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Car hire in Side is almost never about having a car for the whole holiday — it’s about one or two well-chosen days for specific day trips. Side is a classic package resort with a long ribbon of all-inclusive hotels stretching from the centre out to Sorgun, and most guests arrive by transfer, settle in and then hire a car locally for the excursions the coach simply can’t time right.
“Side is one of those rare Turkish resorts where the hotel excursion ends up more expensive than hiring a car for the day. For a family of four the maths almost always favours the car.”
The geography of Side makes everything easier. The drive from Antalya Airport (AYT) is 75 km of flat, wide D400 — no mountain passes, no hairpins, no tunnels. After Kemer or Marmaris the road feels like a holiday in itself.
“No mountain hairpins, no 350-metre climbs, no tunnels. Just a straight, easy D400 with farmland on both sides. The most relaxed driving on the entire Turkish Mediterranean.”
Why Side is the most driver-friendly resort
The journey from Antalya to Side is 75 km of smooth dual carriageway — usually an hour to an hour and fifteen outside rush hour. The road runs across flat coastal plain with long straights, clear junctions and signs in Latin script. This is the strongest argument for Side if you’re travelling with children or making your first self-drive trip in Turkey after a night flight.
What that means in practice
Even a driver with limited experience on Turkish roads will feel comfortable. MOBESE and EDS cameras are dense on the D400, so stick to 90/120 and avoid risky overtaking. Heading west to Antalya and Belek is the same easy D400, as is heading east towards Alanya.
“Side is the kind of place where the drive doesn’t steal energy from the day. You leave the hotel at nine and by ten you’re already parked at Aspendos.”
“If you’re choosing between Side and Kemer for a family’s first independent trip in Turkey — Side is noticeably easier on the roads.”
Do you actually need a car if you’re on all-inclusive?
Depends on your style of holiday. If you’re perfectly happy with the hotel — pool, beach, food, evening shows — and at most one organised excursion, you don’t need a car. Dolmuş minibuses and resort transfers cover everything else. If Aspendos, Old Side, Manavgat and Kaleiçi are on your list, hire a car for one or two targeted days. That’s the smartest and most economical Side formula: package all-inclusive plus a hire car for the day trips you really want.
“The smartest 2026 Side setup is package all-inclusive plus two days of car hire — one day for the Aspendos loop, another for Kaleiçi or Alanya. Cheaper than any hotel excursion and far more enjoyable.”