First time in Turkey

What part of Turkey will you be visiting?

Istanbul

We loved our three-night stay in September at the Sirkeci Konak in the Old Town, the top-ranked hotel on the tripadvisor website ; if you book through the hotle's website, they'll pick you up at the airport and provide a free dinner at their very good restaurant, (which substantially reduces their effective daily rate). They are less than 50-yards from the tram, and a 10-minute walk to the top sights, which are very close together.

Istanbul is an easy city to self tour. We enjoyed Topkapi Palace, Aya Sofia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Archaeological Museum, Chora Church, Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar, etc., all of which were recommended and well-described in Rick Steves' Istanbul, newly-revised last spring. We felt it was an excellent guide to the Istanbul sights, but would not use for hotels and restaurants.

If you get a nice day, the 90-minute Turyol boat ride to the second bridge is lovely.

thank you Pam for your wonderful suggestion.

Kim

We just got back from Istanbul and very much enjoyed our stay at the Hotel Dersaadet, especially the free breakfast on the rooftop deck overlooking the Sea of Marmara. It's a short walk to the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Cistern, etc. Very friendly and helpful young hotel staff. www.dersaadethotel.com

They will also steer you to some very good local restaurants, all within walking distance.

Thank you Tom for the recommendation. Do you have any suggestion for the local tour? My kids also would like to visit Troy and Gallolipi, any suggestion?

thank you,
Kim

I'm not sure Troy and Gallipoli are really worth it. There's not a lot to see at Troy except some excavation in progress and a big fake Trojan horse. Gallipoli is mainly of interest to Aussies and Kiwis because of their losses there, but again, not a huge amount of interest for others. You might think about visiting Ephesus instead--a long street of Roman ruins (including the old communal john!)

I second the recommendation of the Dersaadet--lovely, well-kept hotel just far enough from the main tourist areas so that you won't find carpet touts lounging on the front steps ready to ambush you but close enough so that all the sites are an easy stroll away.

If you decide you want to tour outside Istanbul, you might book a tour there to make it easier. There are some good tourist agencies on the Divan Yolu, convenient to the Sultanahmet area you will probably be staying in. I've used and like Tur-Ista; there are other good ones too.

Hi Jer,

thank you for your post. It's really helpful. I will take all your advise. Can you recommend me some tour to fit with my family? I intend to take 1/2 day city tour and the hop-in hop-out bus. Is it worth for taking both? Also, can you give me the price for the tours that you recommend? Where is the travel agency that you have mentioned? Can we pay w/ US currency or Euros? Is it safe to use credit card in Turkey? Oh, I forgot. What do you recommend for the roundtrip transportation from the airport to the hotel? And how much do I expect to pay?. Thanks for your reply.

I wouldn't bother with the hop-in hop-out bus. Although for a lot of places they're great, in Istanbul they just clog up in the traffic. Plus, most of the places you want to see are within easy walking distance. A half-day walking tour would be a much better orientation to the city, in my opinion.

The Tur-Ista agency is on the Divan Yolu, a main avenue in the Old City, so it's easy to find. As I recall, they have a website, so you can google them for more information. I would visit them early on along with your family and talk with them about what tours and activities would best suit you all. They speak good English and are familiar with lots of options. Costs will vary according to the services, but there are options to fit very budget.

As far as getting from Ataturk airport to your hotel, once you pick a hotel, contact them. Many hotels will arrange a private pick-up for a reasonable charge. Even if not, they can let you know what an appropriate cabfare would be. You can get from the airport to Sultanahmet through a combination of public transportation, but I wouldn't advise it. With a jet-lagged family in tow, the last thing you will want on arrival is figuring out the public transit system in Turkish.

As for money, cash machines are all over the city. As in other European cities, stick to ATMs at banks for greatest security. You'll use Turkish lira for everything in Turkey. Although many hotels list their prices in euros, make sure you pay (whether in cash or by credit card) in lira--you get the most favoreable exchange rate that way. Also, ask whether the hotel gives a discount for paying in cash--lots do--and make sure you head to the cash machine in advance to accumulate the needed cash on check-out. By the way, don't forget to notify your credit card and cash card banks that you will be traveling in Turkey. Otherwise your cards could be blocked if they mistakenly believe that someone is fraudulently using your card abroad. Happy travels!

You are awesome, Jer. Thanks for all of your advise. It's a great help for my family trip. I will enjoy my winter vacation and can go to Istanbul with less stress. Thanks again for your prompt reply and useful hint. Have a wonderful w/e.

Kim

Kim,
I just got back from Turkey. It is a hugh city, over 15 million, but I suspect that you are staying on the European side of the Bosphorous.As for $$ exchange, I found the hotels give the worst exchange rate, the ATMs are the most convenient and usually get a good rate. If you have dollars or euros you want to convert, try a money changing outlet. They gave me the best rate and they are posted and change sometimes more than once a day.

Hey Carl

How inexpensive is Turkey? I'm reading mixed reviews. We want to travel somewhere where the euro isn't cranking up prices. We are trying to decide between Turkey or Asia.

Hi Troy

I just got back from Istanbul,my 2nd time there
Turkey is a great choice,if you do your homework/research the hotels etc it is not expensive.
hotels i paid 60 euros per night includes breakfast at hotel hippodrome it is located in sultanhamet which is aka old town where all the sites are.This was for 2 adults and 2 kids and it was a great hotel.
All the sites to visit are in old town,also if you are staying atleast 3 nights the hotel will pick you up from ataturk airport free of charge most hotels.
change your money at money changers called DOVIZ and most dont charge comission.
sites to see topkapi must see,blue mosque aya sofya grand bazaar spice bazaar and great food,i also flew to adana and crossed the border into syria for 1 week in damascus another great city with history in the middle east .
if you have any questions feel free to email me will be glad to help you.
avoid hotel avicenna in istanbul i stayed there on my previous trip dont recommend it
good luck
jfk jr (late) did his honeymoon in turkey also bhosphorous cruise dont miss if the weather is good

Hi All,

I just got back from Turkey from my trip. It was awesome. I've spent 5 days 4 nights at the Crown Plaza hotel. I booked my whole package which was included air, hotel, transportation to/from airport, breakfast for $545/pp. It is a 4/5* hotel and it's outstanding. It took me 10 minutes walk from hotel to the main Grand Bazaar for the shopping. And Troy, shopping in Turkey is great. Bargain is the key, you have to slash more than 1/2 asking price at least,and remember to leave the shop if you feel the price you are bargaining is the right price.

For money, change to any change post in the Grand Bazaar, they give you the great rate and no commissions. Remember to shop around for the rate.

For the tour, I did the city tour for 35euro/pp, Eubophosis (all day tour) for 50euro/pp, and Gallopoli for 199 euro/pp.

For a trip to Asia, it will cost you more than to Turkey. I've been traveling to China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, and Cambodge. If you have any question or need any help, feel free to email me.

Hi All,

I just got back from Turkey from my trip. It was awesome. I've spent 5 days 4 nights at the Crown Plaza hotel. I booked my whole package which was included air, hotel, transportation to/from airport, breakfast for $545/pp. It is a 4/5* hotel and it's outstanding. It took me 10 minutes walk from hotel to the main Grand Bazaar for the shopping. And Troy, shopping in Turkey is great. Bargain is the key, you have to slash more than 1/2 asking price at least,and remember to leave the shop if you feel the price you are bargaining is the right price.

For money, change to any change post in the Grand Bazaar, they give you the great rate and no commissions. Remember to shop around for the rate.

For the tour, I did the city tour for 35euro/pp, Eubophosis (all day tour) for 50euro/pp, and Gallopoli for 199 euro/pp.

For a trip to Asia, it will cost you more than to Turkey. I've been traveling to China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, and Cambodge. If you have any question or need any help, feel free to email me.