What is the best way to get around Turkey?
Use flights for long jumps, buses for many intercity routes, trains where the corridor makes sense and cars where countryside or coast needs flexibility. Turkey punishes one transport rule for the whole country.
Answer
Turkey is too large and varied for a single transport strategy. Istanbul to Cappadocia or the coast often makes more sense by air when time is short. Intercity buses can be useful and widespread, especially where rail is not convenient. Trains have their place, but not every route a traveller imagines. Rental cars are best saved for areas where they change the trip: coastal bays, ruins, villages and scenic stretches, not central Istanbul. The practical move is to choose transport by leg. Paying a little more for one flight can rescue several better days elsewhere.
Recheck before you go
Transport schedules can change. Check current timings before you book around them.