Travelgirl1992

im travelling to Bahrain at the end of December and i have a layover in Istanbul on the way and on the way back. on the way i have a 4 hour stop from 17.30-21.30 and i would be a bit nervous leaving the airport for such a short space of time to catch my flight but i was thinking maybe i could get a taxi to Yesilköy -? because apparently it's only a 10 minute ride away by car and i could get a coffee. my worries are: will i need a visa, i am british citizen, 19 years old, how do i get a visa? and how much will it cost? i would also worry about how to pronounce this to a taxi driver
On the way back i arrive in instanbul at 06.35 and my flight is at 13.00 so that's 6 and a half hours and i was hoping this would be enough time to get to the main area - but where is the main area of Istanbul? Where could i go in this amount of time? What time do i really need to be getting back to the airport for? Is transportation pretty reliable in Instanbul? I am absolutely obsessed with travelling and seeing as much as i can so i want to try and make this work...any help would be much appreciated

P_M

You are right not to leave during the 4 hours layover but I think it's doable with 6.5 hours. You will need a visa but you can get it quickly and easily at the airport. For a US citizen it costs $20 US maybe a British citizen can tell you your cost.

I used the tram from the airport but since time is short a taxi might be faster, my only concern is that you are arriving during morning rush hour. But if your layover is on the weekend that will not be an issue. I would taxi to the area near the Blue Mosque. After seeing the Blue Mosque you can walk to the major attractions such as the spice market and the Haiga Sophia. (sp?) I don't think you will have much time to see the Topkapi Palace but you can see it from the outside.

P_M

If time allows visit the Cistern, also in that same area. Personally I would try to get back to the airport 1 hour to 1.5 hours early.

You will be accosted by carpet salesmen and since time is short do not waste time chatting with them. I found the best way to head them off was to speak Pig Latin or some other gibberish, then they would walk away saying, "Sorry, I don't speak Swedish."

cabovacation

It can take a long time to get out of the airport - and an even longer to get back in and go through security and then the boarding process is long, too. I agree that it is probably doable - but traffic is nightmare - it's really a very iffy situation. I guess I would give it a try. If you have never been to Istanbul head for the Blue Mosque area - and at least get the feel for the beauty of the Ay Sofia and Topkapi. Also - it's a busy touristy area so just walking along the street with everyone else is very fun...all the windows full of Baklava and luscious foods....stunning carpets and gifts. But don't take too long to head back.

MinnBeef

I was in Istanbul for 3 1/2 days in Sept. As others have said, with 6.5 hours it's doable, but I wouldn't chance it if your inbound flight arrives much later than its scheduled arrival time. I took the LRT from the airport to the tram (can't recall the stop name where you connect...think it began with a "Z") From there, you take the tram to the Sultanahmet stop, which is in the heart of the old city. You'll have to get your VISA first before leaving the airport. Once you hop on the LRT, I'd figure an hour to get to Sultanahmet. Figure at this point you're 2 hours into your available 6.5 I would spend 90 minutes at the Hagia Sophia and an additional 30 minutes at the Blue Mosque. (your ability to tour the Hagia Sophia is much more extensive-hence the extra time needed) At that point, you're at about 10:30 and you'll need an hour to get back to the airport, which puts you back there at 11:30. I would definitely NOT wander to far around Sultanahmet. Remember, you're hitting this city for the first time and it is CRZAY and CHAOTIC (but all good!) Focus on those two sights and promise to come back for 5 days in the future.

otherchelebi

If your flight arrives on time, I expect that it will take you 10 minutes to disembark and another 15 minutes to get your visa and go through passport control. That makes it only 7AM. The rush hour starts after 7:30, so you should be safe taking a taxi to Sultanahmet (sool-tun ah-met) Taxi should not take longer than 20-25 minutes.

At that time the museums will not be open, so you should just visit the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet mosque), the only one with six minarets, in front of the former hippodrome. By the time you are finished there, the bazaar should be opening. So you can have a quick look at the Grand Bazaar and be back at Sultanahmet square to visit Aya Sofya and/or the Cistern (Yerebatan) both of which open at 9AM.

You should be back at the airport about 90 minutes before your flight since you will have your boarding pass.

The taxi ride back will not hit heavy traffic and should not take longer than 30 minutes. Take a few minutes to walk towards the Marmara Sea from a point between the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofya, possibly to Four Seasons Hotel or Arasta Bazaar or thereabouts to take your taxi, because that will save you a great deal of traffic and give you quick access to the coastal road (Kennedy Avenue) towards the airport.

otherchelebi

For your short transfer, you could take a cab to yesilkoy and possibly one visa will allow you both entrees.

17:30 will be rush hour but the area from the airport to Yesilkoy is not so crowded. However, there will be some risk.

your problem will be the taxi cab getting upset about the short ride, after having to wait some hours at the rank. So I suggest that you walk past the taxi rank and grab one (lighter yellow) which has just dropped a passenger, possibly up the stairs in front of the Departures.

It is pronounced "Yae-shill-que-aey' (que as in French)

By the way hagia Sophia or Aya Sofya is closed on Mondays. mosques are always open, except for a few hours at night and I suspect that the Grand Bazaar will be opening around 8AM if it is not a Sunday.

There is a patisserie across from the tram stop, called Cigdem, I think, which will have fabulous stuff. The Turkish savouries are usually excellent, containing cheesem potatoes, spinach, ground beef or olives. The sweet things like the apple rolls or the millefeuille are also good. They will also have good brewed tea. All worth not having a full breakfast before on the plane.

P_M

otherchelebi, the OP is British so do you know the price of a visa for a British citizen?

otherchelebi

It ıs 10 Pounds or $20

http://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-fees-at-b...or-2010.en.mfa

Very easy to get the answer on the web without personal attention, unlike other information we all provide on the forums.