What you will see

The Aegean makes a magnificent drive out of the season. It is perfectly possible in early spring to see not a single tourist between Izmir and Gallipoli. Assos is a favourite place at this time. And Mount Ida is the easiest and most rewarding of climbs, though it needs planning. Wineries are flourishing on Bozcaada (ancient Tenedos) and the Çeşme peninsula. Figs are still gathered in Ephesus, and rugs dyed the old fashioned way by the Yörük in the hinterland of Ayvalık, where olive oil of the finest quality is made.

Getting there

Spring or autumn are the time to go. Winter, too, but beware of icy roads. Most car hire companies allow you to start in Istanbul and end in Izmir, or vice versa, and for lovers of offal, Izmir’s Topçular is the place to go.