY 280 for 12 to 24 hours for a car, VAT included. Covered spaces cost 20% more.
For Sumela, the ministry's museum page says visitors drive to the site and then follow a path through the forest. It gives no car park details. The monastery opens every day from 08:00 to 17:00, with the ticket office closing at 16:30, so a start from Meydan, about 44 km away, or from Maçka leaves time for the walk.
For a flat, ask about parking before paying. The regulation on tourism rentals requires every listing to say whether parking comes with the home. GetCar's car rental page for Trabzon compares local and international rental companies.
Tax and registration rules for a guest
Turkey's accommodation tax is national, not a city tax. From 1 May to 31 December 2026 it is 1% of the room price before VAT, down from 2%, under a presidential decision. The property shows it as a separate line on the invoice, and when a booking site sold the room without it, the property invoices the guest after the stay.
A flat let for up to 100 days needs a permit from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The permit number must appear in every listing, a Ministry plaque marked Turizm Amaçlı Konut hangs at the entrance, and every flat owner in the building must have agreed.
Hotels and permitted flats record each guest's identity and report it to the police at once, and they may not house a guest who cannot show an identity document. Bring the passport to check-in.
When to book what
Book the base around the longest drive. Uzungöl is about 90 km from the airport and about 135 km from Sumela by road, so a trip that covers both works better with a night in each place than with day trips from Meydan.
Book flats once the permit number and the parking line are confirmed in the listing. The 1% tax rate covers stays up to 31 December 2026; after that the 2% in the law applies again unless a new decision extends the cut.
Which area for which trip
A first visit, or a city stay with day drives: Meydan and the city centre.
A late arrival or an early flight: Pelitli and the airport.
Sumela at opening time: Maçka and the Altındere valley.
Lakes and mountains for a night or two: Uzungöl.
Questions
Which area of Trabzon is best for a first visit?
Meydan and the city centre. The tourism ministry's two-day guide starts there, and the airport is about 6 km away by road.
Is it worth staying in Uzungöl?
For a night or two in the mountains, yes. The village has guest houses and small resort hotels, but it lies about 94 km by road from Meydan, so a day trip means close to 190 km of driving.
How much is parking at Trabzon Airport?
Under the DHMİ tariff for 2026, TRY 90 for the first hour and TRY 280 for 12 to 24 hours for a car, VAT included.
What time does Sumela Monastery open?
Every day from 08:00 to 17:00, with the ticket office closing at 16:30, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Must a Trabzon holiday flat show a permit number?
Yes. A flat let for up to 100 days needs a Ministry of Culture and Tourism permit, and the permit number must appear in every listing, with a plaque at the entrance.