Istanbul advice sought, please

[RooFlyer]

Just wondering what your travel insurance thinks of your decision.... considering DFAF advice??

Only a "Do not travel" DFAT warning will invalidate your travel insurance.

I checked the current warning level with my insurer Covermore. It doesn't have any effect at the current warning level, but there is a permanent exclusion for terrorist related events, although medical still is valid (phew). From that discussion, I don't think it would be invalidated with a 'do not travel' but I would check again of course.

 

[RooFlyer]

No one has really commented on Izmir. We stayed at both the Hilton and the Swissotel and the latter was a quantum leap better. This is a couple of years ago and I understand the Hilton has now had some renovations. We enjoyed slightly seedy Izmir particularly the waterfront and had a couple of superb seafood dinners. Are you planning to go to Pergamon and/or Ephesus ? These are two of our all time travel highlights.

Thanks.

Yes! This is the least structured part of my trip at the moment; I have 3 or 4 days in the area. I was going to stay in Izmir and hire a car to see the district in general, but I do want to visit Ephesus, the Temple of Apollo etc and I reckon having a car there would be more trouble than its worth. So I have the TA looking for some private tour(s) and basing myself at Selcuk/Kusadasi. What do you think of staying south of Izmir in terms of logistics?

Hadn't considered Pergamon; but it looks good. How long to drive there from Izmir (call the roads 'busy')?

 

[RooFlyer]

<snip>
The Topkapi Palace is well worth a half-day, and if you miss AyaSofya, which for centuries was the biggest building in the world, you have no sense of romance. This time of year, the tulips will be out. Turkey is where tulips come from, not the Netherlands.

Crikey, you haven't see me plan my assaults on historic and cultural landmarks of ancient cities . May not be romantic, but in 3 or 4 days I'll see more of Istanbul than most tourists see in a week, with their 'leisurely' breakfasts and drinks-by-the-pool.

 

[turtlemichael]

Thanks.

Yes! This is the least structured part of my trip at the moment; I have 3 or 4 days in the area. I was going to stay in Izmir and hire a car to see the district in general, but I do want to visit Ephesus, the Temple of Apollo etc and I reckon having a car there would be more trouble than its worth. So I have the TA looking for some private tour(s) and basing myself at Selcuk/Kusadasi. What do you think of staying south of Izmir in terms of logistics?

Hadn't considered Pergamon; but it looks good. How long to drive there from Izmir (call the roads 'busy')?

The road from Izmir to Pergamon is "busy" and i seem to recall took about an hour and a half. It was not very scenic but that made the experience of Pergamon even better.

You could base yourself at Kusadasi or Selcuk and the day trip would be longer but of course quicker to Ephesus. Beware that Kusadasi is the cruise port and that makes Ephesus very busy in season (10,000 people in port is a normal day) though the town itself is fairly quiet. There is just a long line of buses from the port to the site.

Ephesus is still the jewel of ancient Turkey and overwhelmingly worth seeing. As I said, we have been three times. Be sure to visit the Terrace Houses inside the archaeological site. https://www.google.com.au/search?q=...X&ved=0ahUKEwjZ_qrUiIPMAhVENqYKHXmdDW8QsAQIXg They are still being excavated but are amazing. You literally walk along the lanes and through the living rooms of the long gone occupants! They are usually an addition on any regular Ephesus tour. We used a guide we found on Viator and he was excellent. Our man, on a quick search, is no longer listed but there are many others and you can compare notes on the Viator site. Make sure you get one with good English unless your Turkish is flash! A guide will collect you at your hotel (in Izmir, Kusadasi or Selcuk) and look after you for the day.

 

[Mattg]

Thanks Mattg .. that's sorta what I was hoping (wanting!) to hear.

I've tried hard to get to the TK lounge at IST ( I guess you mean international?). For a while I was flying TK to Bulgaria for a quick look, but that had to go. Alas I'm flying out of Turkey via QR and the flight I have to take is out of SAW I'm using IST for a domestic flight ... would the TK domestic lounge be much chop.

Re hotels, my first preference is Accor - but all their hotels are out of the tourist core. If you see the Novotel, just a bit off the bridge, would you think that was walk-able into town? I'm quite Ok with walking a km or so to start the day. I'm guessing at that point the trams would be pretty crowded.


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The Bosphorus Novotel would be absolutely fine. I've done the walk from around there into the "centre" several times, and as Skyring said it's quite pleasant and full of atmosphere. You'll see lots of fisherman when you cross the Galata bridge. Coming back, you can always take the tram to the nearby Tophane station.

Yes, the great IST TK lounge is unfortunately only for international. Domestic flights from IST depart from a considerably smaller and more basic terminal.

 

[uiopui]

Roo Flyer, I've stayed in both parts. For a first trip around the main tourist area of Sultanahment can still be great because of the awesome rooftops and relative sanctuary of some hotels there. If it's just for a few nights and you haven't seen any of the attractions then this area is fine and everything is walking distance.

For a smaller independent hotel - Ibrahim Pasha . It had an amazing roof terrace that overlooks the blue mosque and Bosphorus. The hotel only has a handful of rooms and as long as you get one of the larger ones (don't cheap out on the double rooms as I think they have no windows!) you will be happy. When we were there I believe it was a family of brothers running the place and their advice on where to eat and what to see was great. You can easily walk to everything that a first timer wants to see. I'd recommend staying there or somewhere small and similar with a roof terrace as it's easily the highlight of any day as the city is very very busy. We spent almost every sunset up there and often the roof terrace was empty.


In regards to your Novotel - I actually really like the Karakoy area and more so the area directly uphill from there kinda to the right (forget it's name buts it's a great area to go out and eat, drink and relax EDIT - after some Google it's called CIHANGIR). There is a great less touristy Hamam very close to your hotel, an awesome cafe which you could sit at all day down a laneway covered with grape vines, and a great anytime of the day local restaurant up the road, and there is an area just under the bridge where at night you can sit on stools and they serve tea with a street food vender selling fried fish sandwiches. But this area is really more of a 2nd or 3rd time to Istanbul I've seen all the sites already type of area. YOu can easily walk over the bridge into the main tourist area or you can walk up to the main road above the Novotel and catch the tram into the central area if your tired.


I dare say that for a first timer to stay at Ibrahim Pasha and you can walk over the other side and check out the Gelata area. I'd avoid Taksim square and their shopping area as its like any mall. Plus you will get hot and exhausted if your walking back and forth as sometimes you need to take a break from the tourists and bazar area and heading back to the hotel is a haven. Yet you can easily head back out after a short beer on the roof terrace.

IST is very close and the taxi drivers will get you their in 25 mins at 150kmph. SAW is a pain in peak hour traffic - like a 2hours pain.

My tip would be to head up the Bosphorus one of the days to nice place to eat away from the hustle and bustle.

Edit 2 - if you stay at Novatel and want some lunch / dinner the place I refer to above is Karakoy Locantasi and it's a short walk towards the bridge. Karabatak Karakoy is the cafe down the alley, and the area around this old bakery cafe called Datli Maya which I believe is in the Chihangir neighbourhood, is also alright for a walk around later at night if you want to go out. (warning though it's very steep walk from Novatel).

 

[romney]

Hi Rooflyer

We left Turkey yesterday after 13 days, so here's my input!

Firstly - GO! We did not feel unsafe once! Tourism is currently at 20% of what it was last year, so we got lots of private tours! I think our biggest group was 5! Not great for Turkish tourism, but great for visitors.

1. We stayed North of Galata Bridge in an AirBnB. Getting down to Sultanahmet was very easy on the tram. In all honesty though, I think either area would be okay. We liked being near Istikal Street for food and just something different to look at in the evenings.

3. Yes! We did a back street tour with a guy who was previously over on the Gallipoli peninsula doing tours, so knows Australians well. His English was fantastic and he was very knowledgeable. We only spent one day with him, but the couple with us were doing three days, so not only does he do the off the beaten track stuff, he also does the main attractions. His name is Polat Korkmaz and he does tours (I think he might be a part owner perhaps?) for Circle Istanbul. You can google their website for more details, but send him an email and he will work out a private tour for you. [email protected]

4. Neither airport was real flash in my opinion. You don't want to spend anymore time than necessary in either one. IST is more convenient, for public transport, but there is also a shuttle bus from SAW. To Taksim it was 14TL, and took a little over an hour. Traffic seemed bad then, but maybe it gets much worse. I would consider the convenience of the flight times before the airport.

5. We stayed in the Doubletree at Izmir, but the Hilton & Swissotel were in close proximity. We had dinner at the Swissotel and it looked very nice. Another advantage of the Swissotel is that the airport shuttle bus stops there if you want to use it. We didn't as we arrived at 1am, but probably should have as the driver we booked was late then dropped us off at the Hilton not the Doubletree! We did day tours to Ephesus and Pumakkale, both booked through Viator, but I can give you the direct tour operators details if interested. Both were decent without me raving about them.

6. I haven't written a trip report, but have been writing a blog for my family and friends - it's by no means a professional job, but you are welcome to have a look at it here Romney39's Traveler Profile - TravelPod There are lots of photos!

Let me know if you have anymore questions and I will try to help.

 

[RooFlyer]

Continuing thanks for those replying and especially to Romney for the re-assurance. Yes, my TA has told of several of her clients cancelling, and that availability is 'wide open'. And locopano for the details

I've now arranged most of my trip (via my TA).

Flying QR business to Istanbul. Then 2 nights at Four Seasons Sultanahmet (I like a 'soft landing' after long haul and in a new, complex location), then shifting across to 2 nights at Novotel Bosphorus, where I jagged a 'private Sale' and got a genuine 40% off. Very tasty. My TA booked the FS - the TA are both Virtuoso and a FS 'Partner', so it was a matter of choosing which additional benefits I would like . I think I will contact your chap polat, Romney.

Then flying to Cappadocia for 2 days including a 'delux' balloon trip on Royal Balloons (fewer pax, longer trip). Staying at MDC Cave Boutique Hotel.

Then to Izmir, staying in Selkuc for 4 nights, staying at Bella Hotel. Have 3 days of private touring.

The Cappadocia and Izmir hotels and activities (including airport pick-ups and deliveries) were arranged by my TA through a local agency, with Aussie representation. I'm not that happy with this type of arrangement (another mouth to feed and link in the chain), but my TA knows my likes and dislikes and I trust them. The price came in pretty high originally (especially for a bad season!!) but we got them down a fair bit.

Then back to IST for a night (Novotel) and extra day in the city (or up the Bosphorus, as you suggest locopano) before flying out from SAW (bracing for the ride there!!) to DOH, connecting to Oman Airways to Muscat on their J service, which gets pretty good write-ups.

And with all, that, I'm not getting to use the TK J lounge at IST :evil: . I tried, but the TK fare was significantly more than QR, even if I have to use SAW for my departure. Not looking forward to using TK's budget sub Andalucian, for the domestic flights either. I don't like 'fast expanding' airlines (lesser quality pilots and other stuff), let alone their budget offshoots!! Anyway, she'll be right ...

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

Just be careful if you catch the trams RooFlyer, when we were in Istanbul I got my bottom pinched several times while on the trams. SO much so that drron had to stand behind me ! :shock:

We had friends do the balloon trip - and they said it was the BEST thing they did in Turkey.

 

[RooFlyer]

Just be careful if you catch the trams RooFlyer, when we were in Istanbul I got my bottom pinched several times while on the trams. SO much so that drron had to stand behind me ! :shock:

There are so many inferences that one could draw from that statement, I think I better leave it there! :shock:

 

[romney]

Just be careful if you catch the trams RooFlyer, when we were in Istanbul I got my bottom pinched several times while on the trams. SO much so that drron had to stand behind me ! :shock:

We had friends do the balloon trip - and they said it was the BEST thing they did in Turkey.

Your bottom must be much more attractive than mine - hubby wasn't required

The hot air ballooning at Capadocia was amazing!

 

[get me outta here]

One of he fascinating things to do in Cappadocia is a visit to the multi story underground cities where the people hid from the invaders. They stayed down there for years.

 

[Pushka]

I loved Ephesus and Kusadasi. Istanbul - We stayed at the Intercontinental and would not recommend location due to traffic when returning from Sultanahmet area.

 

[romney]

Something else I just though about - if you are looking at getting a sim for a data connection in Turkey, consider Alldaywifi (Google the website) instead. We arranged to have one of their devices waiting for us at our first hotel. It costs $5USD per day, and worked everywhere we went in Turkey. Of course if you have Vodafone their $5 deal is cheaper, but only if for a single person. Alldaywifi can have up to ten connections, so for a family it is brilliant.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

We flew from Istanbul to Bodrum and chartered a private Gulet (traditional timber yacht) for our party of 5. Had an amazing week cruising around the Gokolva Gulf with delicious food onboard and amazing turkish hospitality!

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

There are so many inferences that one could draw from that statement, I think I better leave it there! :shock:

Apart from my funny sense of humour, actually it was more of a reference to pick pockets. Pinching the womans bum distracted the man with her while his wallet was stolen at the same time.

 

[Wanderlust_tim]

Istanbul is one of my favourite cities to visit, there is always something to see. On one evening I would strongly encourage you to take a public ferry across to Kadikoy at sunset and have dinner at Ciya Sofrasi. I stumbled upon it by chance on my first trip and it remains one of my favourite places to go in the world.

 

[RooFlyer]

That's bookmarked, thanks!

 

[Fatcat]

If its not too late; the Park Hyatt Macka Palas isnt a bad choice for hotels. Big rooms, plush furnishing. Nice upmarket area up on a hill (walking distance to , and the rates seem to be very good (around 190 euros incl tax) for June. I stayed there 3 years ago and rates were double that.

 

[RooFlyer]

One of my phobias when travelling is getting a taxi from an airport for the first time. Been ripped off a couple of times, in spite of precautions.

Doesn't look like the FS Sultanahmet do a transfer from SAW, so can anyone give me some tips for getting a taxi there, such as:

* Do you get the off the kerb, self service?
* Or do you 'book' one through a counter inside or outside the arrivals hall?
* Metred and/or fixed price (hopefully not bargaining)?
* Do you have to go through the more expensive lot of taxis before you get to the normal ones (the trap I usually fall for)
.

Off next week ...