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Istanbul: FAQs, Tips & Links |
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The
full name of the Istanbul Airport is "Ataturk International
Airport." Many major airlines fly to Istanbul, including Turkish Airlines from most major city in the world (including direct flights from Miami, Chicago and New York). You can book the flight directly with Turkish Airlines - in the USA call toll free 1-800-874-8875. Or we recommend our travel agent "Fare Deals Travel" (Call Ritu at US Toll Free 1-800-878-2929). They have good experience in dealing with Turkish Airlines and they get special rates with them. The best way to travel from the airport to a location in or around Istanbul is by Taxi. The taxis are inexpensive and they all have meters. You will find a taxi stand outside the airport doors. |
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Citizens
of the USA must have a visa to get into Turkey. The cost is about $20.
You can get the visa with no problem at the Istanbul Airport when you
arrive - before you pass through "Passport Control". There are
usually 2 Visa Desks open - one on each side of the "Passport
Control. Tip: The desk on the left side is almost always empty because
you can only see the one on the right as you walk through the is area. For more visa information visit www.turkiye.net/lacg/subdir/passport.htm |
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If Istanbul is not your final destination and you are traveling to another city in Turkey, you must change terminals. The International and Domestic terminals are separate, but very near each other. First get a cart for $1 (USD is accepted) there is a man who will take your money (don't try to get change for the machine - it doesn't work). Then get your baggage and clear customs. Keep your cart. Go through Customs Control and make a left past the escalator and follow signs to the "Domestic Terminal." It is just a 5 minute walk. | |||
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Istanbul
is easy to navigate - there are dolmus', trams (streetcars) and
intercity-buses. |
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Taxis may be your best bet to get around Istanbul. They are cheap and they are everywhere. All taxis have taxi meters so you can't get ripped off | |||
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Or take a bus! Here is all the web info we
could find about the busses in Turkey... Varan- http://www.varan.com/ Fez Bus- This is a hop on - hop off service: http://www.feztravel.com/ |
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Average
temperatures: January is between 14F (-10C) and 41F (5C). July is between 61F (16C) and 86F (30C). |
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Istanbul is 90 feet above sea level. | |||
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You can change money in the airport, banks, hotels and exchange offices. All of these alternatives are good and there is not much difference in the rate - just shop around. Our favorite place to change money is the exchange office at the entrance to the Grand Bazaar (left side). We always seem to get the best rate there. | |||
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FAQ |
"Where can I see the
Whirling Dervishes in Istanbul?"
The Whirling Dervish Ceremony and Sufi Music Concert are performed by the Sufi Group of Galata Mevlevi Lodge. Performances are at the Sirkeci Train Station (Orient Express Station) each Sunday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:30 PM. Call 212.458.8834 or 212.458.8835 to confirm performance times and to make reservations. The cost is about $20 USD. If you are interested in learning more about the dervishes, visit this site: www.lesartsturcs.com/whirling_dervishes/index.html |
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FAQ |
"Where can I see a belly dancing
show?"
The best belly dancing show is at the Orient House. It is a dinner show with belly dancing and folk dancing. There is a coupon on our website at www.destinationcoupons.com. They have excellent dancers! Don't miss this show! - Selma |
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FAQ |
"I will be visiting
Istanbul and I would like to buy a belly dance
costume. Do you have any
suggestions where I can find one?" - Katrina, Germany
As a matter of fact - I do! The Covered Bazaar or Grand Bazaar is the best place as far as I know. There are several shops which specialize in Belly Dancing Costumes. The prices for a complete costume can vary from $100 to $800. I find these shops a bit overpriced, but you have a huge selection and they will tailor-make them for you in 24 hours - sometimes less. There are other shops around the bazaar where you will see 1 or 2 outfits displayed. You must ask to see more - and they usually have many different colors and styles in the back to choose from. They also have scarves and skirts to match. The cost of a complete outfit (costume, skirt & scarf) of this type is $30-$40. These are the shops where I buy my outfits. |
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FAQ |
Hi Selma, My husband and
I will be arriving in Istanbul for two nights and 2
days. We would like to take
some tours (full city tour and also visit Asia -- how long does the
ferry take to get to Asia?). We only have Saturday night, all day
Sunday, and part of Monday (the Norwegian Dream sets sail at 8PM Monday
night). We would also like to see the Orient House Turkish show at our
hotel (I'm thinking Saturday or Sunday night). What would you
suggest to get the most out of our short stay in Istanbul? Joana,
USA Visit the Orient House on Saturday Night. It is a great show and the dinner is surprisingly good also. On Sunday visit Topkapi Palace, The Archeology Museum, Cistern and if you are not exhausted, go to St. Sophia & Blue Mosque. For dinner, if you want authentic Turkish cuisine go to Asitane Restaurant ; for famous meat kebaps go to Tike ; or for fresh fish go to the Garaj. You will need a taxi for all these restaurants. Each one is a great choice - but go to one of these - you will not regret it. You will only be in Istanbul once so don't miss this! The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays. On Monday, if you didn't have time for the St. Sophia and Blue Mosque do that in the morning then go to the Bazaar, if you still have time walk down to the Spice Bazaar. Then just take a cab back to your hotel. Read all the info on our Istanbul "Sights" page, this will help you a lot. If you have any more questions, please let me know. The ferry to the Asian side takes about 30 minutes, but I would skip that because you haven't much time. Selma |
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FAQ |
"Good Day Selma -
Two questions. What will the weather be like in Turkey and
Greece the first two weeks in April? Also, should I be
purchasing in Turkish Lira rather than dollars, considering their money
devaluation? Better deals in Lira or Dollars? I have the
ability to change money here prior to leaving???" - Thanks. Kay, USA
Spring is pleasant, in the 60-70's. There may be a chance of some April showers to grow those Tulips. But don't change your money. Keep your dollars. You can pay in dollars at many places. My rule is: I change $100 to lira at the airport (good rate) and I try to pay dollars or credit card for everything else. It is actually better most times to use the credit card - by the time the bill comes, the money has devalued more! But see how it is going with the exchange rate when you get there. If money is devaluating - use credit card, if lira is gaining on the dollar - pay with dollars. -Selma |
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FAQ |
"Dear Selma, I would
be visiting Istanbul for the first time, from some persons I have heard
that Istanbul is a very frightening place to be in because there are
many ruffians, pickpockets, thugs and cheaters in Istanbul. Could you
advise how to have safe stay." - Sunil, Pakistan
It's funny, I find Istanbul one of the safest places I've been. I am never afraid there and I have never seen anyone steal or pickpocket. All our hotels are in safe areas. Coupons for these hotels are on the web. - Selma |
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FAQ |
"How would you
allocate six days after a visit to Istanbul? We do not go to the beach
areas to lie in the sun or swim - we are just going to get a sense of
the people, the culture, the stores, the food, the music, the museums,
the architecture, and anything that is interesting. I am not a history
buff. We are interested in some of the excavations but I would not want
to spend my time going from one excavation to another. For a break in
being in the "resort area", my wife has suggested that we take
a two day trip to Cappadocia. I am sure that would be interesting but I
am not sure that I will personally feel excited about spending that much
time underground. It is one of those things I would find interesting but
not exciting. I have not made up my mind about that." - Alvin, USA
How do you feel about sailing? I would suggest that you could spend your last week on a Blue Voyage. These are sailing yachts that generally leave from Bodrum and go along the Aegean coast. It is wonderful - My family does it 2 times a year! You see some ruins, small villages and are very pampered. If you want more information about the blue voyage go to www.thebluevoyage.com - I can help you find a yacht if you are interested. If you do not want to sail then I would do the following: From Istanbul fly to Antalya - Antalya (1 1/2 days) is a beautiful city on the southern coast. The Marina Hotel there is beautiful and I strongly suggest you stay there - it is right in Kaleici - the best part of Antalya. They have a beautiful museum, you can roam the streets and have a wonderful time at night. They also have some famous ruins there -but I would skip these - there are better. From Antalya - get a driver to take you to Kas (1 day). This is a small beautiful town on the coast - nothing to do here but admire the beauty and enjoy the locals. Sleep at Club Capa in Kas. From Kas - get a driver and go to Dalyan (1day). This is a beautiful place - you must go. Here you can hire a water taxi for the whole day ($60) to take you to the Ruins (if you want), see the turtle habitat, drive through the bamboo, have lunch at the waterside restaurant, see the tombs on the rock cliff, go the the thermal mud bath. There is a lot to do - but it will be the highlight of your trip. Then hire a driver to go to Bodrum (1 - 2 days). Sleep in Bodrum. Bodrum has a wonderful underwater museum, windmills, and is the most alive summer town in Turkey. All the rich and famous flock there to play. It is fun. Then hire a car to Kusadasi. Stay at Blue Sky, see Ephesus - these are the only ruins I suggest you to see. They are well excavated and you will get a good sense of ancient times. Please you must get a guide - they are at the gate and you can hire them for about $20 - do it . It will make all the difference in your visit. Go back to Kusadasi and eat at one of the great seafood restaurants on the sea - go to the fort to see belly dancing - next day hire a driver to go to Izmir airport and your done. If you think this is rushing too much - then cut out Kas (but do visit for a few hours). When I say "hire a car" Just ask your hotel and he will get you a taxi that will be willing to take you around - it will not be expensive. Let me know if you have any questions, I hope this helps. Selma |
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FAQ |
"I have an
extra day at the end of my tour of Turkey & I am spending it in Istanbul. ( I'll have already spent 3 days in Istanbul, by the way ) Any suggestions for an interesting, off the beaten path type activity or sight that would be interesting.... something that the usual tour group does not cover ?" - Laura First visit this page to see if you have all of this covered - http://www.destinationcoupons.com/Turkey/Istanbul/Reference/sights.html Make sure you will see the Kariye Museum which is one of the most beautiful hidden museums in Istanbul - and not usually shown to tour groups. The Byzantine mosaics there are rated the best in the world by historians all over the world. Make sure that one evening you see a Turkish show...http://www.destinationcoupons.com/Turkey/Istanbul/nightlife_orienthouse.html. Another very interesting thing you can do is go to a Whirling Dervish ceremony. Go to this page for information on how to reserve it... http://www.destinationcoupons.com/Turkey/Istanbul/Reference/tips.html Other than that, I can recommend that you take a ferry from the Golden Horn to Princess Island (Turks call it Buyuk Ada). This is a summer island about 45 minutes ferry ride from Istanbul. It is a cute place where you can roam the street and have a lunch. Lots of local color - not many tourists and very relaxing. |
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TIP Hostels in Istanbul
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Istanbul Sights, Places of Interest and
Do-It-Yourself Tours |
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If you have a question, comment or information that does not appear here, |
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