Turkey Travel Tips
Ancient cultures, delicious food, and warm, sunny beaches: We love and Turkey! What tips do you have for your fellow travelers to the East Mediterranean?
- Please don't post questions here. Use our Travelers Helpline.
Travellers Beware in Istanbul
Istanbul Travel Agent - Traveller beware.
Agent recommended by front office manager Eresin Crown Hotel,Sultanahmet.
Our experience with Istanbul Insider Tours trading as Ensemble Travel was totally unsatisfactory and in our opinion this company(s) should be avoided by all travellers to Turkey.
Primary complaint is overcharging to the extent of a rip off of 40-50% over billing.
Secondary complaint is their booking or day tour from Istanbul to Gallipoli with "Hassel Free Tours"
A pick up and drop off at your hotel tour was essential and offered.
Pick up with the tour bus from our hotel door and travel to and at Gallipoli was to schedule.
However passengers returning to Istanbul at Gallipoli were off loaded by "Hassel Free Tours" and put on a public bus for the return journey - not a tourist bus- for the 5 hours plus journey to Istanbul - the bus company - Canakkale Truva Buses.
Our party of 4 was advised a shuttle bus would ensure we were returned to our hotels. On being escorted to the Truva Bus, they tried to get us to pay for the fare back (38.00 Turkish Lira)
This bus after stopping at numerous small towns, finally arrived at an outer suburban bus station at Istanbul approx 12.15am where all passengers were instructed to get off as this was the final destination for this local bus service.
The area was quite threatening especially around midnight.
Our small group of non Turkish travellers tried to explain we had paid for a drop off at our hotels and requested a shuttle bus.
Canakkale Truva claimed they were not aware of any obligation or arrangement to get us back to our hotels and that Hassel Free Tours had not advised them of this.
Much difficult discussion took place, with our small group of 4 finally put in a small van with the bus companies staff. The driver did not understand any English or know the location of our hotels, and was going to drop us off near at the Blue Mosque. Finally at around 1.00am we made it back to our hotel.
The agent overcharged for the day trip and the tour bus company did not honour the pick up and drop off at your hotel.- with a tour bus resulting in creating much apprehension and concerns of safety and wellbeing. We were abandoned at some outer suburban bus station at midnight in a city such as Istanbul and left to our own resources
Jenny
Melbourne, Vic Australia 11/02/2008
Travellers Beware in Istanbul Counterfiet Notes
Istanbul t - Traveller beware.
We loved Istanbul and the history of the city, but when we went to Topkapi Palace and handed over a 100.00 Lire note we were given a 50.00 Lire fake note in return. so Beware.
JJ
Melbourne, Vic Australia 11/02/2008
Istanbul advice
hello everyone,
I was in Istanbul about 2 weeks ago and I was surprised by the cost of some of the sites. in general I found that most of the sites in Istanbul cost twice as much as it says in Rick´s Istanbul book. Hagia Sofia is 20 YTL, not 10 YTL, however, the underground cistern is the same.
Jason
Tacoma, WA USA 11/01/2008
hop-on, hop-off bus
Hi GAE,
Yes, there's a hop-on, hop-off bus in Istanbul. I took it last July and it's about a two hour tour around the city. It's a really good option for your first day just to orient yourself as to where the different areas are. You catch the bus at Sultanahmet Park; however, the only place you could hop off at was Taksim Square. The rest of the time the driver would just pull over occasionally for a couple of minutes so pictures could be taken. Here's a link to some more info about it: www.allistanbultours.com
Jo
osumom
New York, USA 10/30/2008
Fellow Travellers
Dear Fellow Travellers, My boyfriend and I spent a few days this summer in Istanbul visiting some of the major tourist attractions in the city and taking two quick and convenient side trips by plane to Cappadocia and Ephesus. Our tour operator was www.turkeytravelservice.com and www.allistanbultours.com in Turkey and I must say that they made all the difference in our travel experience. The tour itinerary covered the main attractions in Istanbul, Cappadocia and Ephesus well and most importantly, the prices were very reasonable! That ofcourse, gave me extra money to buy some fabulous jewellry and local ceramics during our travel [much to my boyfriend*'*s dismay!]. Istanbul is a lovely city, with so much flavour to offer and during the summer months is overwhelmed with tourists from all over the world, particularly from the US. We made some good friends during the tour with a couple from Britain and New Zealand as well. It was a good vacation, did not feel like returning....! I recommend the Istanbul by Night, Ottoman Relics and Istanbul Classics tour from www.turkeytravelservice.com and the Cappadocia and Ephesus by plane from www.allistanbultours.com. Best luck and enjoyment in your travel to Turkey. Be safe and always haggle for prices - it*'*s fun and gives you more of an accurate idea of the cost of goods. Cheers! MelZar
MelZar
New York, USA 10/16/2008
istanbul tours
we have arranged our tours through TTG Travel which was so helpfull and great. http://www.istanbuldailycitytours.com
laney & marcia <email>
new york, USA 10/11/2008
Ephesus and Pamukkale tours from istanbul
We used http://www.allistanbultours.com Ephesus and pamukkale tours very nice
Best Regards
Mark
Mark
USA 10/02/2008
shore trip to Istanbul
Our shore trip to Istanbul was enjoyable. Our driver Ayhan was wonderful and very accommodating, home page www.allistanbultours.com e-mail: info@allistanbultours.com
T Johannes
USA 09/18/2008
HALF DAY HIGHLIGHTS TOUR OF ISTANBUL
We took the half day in Izmir/Ephesus and half day in Istanbul and we were delighted with both. Our guides were knowledgeable, personable and above all flexible. Both trips were the highpoints of our cruise. Our only regret is we didn't book a Shoretrip in Athens or Katakalon. We would enthusiastically recommend Shoretrips to our friends and look forward to using your guides in the future http://www.turkeytravelservice.com/
G Wolff
USA 09/18/2008
Ephesus
If you are looking for a great getaway www.ephesustourguide.com
USA 09/04/2008
My recommendation for tours reseservation from www.allistanbultours.com
USA 09/04/2008
Turkey Travel Guide. Turkey travel information, advice, hotels, reviews, maps and itineraries more info http://www.turkeytouristguides.com/
USA 09/04/2008
Online Travel web site if you go to Turkey first visit www.turkeytravelservice.com
USA 09/04/2008
Recommend taking a private tour of Ephesus
We recently returned from a cruise in the Mediterranean with a stop in Kusadasi, Turkey. (August 5) I found Ekol Travel from a fellow traveler on tripadvisor and can't recommend them highly enough! Our guide's name was Ali and he worked extremely hard to make our tour interesting and enjoyable. His knowledge of history is amazing! We had our 17, 19 and 22 year old children with us and they loved him! We added the terrace houses to our tour (fantastic) as well as a stop for a delicious home-cooked meal and tour of rug handicrafts. I was reluctant to visit because I had read about pushy rug dealers but everyone we met was very relaxed and friendly. It turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip!
I'm really glad we used a private tour guide instead of going on a big tour bus. We were met at the dock and then taken to an air-conditioned van for our tour. This is the only way to go! Our experience was wonderful.
travlgrl2212 <email>
Seattle, WA USA 08/20/2008
Travel to Istanbul in Turkey
This is a great website and I recommend it to all travellers.. Here is another suggestion for your review;
http://www.hotelsnmore.com
Angelina
Florida, USA 08/01/2008
Tip
Contact Kadir Sumer at http://www.hotelsinistanbul.org She can put together any type of package you might want
Jessica <email>
France, Paris USA 07/27/2008
Kusadasi & Ephesus Tours
Kusadasi and Ephesus Tours from Izmir and Istanbul for more details>>> http://www.kusadasitour.com
Yokoma <email>
Tokyo, USA 07/22/2008
Travel to Turkey
As for a travel agency in Turkey you can certainly try Insight Travel and Helin the American owner will be extremely helpful in organizing all your personal needs. They also have very good recommendations as well on this forum from other members.
http://www.turkeytouristguides.com
info@turkeytouristguides.com
CanMom
Helin
USA 07/22/2008
Turkey travel package
Contact Bilal at allistanbultours.com She can put together any type of package you might want.
Fronko
New york, USA 07/22/2008
Suggestion
I contacted with the www.checkinturkey.com customer service today and they gave me execelent assistance about for budget hotels and city sightseeing tours in a short time.. I recommend it to all new visitors to Turkey!
Melanie
Frankfurt, DE 07/16/2008
Turkey travel
We visited in May for 2 weeks- stayed just in Istanbul and believe me there was plenty to do in a city of 18 million people. We had the eyewitness-guide and Rick's book on Istanbul written by the Turkish couple. All the information we used was exact and the guide to the baths was invaluable. We felt like we had a more authentic visit than those tourists who hadn't read his specific instructions and guidelines. We rented an apartment from the VRBO website and felt it VERY reasonable and allowed breakfast and drinks and snacks at less cost than eating our every meal. The vegetable man came down our street a couple of times a week and we loved our interactions with the locals. All Americans should visit this country and realize Muslims are a lot like us- proud of their children and trying to make a living for themselves. We enjoyed our visit and thank RS for another invaluable travel guide which worked beautifully.
K & r <email>
Atlanta, GA USA 07/04/2008
Turkey Through the Back Door
I became interested in Istanbul from studying late Rome or the Byzantine Empire. I needed to see this grand city. It seemed so far away to me. After buying Rick Steves’ Istanbul (written by some great guide- friends of Rick’s) I felt armed to tackle a city on the edge of the West. It seems that the Turks expect a little more notice when booking hotels so my pay phone call for a hotel room from Germany was a little bit of a struggle. My US dollars seemed weak to me, even to Turkish Lira and my flight from Frankfurt to Istanbul was maybe 240 Euros round trip. And..the rooms weren’t cheap..but they could have been worse.
It was so exciting to be flying further east than I had ever been before..and probably farther than anyone in my whole family had ever gone before. I loved smoking with my cab driver…and I used a few Turkish phrases from my Rick Steves book which were very helpful. Please add more useful Turkish phrases in your next addition. I loved watching the walls of Constantinople come up! Amazing. What an amazing slice of unknown Turkish life. Byzantine history right there! I was hoping to hear some Turkish electronica, but I never found it.
My room’s balcony looked out to the Blue Mosque. I could hear the call to prayer. The smell of the night air impressed upon me. I was in Constantinople, Nova Roma, Istanbul.
The power went out in my hotel so there were no showers to be had. And I had to move to another hotel that night as they didn’t have a room for me for my second night (but they did for my first and third!). Turned out very well as the second hotel had the electricity going.
I had a limited time due to budget constraints but there is plenty in Istanbul. Hagias Sophia, underground cistern…the amazing Istanbul Archeological museum which rivals the London museum. If you have any interest in late Rome or Byzantium then Istanbul is required. I also became more interested in modern Turkey as well and wished I read more although the Turks I talked to were impressed with my knowledge.
I spent some time drinking and speaking about the state of the world with a young Turkish fellow. I also became a regular at a nearby kebab restaurant where that had a cat named Basil..a Byzantine Emperor ..but apparently also a Turkish term for bad-boy..at least that was the double meaning explained to me by the fellow there.
I didn’t want to leave Istanbul or Turkey but I eventually did. In fact the people in the neighborhood seemed to be sad I was leaving…maybe it was my imagination. My four days or so have only left me wanting more of course. I would love to see more ancient sights and now I have read “The Crescent and the Star”..a great modern history of Turkey.
A fascinating place that is now at the center of the world.
Thanks Rick for your very helpful book and inspiration.
Justin Beck <email>
Forestville, CA USA 06/25/2008
Leftover Lira
My friend was able to exchange my leftover Turkish money at Bank of America in NYC. He said they will do this for account holders only. I don't know if they will do this in smaller cities. They exchange rate was in line with what you would get changing any other currency, but I didn't lose anything as the lira had appreciated since my trip last year.
Scott <email>
Everett, WA USA 06/20/2008
In Patara stay at the Eucalyptus Pension
If you are looking for a great getaway, consider Patara, along the coast close to Kalkan. I was just there for 10 days and had a great time relaxing, reading, knitting, eating great food and of course going to the beach everyday. I stayed at a small family run pension, Eucalyptus Pension. Their web site is www.eucalyptus-pension.com. I can recommend them highly.
Rick Fahrenbruch <email>
Lincoln, NE USA 06/15/2008
Bilsen Travel Agency in Turkey
Hi,
I saw your email on Rick Steves graffiti wall website recommending http://www.bilsentravel.com/ Bilsen Travel Agency in Turkey. I contacted them and they seem really nice and very helpful. Was there anything you would have done differently on your trip? Were the guides english speaking and easy to understand? Any tips or suggestions you could offer I would very much appreciate. My husband and I are going in july for 3 weeks. Myrna Torrie
Editors Note: ALL questions MUST be posted to our Travelers Helpline
Myrna Torrie
USA 05/11/2008
Turkey tourist guide from www.bilsentravel.com
Dear Bilal, Thank you for a most pleasurable and well-orchestrated trip. It was definitely in line with the Turkish hospitality and general warmth in receiving visitors that I felt throughout the country. Not only did you accomodate a very last minute request to create an itinerary that fitted the travel hot spots of Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus in 5 days, but you did it with the ease and comfort of a true professional. I will hopefully return to Turkey and may trouble you once again with another overambitious mission impossible itinerary. And to that you may say, "Oh really?". Cheers! Canadian living in USA
P.S. Bilsen Travel web site: http://www.bilsentravel.com
Najeha
USA 05/11/2008
Travel to Turkey
I am in the initial stages of planning my trip. Here are several sites I have found for a budget tour.
www.allistanbultours.com
www.turkeytouristguides.com
www.bilsentravel.com
www.ephesustourguide.com
www.cappadociatouristguide.com
The 15 day Western Turkey tour for the third site looks like a good value.
USA 05/11/2008
Even though travelling throughout Turkey is very easy on your own without the services of a travel agency . But if you need to travel with a tour or have someone arrange your trip I can personally recommend Nalan at Bilsen travel.
She is extremely helpful and can design a trip for you plus can give you some other options and ideas as well.
http://www.bilsentravel.com
info@bilsentravel.com
Also do a search on the forums for ''tour operators'' and you will find loads of information for various companies.
Bilsen Travel is very highly recommended on the TA forums by many.
David SCHOL
Canadian 05/11/2008
I can share the advise to contact helin:
http://www.ephesustourguide.com
info@ephesustourguide.com
She has a good reputation! Even she is located in Ephesus these days her knowledge and help is very good for Istanbul and other parts in Turkey as well.
The places you like to visit are all great, your young mum and 27 year old will have a wonderful time!
Germany 05/11/2008
Iznik - A Turkish Back Door
As wonderful as travelling in Turkey can be, it's good to get away for at least a day or two and experience life in a smaller town, without hordes of tourists, carpet sellers and lines to see everything. Iznik is a small town on a large lake that is less than 3 hours away from Istanbul. A visit will provide you with a relaxing, authentic experience of Turkish life, complete with a few historical sites, great food and a bustling market every Wednesday. I spent three days there at the end of March, and highly recommend staying at the town's only pension, Kaynarca Hotel & Pension, run by the enthusiastic and helpful Ali Bulmus, who will do everything possible to make sure you enjoy your visit--including a free trip to watch the sun set over the lake from one of the hills overlooking the town. You can check out the accommodations at kaynarcahotel.com--the rooftop terrace and kitchen will make your stay even more pleasant. To get to Iznik on public transport, take the fast ferry from Istanbul (leaves from Yenikapi) to Yalova, then catch a minibus to Iznik. Bursa is a good daytrip from Iznik, also one hour by minibus, although it is such a large city that you will need to travel by taxi in order to see the main sights. Beware, right now the Green Mosque is closed for renovation, although the area is still worth a visit to see the Museum of Islamic History and Art. If you are interested in traditional tilemaking and decoration, Ali can introduce you to the owner of a family-run tile producer--you can even try your hand at painting some tiles yourself!
Marsha Hicks <email>
Marysville, WA USA 04/02/2008
Website for travel planning
I'd like to mention a website that I found extremely helpful when planning my 2 months' travel in Turkey last year.
It is www.turkeytravelplanner.com
Chris <email>
Victoria BC, Canada 03/07/2008
Kadifele: The Velvet Castle
The VELVET CASTLE
Skipping on up to the Velvet Castle I have come to the realization, yet again, that school is an unpleasent waste of my time here in Turkey. For almost five months, I have sat for eight hours a day staring at the same four walls, yet I still have not seen many of the amazing sights in Izmir. Usually I am not the kind of person to skip school, because I care about my grades. But here, school means nothing to me and I don’t do anything in class. So what am I missing…nothing, except maybe some dramatics from the crazy girls, more than a few shouts from the up tight staff, and a sore back from the wooden desks unfit for any person that are so common in Turkish public schools. So this week was an enjoyable and educational series of days, and I feel so much less…well pissed off now that I don’t go to that place. So yesterday, me and a few friends decided to skip and visit Kadifekale.
According to legend, Kadifekale (the Velvet Castle), was where Alexander the Great founded Smyrna (previous name for Izmir) on the slopes of Mt. Pagos. Today the ruins of a great fortress can still be seen on the top of a hill close to downtown Izmir. Now the neighborhoods surrounding the castle are a haven for Kurds and poor immigrants from Eastern Turkey. From early on in our exchange, all the exchangers have been interested in the castle. But after asking our Turkish classmates about it, we were informed that this was not a place to visit. They told us that it was full of gangs, Kurdish drug lords, violence, tent cities, that it was just a pile of rocks, basically this place is the hood. After doing more research about it, we discovered that this is actually a really interesting place, and a must see in Izmir. To us, all these stereotypes and rumours just made the castle sound more interesting. So the journey began, on an early, breezy Thursday morning, to the drug castle…to the UNKNOWN.
Four of us, all American, loaded onto a bus amongst the Turks of a time passed. Elderly women in gypsy garb, and smiling old men in their knit caps playing with prayer beads…then us, young Americans sitting, taking in the world around us, a Turkey we had pictured in our minds, beyond the capitalism, desire to be all things western, and the non-stop thumping of Turkish electronica. Kadifekale dances to another beat. As the bus ascended the hilly, windy, streets, we began to see the transformation from the familiar and modern city of Izmir, to an exotic and ancient city. The narrow streets were full of street vendors selling their wares, bakeries with their yeasty and inviting smells of freshly baked bread, and yelling children playing soccer amid the broken glass and waste from hundreds of years of civilization. Once we reached the top, the wind blowing strong, we could see all of Izmir, a vista shrouded with a static blue sea, and a distant backdrop of the dramatic mountains surrounding the city. The ruins themselves were quite impressive, though they could use some renovations. We climbed around on the castle for a couple of hours, then walked back down the hill in the neighborhoods that expose a different side of Turkey. As we were walking, we picked up some freshly baked pieces of flat bread, still warm out of the oven. Then we noticed a group huddled around a large vat on the side of the street. It was a large vat of oil, free donuts frying for the residents of the neighborhood. They insisted that each of us take some of these ‘’special Turkish sweets”. After declining their kind offers, they kept insisting, so we gave into the famed Turkish hospitality. Walking through the neighborhoods, a crisp wind blowing through the maze of crumbling buildings, we realized we were all hungry from the trek, despite the doughnuts. We stopped into a nice, fairly clean looking place, and took a seat up stairs. For 3.50 YTL, we got a warm plate of Turkish moussakka, and yoghurt. Quite delicious. We caught a bus back to downtown, and met some more of our friends. The rest of the day shaped up to a normal day hanging out with friends. I hope to have many more experiences exploring Izmir, and the rest of this fascinating country. Also this Monday all of the exchange students are leaving for a five day trip to Istanbul. I am very excited for that.
Add comment January 25th, 2008
Alex Davis <email>
Ismir (Vashon), WA USA 01/25/2008
Athens to Istanbul reccs.
You say "a few days,' so I asume five. Use neck pouch for valuables.
Take a night train to as close as you can get to Ancient Vergina or Pella, on the way to Thessaloniki. See those two places (use Lonely Planet for details, or Rough Guide, taxis if you must, but it can be done by bus), and sleep in Thessaloniki (I like Orestias Kastorias Hotel, with cybercafe around the corner). Take bus or train to Istanbul.
Stay in central city at a hotel Rick or someone similar (risible notion) touts.
See Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque, Suleyman Mosque, Topkapi Museum, covered market.
Fly home.
Bill <email>
Seattle, WA USA 01/17/2008
Cheap Travel Services
Online cheap hotel reservation by www.alleurohotels.com
if you travel to turkey you can visit firt www.turkeytouristguides.com
helin <email>
Istanbul, Turkey 12/29/2007
Pacha Tours
We were on a tour with Pacha tours,returned a few days ago. Had similar experiances to Chris (below).
Most of the tour was OK, (Turkish delight), but the last few days back to Istambul were'nt really fun.
Sitting all day in the bus, with short stops at another Greek or Roman ruin.
On the last day we only saw tha ANZAC war memorials at Gallipoli.
(Everybody not from Australia or New Zealand who travels to Turkey to see Australian+New Zealandian war memorials raise your hands!)
If you can arrange I suggest you fly back from Izmir.
---
The communication with the Turkish pacha tours office was terrible. They didn't answer my e-mails, luckily they answered my wifes mails, but if there were two questions in the mail, we only got answer to one of them.
We arrived at the hotel and couldn't find out how to find our tourguide, had to continuously check in the lobby. Most of the other tour members had similar experience!!!
After returning from the tour they don't even answer my wifes e-mail.
I don't think it is a lot to ask.
---
Apart from the above we liked the tour, the hotels, restaurants, guide, sights.
Andras
Budapest, HUN 11/07/2007
cheap travel turkey
I have been in Turkey Few weeks ego I have arranged by trip by www.turkeytouristguides.com Every thing was as I wished on the time and hotels as I told with them. They did my trips awfull. greate. I recommend you to serch this web site and contact with them that helps you. For cheap prices by the hotels , tours, transportation by flight , bus, or by train.
helin <email>
istanbul, Turkey 11/06/2007
Cheap Turkey Tours
You can travel without a tour or group in Turkey but if you really need to be on a more structured trip I would also recommend that you check out a few other companies as well for your travels in Turkey. Try the ones listed on the TTP or you can certainly try http://www.allistanbultours.com Travel and Rina the American owner will be extremely helpful in organizing your personal needs. They have very good recommendations as well on this forum and on the Trip advisor.
Web: http://www.allistanbultours.com/
Billy <email>
New York, USA 10/09/2007
Central Turkey advice
Here is my sister and my advice for planning a trip: Take the overnight train from Istanbul to Ankara and Konya to Istanbul. You will not miss any sights and you will save on time, hotel room and get a good nights sleep in the sleeper car. Try information on http://www.seat61.com. We had a private tour guide who drove us to Cappadocia, which allowed us to chat along the way. Take a bus to Konya. Add a balloon ride in Cappadocia!Our tour agency booked C?HANG?R BALLOONS, Pho: +90 384 219 26 65, Fax: +90 384 219 26 76, cihangirogluballoons@hotmail.com, www.cihangirballoons.com, NEV?EH?R. There are many companies available. Spend a few hours in Ankara. The Anatolian Civilizations Museum is great if you ever studied art or ancient history. Go to Atatürk's Mausoleum to really appreciate how much the man did for the country and how much the country loves the man. We had a private guide that glowed with his love for the nation’s founder. Don’t bother to stop in Konya: The Museum Mevlana Rumi, spiritual father of the Whirling Dervishes was okay. The Karatay Medrese, tile museum was closed for renovations. The tour (from arrival at the train station to the bus ticket to Konya was $1600 for two people with hotel. I recommend using a tour company. We used New Deal Travel Agency, Tel: +90 212 638 8622, +90 212 638 8623, Fax:+90 212 638 8624, Istanbul, www.newdealtravel.net, info@newdealtravel.com that we found on the internet. We are not tour fans, but the tour company makes it very simple and is worth the money. Some time we were rushed, but we did get to see a lot without stressing over how to do it. Email me if you want more info or advice.
Frances <email>
Cleveland, Ohio USA 09/28/2007
How I planned my Turkey Trip
I knew nothing about Turkey before I left so here are a few tips: Borrow travel videos and books from the library. Read Richard Stoneman’s Travelers History of Turkey. Visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC before you go to places with rich art and architectural history. Their timeline is fantastic, you can search by time , subject or location. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/splash.htm. Download scripts from this website. I got the travel itinerary from the Cleveland Museum of Art's trip planner (through a friend). I even dusted off my college architectrual history books for a brief reivew. I was very glad I prepared and felt like I could appreciate the country more. It is very rich in history. Make sure you visit Cappadocia!
Frances
Cleveland, OH USA 09/28/2007
Istanbul Hotel
I found this suggestion on this website and it is worth repeating: Sebnem Hotel, www.sebnemhotel.net (Near Hagia Sophia and the Four Seasons Hotel) They have a car pick –up service from airport, highly recommended for first time visitors. They are the greatest group of people. Nice rooms, roof terrace and breakfast. Moderate price range and 5%discount for cash (you can use Euros and USD also). If you need a tour agency or want to go carpet shopping, let them help you. There is a small laundry down the hill from them (follow the signs outside the door). We left some of our luggage there when we traveled to central Turkey with no problems.
Frances
Cleveland, OH USA 09/28/2007
Dolmabahce Palace, Istanbul
I just went to Istanbul on a holiday and everyone recommended visiting the Dolmabahce Palace. The Palace itself is beautiful, but the whole experience is a rip off. Entry to the palace is only possible through 'guided tours' organised by the palace administration. We paid 20 euros each for a ticket and a further 6 euros for a camera. After waiting for 45 minutes in a queue until they were happy that the group was big enough, we started the 'tour'. They really rushed us, and we were forced to see 60 rooms in about 60 minutes. We were really scrambling from room to room and had no time to appreciate the furniture, or crystals or the paintings or even to take photographs.
Definitely avoidable until they revise the system.
Anthony
London, UK 08/26/2007
In Patara, stay at the Eucalyptus Pension
I just returned from a memorable week in Patara, Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast. The beach and ruins are amazing. I stayed at a small family owned pension, Eucalyptus Pension. It was comfortable and they served good food. I can recommend it highly. You can email the owner, Ahmet at eucalyptus07@hotmail.com
Rick Fahrenbruch <email>
Lincoln, NE USA 08/19/2007
Pacha Tours
Just returned from 12 days with Pacha Tours' Turkish Delight tour. I am not a fan of bus tours as a general rule. However, the logistical problems with getting around in Turkey once we left Istanbul were going to be huge so we opted for the tour.
I won't go into what the tour covers as you can look at their web site. But I can give you the opinion of those of us on the trip.
The tours run 6 days a week and they run them no matter how many people there are. Your itinerary might start with 2 days in Istanbul and then you start traveling, 1 day in Istanbul, or you might do Istanbul at the end. This allows them to hit the road with a group about twice a week. The group ahead of us had 4 people. Our group had 12 and we were 5 of them.
They used a regular sized tour bus even though there were only 12 of us plus the guide. This was great. The last day another group's bus broke down and they took ours and gave us a mini coach to drive back from Gallipoli to Istanbul and that was torture. Turkish roads in general have not been repaired. Ever. Only patched.
The distances between stops was much greater than I had imagined. 5-6 hours with the bus going speed limit was average. I felt that the stop in Antalya was a waste of time and added 2 long days on the road. There is a great museum in Antalya that is not on the tour and you can see it with your afternoon off, but that is all.
The hotels that you stay at are all ok, except the one in Istanbul which no one liked.
The food at the Grand Royal in Istanbul was miserable in the morning and ok at night and the rooms were not great. But it was within a long walking distance of the old town and a short walk of the Bazaar.
You keep the same guide for the entire tour, except maybe for Istanbul. So you get to know your guide and can ask questions as you go. They have good systems worked out with the hotels for room assignments and luggage and that was nice and usually went very fast. They try to work it out so you stay in the same hotels as much as possible. Two nights here, two nights there. You don't do many one night stands until the end of the tour.
Every hotel advises you not to even brush your teeth with the tap water. The hotels sell bottled water for $2-$3 a bottle but often you can buy some at a store right next to the hotel for $.50 a bottle. Not everywhere, but many places. If possible before leaving Istanbul buy a 6 pack and bring it with you. You can leave items on the bus for the entire trip and that was nice.
We found that the people selling water on the streets had fair prices.
They take you to the carpet dealers, which was kind of cool, a leather dealer, and a pottery place. All high end stuff with high end prices. If you are looking to buy a leather jacket that feels as soft as cotton for $600 or so, this is the place. But that is the low end of the prices.
The hotel food, outside of Istanbul, was pretty good. Sometimes it could have been better, But it was never as bad as Istanbul. The food is included with the tour prices so that was also nice.
Our prices ran around $1000 per person plus airfare. This included everything except drinks. Pacha Tours is a budget company. You stay at what would be 3 star hotels in the US. I checked with some better tour companies that offer better hotels, private guides and you can decide what you want to see within a general framework. But their prices were double what Pacha Tours were.
So, while I was not totally happy with the Turkish Delight tour, when comparing the costs vs what you see, it was a good value.
Anyone trying to cover the same ground on their own is going to spend a fortune on fuel at $6 a gallon, and parking at many sites is either super expensive or can not be found. Some sites like Ephesus are designed for you to enter at the top and tour to the bottom where your bus picks you up. Also, because of the road conditions speed limits are slower than what you would expect so you need to plan for a long time between major sites. And if the road conditions do not slow you down, there were tons and tons of traffic police pulling people over every single day.
Overall I enjoyed Turkey but if you want to see ruins I would go to Italy or Israel first. Theirs are better. The best Turkish ruins are all in museums in Europe.
Best of luck!
Chris
Chris <email>
billings, MT USA 08/08/2007
Kusadasi, Turkey
We had a wonderful tour in Kusadasi. I booked it on the internet at ephesustours.com. Sezgin met us at the cruise ship with a driver and spent the day with us. It was wonderful. We saw things we never would have seen on a cruise ship tour and it was less expensive. We highly recommend Sardunya Travel and Sezgin Demirci the owner. He also has a beautiful boutique hotel for those of you who are staying in Kusadasi.
Penne Cosgove
Lincoln, ca USA 07/27/2007
Istnbul warnings/ Akrotiri site
My husband and I just returned from a month -long european trip that included Istanbul.
We had been there on a cruise ship in 1993 and always wanted to return. We loved Istanbul, but a warning to fellow travelers
about taxi-drivers scams: When hailing a taxi on the streets(as opposed to getting one from your Hotel)beware of the oldest trick in the book:When paying our driver the 26TL he charged, my husband handed him one 20, 0ne 5, and one 1 bill, and the driver returns the 5 and the 1 and says" not enough", after repeatedly arguing with him that he had been also given a 20, we realized the scam and walked out of the taxi! next day we were careful to count the fare when handling it to the driver, but he still tried the samething. Another driver faked "petrol problem" and turned off his car shortly before pulling into our hotel, we figured he had gotten in trouble with this hotel before.
And I was dissapointed in Santorini when trying to book a tour to the Akrotiri archeological site and was told it is closed indefinetely due to the caving in of the roof and 2 persons killed in this accident a couple of years ago. I did not see this in any guide book or travel websites. So if anyone is going to Santorini make sure you're aware of this. However there is the Museum of Ancient Thira in Fira which has a lot of the treasures from Akrotiri.
Nina Murphy <email>
Houston, TX USA 07/07/2007
had a wonderful vacation in Istanbul
My girlfriend and I had a wonderful time over in Istanbul. We stayed in a family owned and operated little motel that has an awesome view. The service was absolutely great, it is almost guaranteed. So,check out their website at; www.bosphorusapart.com
Richard <email>
Houston, TX USA 06/28/2007
Sothern Turkey Beaches
I just returned from the best family trip ever in Europe! We love the beach, hot weather and fun in th esun and we went to an all inclusive resort called "Lykia World" in Olundeniz, Turkey (west of Antalya). It had 19 pools, terrific food (with a wide diversity), and very interesting evening entertainment shows for the kids and family. It has a "Kids Paradise" water park with 5 long water slides and one raft slide which my 10-year old loved. Beaches were great. Most people there were from Germany, GBR, and Russia (capitalism and the oil market has created a large Russian tourist population). I saw this resort in a tour guide at my place of work (NATO) and then checked it on-line. Trip Advisor comments were very good, and we took a chance..it was a great 7 day vacation in early June. Weather was about 90 degrees each day, and nothing but clear blue sky (I returned to Brussels today and it was raining:(
http://www.lykiaworld.com/Index.aspx?txtLanguage=en
JK
Alexandria, VA USA 06/27/2007
Turkish trip planning website
Even if you don't use their travel agency services, the user-friendly website of Asia Minor Tours is filled with solid, succinct info on individual archeological sites, cities and geographic regions of Turkey. suggested itineraries, reading lists and essays on culture, mythology, and cuisine make this an especially useful travel-planning site.
Mrs. George Rumney
Groton, CT USA 06/20/2007
Capadoccia, Turkey
On a recent trip to Capadoccia we stayed at the Old Greek House in the small village of Mustaphasa, just south of Urgup. Very comfortable and wonderful authentic Turkish food. We stayed for a week and made a point of eating every meal at the hotel. We can't recommend it too highly.
Veronica
Navarro, CA USA 06/17/2007
Selcuk
On our recent trip to Turkey (May), we stayed at a very nice hotel. Hotel Bella in Selcuk had great views of nesting storks, is across from St. John’s Basilica and included a good breakfast. The short drive to/from Ephesus was provided by pleasant owner Erdal Kahya. Follow his suggestions for lunch – the gozleme by the Grotto of the Seven Sleepers and the mezze at restaurant Ege'nin Sofrasi in Sirince were among the best meals we had in Turkey. Another nice amenity: Hotel Bella has an extensive library of local guidebooks to lend to its guests.
Larry Simmons
San Jose, CA USA 05/28/2007
Sebnem Hotel - Istanbul
I recently stayed at the Sebnem Hotel in Istanbul. It was GREAT! It is located in the Sultanahmet area, near Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. It was about 55 euro per night for 2 people. En-suite bathroom, breakfast. Very nice roof deck / terrace with a sea view. The guys who work there are super friendly and there was always a small gathering of fellow travelers in the lobby. They have a great selection of books on Turkey and Istanbul that you can borrow.
Margaret <email>
Charlotte, NC USA 05/25/2007
On carpet sellers
I think the carpet touts are part of the local color of Istanbul, though they can get annoying if you are trying to get somewhere in a hurry. We found that looking rueful and telling them "Oh we just bought our carpet," tending to cool them off. My favorite was the guy who stopped us offering to show us "places the tourists don't see." When we demurred politely, he assured us that he wasn't selling carpets. Turned out that his "shortcut" led right through his cousin's carpet place. So, technically he was telling us the truth--he wasn't a carpet seller, though his cousin is!
JER
USA 05/10/2007
Istanbul
Went to Istanbul first week in April. What a great place to visit. Major solicitation by every carpet dealer, but it was part of the trip. Don't take them personally. Remember to ALWAYS ask "how much" before you order and watch those cabbies. Take the municiple ferry from the Europe side to the Marmara Sea. Excellent ride for $1.60 . I hope they stay secular.
Sal <email>
Olympia, Wa USA 04/29/2007
Dersaadet Hotel - Istanbul
My wife and I stayed at the Dersaadet Hotel in March, and we could not recommend it more highly. It does not have Four Seasons comforts, but the staff is the friendliest (and hardest working) we've ever encountered on any trip. The location is great and the terrace cafe is wonderful. All at a very reasonable price.
Jim Frasher
Milwaukee, WI USA 04/16/2007
Türkiye
Hi everybody! I am planning a trip to turkey in december! i am interested in meeting people who are turkish (because i want to learn turkish and more about the turkish culture) and also people who are interested in turkish! Any tips for me?
Evan <email>
Portland, OR USA 04/03/2007
Special Places in Turkey
Hi Everyone,
I wanted to let everyone know about a new website to find really special places to stay in Turkey..
It is www.specialplacesinturkey.com Check it out..It is really good and the places are unique..It is for people who are looking for a personalized service and who are looking to live the culture and be with local people..Really cool!!!
www.specialplacesinturkey.com
Evrim Erdem <email>
Brussels, Belgium 03/06/2007
Travel tips for Turkey
Hi,
I'm an Aussie in Turkey and have experienced what it's like to travel here (sometimes alone, which as a female, can be ... interesting!) and now what it's like to live here. If anyone has any questions about travelling through Turkey, or about the country in general, I can try to help you - or find someone around here who can!
Karyn <email>
Pamukkale, Turkey 02/20/2007
Turkey and Greece
Hope to travel to Turkey and Greece this fall, so just in the beginning stages of planning. Is it easy to travel there or should take a tour? We love to be on our own. any suggestions on places to go? We have 3 weeks.
Thanks,
Helene <email>
brentwood , ca USA 02/05/2007
B&B in Turkey
Does anybody know of a good B&B/Pension in Istanbul.
Robert <email>
N.Van, B.C. Canada 02/04/2007
Want to email with tourist Turkey
We are planning a trip to Turkey in March. We would like to visit with someone who has been there recently as we have questions best answered by someone with travel experience in this county. If you have visited Turkey and do not mind answering a few questions, please email me.
Peggy Oliver <email>
Orange Park, FL USA 02/03/2007
For single women who want to avoid harrassment
During a recent visit to Turkey I had a few days on my own before my conference started and my in-laws joined me. A woman alone staying in the Sutanhamet area, I was constantly harrassed by carpet salesmen and tour guides. I found that wearing a headscarf when I went out alone made me invisible.
Claire Garcia <email>
Colorado Springs, CO USA 01/30/2007
Istanbul Tips
You should visit the Istanbul section of the trip advisor website. They have lots of great information. www.tripadvisor.com.
Kellie
Wichita, USA 01/14/2007
any tips on visiting turkey from athens?
i am going to be in athens at the end of this month and am interested to visit turkey for a few days while i am there.
any tips on where the best places to go might be? istanbul? are the train tickets expensive? are the hostels friendly to americans? what is the best hostel to go to?
torrey <email>
boston, ma USA 01/13/2007
Weather
June is toasty in Turkey! Bring summer clothes!
B.D.
Santa Fe, NM USA 01/10/2007
Weather
What is the weather like in June in Turkey?
KK
WA USA 01/10/2007