IstanbulBest ways to improve this book: Be wary about taxis. We used a taxi from Taksim Square to our hotel in Sultanahmet. He first said that the fare was TL 50+. When I exclaimed "WHAT?", he hastily "checked" the meter and claimed he had misread it and the fare was actually TL 25+. My body language still was negative as we unpacked our luggage. As I then pulled some money out, including a TL 20 note, he indicated that this amount would cover the fare and took off. My hotel did not seem to be too surprised by this and felt that I probably overpaid by "only" TL 5. Can they play games with the meter? Edward Pouchet in Fairfax, VA USA 11/14/2009 Add phrases for vegetarians, plus more tips on finding vegetarian food. Add how to get to Princes Island--take tram to last stop (Kabatash), ferry goes to big island (stop #4). Times are in free IDO booklets. Very cheap to get there and back. The carriage line is enormous but moves fast. Island is user-friendly and has a fun atmosphere. Avoid the waffle salesmen as you get off the ferry--didn't ask the price first and was charged 7 lira each!!! Jane Wolfarth in Salt Lake City, ut USA 06/21/2009 I love the way things are organized esp the walks in different neighborhoods. All the helpful info on going thru the airport, etc, really made my trip a lot easier. Jackie Farbeann in Columbus, OH USA 06/19/2009 More restaurant recommendations would be helpful - there weren't a ton in the book. Otherwise, this is one of the best guide books I've ever used. Sara Patterson in Atlanta, GA USA 06/15/2009 We love to travel with the Rick Steves books, and although this book was great in many ways, it had more innaccuracies than any previous RS book we've used. The prices were accurate, but in general I think more fact checking is in order. Matti in Chicago, IL USA 04/12/2009 Find some better restaurants in Sultanamhet. David in San Francisco, CA USA 01/18/2009 Talk about the constant bothering of carpet salemen and the rudeness and over-charging of taxi drivers. We did find a wonderful taxi driver who took us around the next day - Omer Kaplankaya. He was reasonable, polite and very helpful and gave us a good tour. omartaxi_@hotmail.com. Elaine Daniels in Sacraamento, CA USA 11/26/2008 Like the guidebook contains book and film recommendations, it would be interesting to find independent homepage addresses too. Farago Eva in Szombathely, Hungary 10/22/2008 I find the book very good as a practical "really-need-to-know". I myself am more attracted to not touristic restaurants (so I went off the city-centre to eat). I would not try the ones mentioned in a guidebook. Farago Eva in Szombathely, Hungary 10/20/2008 While the idea of having locals write the guidebook sounds good, users of this guidebook will miss the viewpoint of the Western traveler exploring a new world. This shows particularly in discussions of food and culture; I always appreciated Rick's viewpoint on local cuisines in other guidebooks. May I suggest Rick, or someone on his staff, provide more Western insight into the guidebook of such a wonderfully different culture? [Editor's Note: Thanks for your comments. You'll be happy to know that American researcher Cameron Hewitt has road tested this book and added his own cultural perspectives.] Dale in Fairfield, Oh USA 08/30/2008 Mark the hammans listed in the book on the map. Also please include up-to-date prices (there were no prices in the guidebook). We had sticker shock at Cagaloglu Hamani which after listing in "1000 Places to See Before You Die" has greatly increased their prices. Gail Gerdemann in Albany, OR USA 06/26/2008 Rick - you are fabulous! I love the fact that you remind Americans that we travel to experience other cultures. Too many Americans travel and expect high service, ice, etc. Us Back Door travelers respect other cultures and embrace them! Let's hope Obama gets elected so America can get its positive image back someday! You are the best! Amy Sinclair in Novato, CA USA 06/05/2008 The easting recommendations are NOT up to Rick Steve's standards in other guidebooks. We found Lonely Planet's recommendations for the same restaurants more open, honest and useful. Quite frankly, this is the first time in 7 years we have had a BAD experience with a Rick recommendation. As an aside the Sera Restaurant in the Armada hotel (Sultanahmet area) was excellent and recommended by Lonely Planet. Suzanne Lau in St Ismier, France 04/28/2008 Congratulations. Your Istanbul book is very "Rick Steves'" like even though it wasn't written by Rick Steves at all. You made me feel connected to Islam very nicely. In Athens and Istanbul, it was so funny because we almost got run over by, let's see, trams, taxis, trucks, buses and cars. What look like alleys are STREETS in Athens and Istanbul. And you don't hear the tram coming until it's too late and you realize you're in the middle of the tracks. Here's a good traveling advice, if you agree. When you're traveling a limited number of days, perhaps you shouldn't order meat medium-rare. There's a chance of totally ruining your vacation if you get sick from it. Mark McKnight in Austin, TX USA 04/07/2008 Please include photos of sights along the Bosporus cruise. Identifying some of the sights was difficult with just text descriptions. Gary Fogal in Renton, WA USA 03/16/2008 You might add a line about long lines at Dolmabahce Palace - we waited a long time for tickets (although there is a ticket booth on the right that most folks overlooked) and waited a long time for entrace to the palace and then a long time for entrance to the harem. Karen Muncaster in Westford, MA USA 01/07/2008 Add numbers to the descriptions for tours and walks; it’s done sporadically in the book. For example, highlights are numbered for the Chora Church Museum tour (p. 216), but other tours and walks are not. The New District Walk (p. 99) lists 23 sights; I numbered each description before my walk, making it easier to flip back to the numbered map without having to locate it on the tiny key on p. 99.
Helen Holter in Seattle , WA USA 11/01/2007 Continue mentioning the names of shopkeepers and restaurant owners throughout your walking tours. For example, I was able to meet every person mentioned in the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market tours, and in every case was offered tea, a private tour, or a great photo op. Showing them their names in the book was an icebreaker that truly opened doors to conversation, photos, and insights into their work. And of course I bought a few treasures as well! Helen Holter in Seattle , WA USA 11/01/2007 Why stop at just Istanbul? My son's in-laws are Turkish and we spent an amazing 9 days there and barely saw half of the wonders of Turkey. At least we had family to show us around but for the rest of the world, write a book for the whole country! Jane in Galbraith, AR USA 06/17/2007 Although this book was written by locals and provides alot of useful information, I really missed Rick's input and sense of humor. Rick is so entertaining in his other books that you don't even have to take a trip. I was very disappointed. Brenda Kibler in Monkton, MD USA 06/13/2007 |
