the gallipoli houses - authentic self-catering accommodation

Being talked about is bad, they say; believe me though, not being talked about is worse...

... and a very special thank you to you and Ozlem for opening up your wonderful place for us. We really appreciate it. I truly wish I could have stayed another few days, but I'm determined to become a "regular" from this point on ... Thanks again.

Sir Peter Jackson, Producer and Director NZ

... Thank you for your warm hospitality during my visit to Canakkale. After our early morning stint, Tim and I very much enjoyed spending some time with you … Should I have the opportunity to visit Canakkale in future I would be delighted to visit the Gallipoli Houses again. ...

Julia Gillard, ex-Prime Minister of Australia

Super nice apartment. Well equipped with everything you need to cook. If you would like a few days of quiet countryside life, this would be a perfect spot. Our room is spacious with comfortable bed and powerful shower. Nice terrace to dine out as well. WiFi works fine most of the time. Even though we didn't have our own vehicle, Eric arranged all the pick-up and drop-off from the ferry for us. He also planned and organized brilliant private taxi tours to the gallipoli battlefields with very reasonable prices. Much cheaper than joining a big tour and much better experiences as well. We can pay the bills by credit card as well....

Adam Galloway & Echo Feng UK & China

… We are also very appreciative of your warm hospitality to members of the team managing the commemorations. I look forward to visiting the Gallipoli Houses again, in a less rushed context, I hope...

Ian Biggs, Ambassador of Australia in Turkey

The landscape, being in harmony with the surrounding nature, and the cleanliness of the premises and the care of staff are what we really liked. They allow dogs, which was a must for us. The room was quite big, beds were comfortable and air-conditioning was perfectly and silently working. We loved our 3 days there.

Gamze Köşeoğlu TR

... Cherie and I would like to thank you very sincerely for the most wonderful stay at your home, and a most rewarding time at Gallipoli. We appreciate all your assistance, information, transport…

Alison Smith - First Secretary & Consul Australian High Commission UK

An excellent place to stay as long as you realize you are out in the sticks! We wanted to explore the Gallipoli battle sites so it was far nearer/better than Eceabat town. Eric was a very pleasant host and his English was good. Eric kindly loaned us maps and books. There was no problem parking the hire car. The internet signal was good - so we could listen to Radio Caroline's internet broadcasts! We had a lovely room with a private balcony and good kitchen facilities. The latter are needed as Eric is not doing breakfasts or dinners at the moment (July 2022) and the nearest restaurants are a drive away. The air con worked well. The room was nice and quiet. The private balcony was a fine place to sit with a lovely view. Very good value too.

David Hoggett - UK

... a belated note to thank you very much for looking after me so well when I stayed with you in early July. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about visiting Gallipoli, but the Gallipoli Houses were a particular highlight. Your location is out-standing, by far the most convenient to the battlefields, and your hospitality was first class: the room was great and the warmth of your welcome second to none. I especially enjoyed our chat long into the evening. I'm afraid to say that your status as a secret hideaway is under real threat -I have been telling everybody how wonderful you were!! Please pass by thanks to Ozlem and everybody at the Gallipoli Houses...

Major-General Michael Crane - Head Military Strategic Commitments / Australian Defence Forces

The Gallipoli Battlefields: getting here and getting around. What are my options?

There are two options for independent travellers to get to the Gallipoli Battlefields: by coach or by rental car. For those wanting the freedom to organise their own time on the peninsular and not be constrained by a tour itinerary, don't be put off by the prospect of driving a rental car. Roads are busy, but no more so than any other metropolitan area. The roads are good, signs clear and petrol stations abound. There is a dual-carriageway nearly all the way from Istanbul (airport) to Eceabat (Çanakkale) and anyone exercising normal road safety awareness should have no problem at all with the journey. You should be able to cover the distance of 310 km in 4 hours (280 km / 3 ½ hours from the airport), allowing for a short break in Tekirdag.

Alternatively you can come down by coach. A coach leaves Istanbul coach station nearly every hour throughout the day (note that most coaches do not stop in Eceabat anymore as they take the bridge at Gelibolu over to Canakkale). The coaches are all top-quality with a non-smoking policy and cover the distance of 350 km in approximately 5 ½ hours (coach travels via Keşan). Refreshments are served on board and a sanitary stop is made half-way near the city of Tekirdağ. From Istanbul airport there is a coach going directly to Tekirdağ without going through Istanbul. From Tekirdağ you can connect to the Istanbul-Çanakkale coaches. For those who want to continue independently you can pick up a rental in Çanakkale: Avis, Budget and Garenta have offices in Çanakkale.

The best way to visit the Gallipoli Battlefields is to have “your own wheels”. Public transport is in its infancy and consists of a few minibus services with a few runs per day only. It gives you total freedom and basically all places on the Gallipoli peninsula can be reached by regular car. A local taxi is the second alternative and it is relatively inexpensive. They are available for transfers & half day and full day rentals. For those wanting to walk the battlefields, a drop off in the morning and pick-up in the afternoon from any point on the battlefields can be organized and is cheaper than a full day rental. Hiring a local professional guide to accompany you in your car or taxi for on one or more days will enhance your experience. Guides can give you a clear insight into the Gallipoli Campaign and/or cover in detail a specific part of the battlefield because of family reasons. There are several outstanding guides available such as Bulent (Bill) Korkmaz, Kenan Celik to name just two. A guided tour may be the best option for visitors on a tight time schedule. You can join a tour in Eceabat or book a package including return transfers from Istanbul with or without accommodation. Apart from the standard tour of the Anzac battlefields and the ancient city of Troy, some agencies also offer tours to the Helles (British) battlefields on the Southern tip of the peninsula. You can book via an agency in Istanbul but you’ll probably end up on the coach of one of the local operators anyway. It you want clear communication and efficiency we suggest you book through an Eceabat/Çanakkale agent. For independent travelers the local agencies can also book local guides or organize private tours with a chauffeur driven vehicle. Although several companies organize tours with similar, if not identical, itineraries, we recommend “Crowded House tours” because of their faultless operation and the quality of their guides. Click here

To visit the Gallipoli Battlefields where should I stay?

First of all not in Gelibolu (Gallipoli), contrary to what the name suggests, as it is located some 40 km north of the battlefields. The two options are Eceabat or Çanakkale. Çanakkale has more hotels, restaurants, entertainment and other tourist services. Eceabat offers a laidback atmosphere and has seen its number of facilities increase in the last years, including a few accommodations closer to the battlefields. If you are only planning to stay one, possible two nights, Çanakkale might be the better option, but with a rental car it might turn out more costly as you will have to pay for the ferry (back and forth) every day and probably also for a parking spot for the night near your hotel. In Eceabat and on the peninsula all hotels have free parking or safe street parking. For those planning a longer visit lasting 3 days or more the daily ferry back and forth may not only become costly but also a time consuming affair (although it on takes 15 or 25 minutes to cross the loading/unloading takes up some time).

What is the best time of year to visit?

SPRING and AUTUMN (March-May and September-October): The chances for a "rainy day" are higher in spring than in autumn but this also means that the peninsula at this time is greener than ever and hillsides are covered with small multi-coloured wild flowers. On the other hand, for those who wish to make a more in-depth visit, Autumn gives easier access to frontline locations and places of interest. This is especially so in Helles and Suvla, as all crops will have been harvested. SUMMER (June-August): During summer the temperatures can be very high. This is not so much a problem if you are on a brief visit (1 to 2 days) as you will be spending a fair amount of your time in your air-conditioned vehicle driving around. On the other hand, those on a prolonged visit to explore the old battlefields should think twice. A lengthy stay on the slopes of the parched hillsides under the blazing sun in summer may drain one's energy faster than expected. The exciting part of summer though is that you can have a swim in the more than refreshing waters of the peninsula's coast. It boasts one of the last remaining stretches of virgin shore in Turkey with a number of superb beaches. Well worth staying an extra day and what is even more exciting ... they don't get crowded. WINTER (November-February): It does get colder but especially wetter as most of the rain falls in December, January and February and once in a while (just like in 1915) we do get some extreme cold weather with freezing temperatures.

authentic architecture & design	surrounded by pristine nature	true working village atmosphere
great value for money	no initial deposit required	long-stay special rates
excellent ratings for cleanliness	pets welcome	plenty of free parking nearby
laundry service & grocery deliveries	on site staff for check-in	Gallipoli battlefield expertise


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