Istanbul has been very popular, however here is another TR:
Just a side note. My husband worked with a Turkish man for over 20 years and he retired here. He was our guide and helped us with getting around. But if you have used buses, metro in other cities, you will figure it out. We did when we were alone.
Flight We travelled from Zagreb and flew on Turkish Airlines. The flight was less then 2 hours. Yet, they served us lunch, both times. And I have to say, really loud, it was the best food I have ever been served on a plane. Both times. I mean really good, more than just edible. The seat was very roomy. Also, they weighed and checked our carry on bags. 8 kilos is their limit and they stuck to it. We had to check the bag I wanted to carry on but it was 9.3K. Our other bags had already gone through so I couldn't fiddle around with the weight. They did not charge us for the extra checked bag.
Hotel We stayed at 2 different Hiltons for 2 different perspectives. Also, we used an employee discount and points.
DoubleTree by Hilton Istanbul Old Town This was a great location. An easy 10 minute walk to the Grand Bazaar but far enough away from the major sights and crowds. We were on the same avenue as the Tram, which we could hop on. This street is also closed to traffic. The room was a nice size, breakfast was great, but the restaurant for dinner was just so-so and very expensive.
Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus The first Hilton built in the city, 1955. They were just finishing up major renovations. They have a huge swimming pool, tennis courts, etc. and an outside area for breakfast. Views were amazing. But it was too cool to go swimming. Large room, white glove service, delicious breakfast and restaurant for dinner. In fact, there were 2 restaurants for breakfast, one having a more extensive menu. We ate at both. This is also a great choice if you have a car.
I would be interested to know where Rick's groups stay in the city just for comparison.
Transport from the hotel We ordered a pickup through Booking.com. The airport is huge, really big. They sent us a text, with pictures, where to go and where to exit. Upon exiting you will see many posterboards with taxi names and many gentlemen there helping. Just show them your text and they will direct you where to wait. You, and others are then told to follow a man to the parking elevator. When you get out another person is there to direct you to your taxi. Believe me, it is a well oiled machine. They have it down pat. We prepaid through booking.com and just tipped the driver.
Transportation in Istanbul We did get the IstanbulKart. They machines do have a link to English. It was a little confusing but we figured it out. Some machines will have children or men there to help you, for a tip. You decide. We used the card on the Tram, Bus, Ferry, Funicular, Cable Car, Metro, and Train. Yes, we hit every mode of transportation that was offered. But, you can also tap and pay with your CC. you save about 35 cents or less per ride.
Money We had a few hundred euro with us as we had traveled from Croatia, and some dollars. We did take money out of the ATM. They are all bank affiliated and charged a 10% fee. Interestingly, you could take out $$. We did use the euro and the Turkish Lira, as well as credit cards. We didn't use the $$.
Sights
Topkapi Palace For us, this was the highlight. We did take a tour with Walks in Europe. It was worth the extra price, about $100. We were a group of 12. We did check the cruise schedule to go on a day when no ships were in. We figured it would cut down on the crowds. We booked the 1:30 tour (3 hours) and afterwards wished we had taken the 9:30 one cause there is so much to see in this complex. We went to the Sultan's apartments, but spent most of the time in the Harem. You could have lunch then visit the other places we missed. You can easily spend an entire day here.