I am considering an October break of circa a week in Istanbul and have so much enjoyed reading the threads on this page and looking at hotel and restaurant options etc. Thank you to everyone who has posted in particular to Otherchelebi who is a veritable mine of useful information. As background I am sixty something and well travelled, I was last in Istanbul when a teenager in the mid 1960's (!). We are keen on culture, photography and food. My partner has a 'leg problem' which means that walking more than a mile or at most mile and half in one go is really challenging and so, whilst we understand that public transport, trams etc are relatively easy to naivigate we are likely to want to use taxis to get from hotel doorstep directly to the point of interest so that we can conserve the limited 'leg power' for seeing the site or neighbourhood in question rather than in going to and from tram stops etc.

I have a couple of questions that I am hoping someone might be able to answer....

I am currently looking at Pera Palace hotel or Vault house hotel Karakoy. From street view I can see that Pera Palace is right next to a large taxi rank which really weights things in it favour. However how easy would it actually be it to pick up a taxi from Vault House hotel Karakoy ? Does one need to find a taxi rank (in which case where is one in that area of Karakoy) or can one easily hail from street in that area ? Or alternatively do efficient uber type apps operate in Istanbul and if so are they readily useable by someone who speaks no Turkish ? Any thoughts on either hotel and/or nearby food and restaurant options would also be most welcome.

Is it sensible to pay extra to book a hotel car from the airport or is it relatively easy to get a cheaper ordinary taxi ? (We are not fussed at all about arriving in style !!) How long is transit time in taxi likely to be from the new airport and is that appreciably quicker than from SAW airport ? Flights from UK seem to be cheaper to latter but I am not sure what the differential transfer times are now that main airport has relocated.

Any recommendation for new sites or new restaurants that might not yet have had much publicity would also be gratefully received.

Many Thanks

Loncall, I envy you your trip. If you're staying at a hotel, you should be able to ask them to call you a taxi.

thanks loncall,

a few more ideas on eating :
Rumelihisar, (the European Fortress) on the Bosphorus has 10-15 small restaurants and cafes. Good place for breakfast, brunch, simple lunch.
Will also give you a look at the fortress which is recommended only for the young and fit.

- Bursa garaj, at Levent has some of the best iskender kebap, which is gyro on pita bread with tomato sauce and sizzling butter. Their pickles,
served up front are also very good. They serve nothing else but a lentil soup and dessert.

- Kasibeyaz has a Bosphorus location at Yenikoy with great view and good kebabs.

Take regular taxi from the airport. Cost should be about 150TL with medium traffic.

- There is Uber inIstanbul but with only regular yellow cabs. There is also @Bir Taxi and another one but you may not be able to communicate
in English.

- - Hailing a taxi at non-touristic areas is always safe, but it makes sense to take one from a rank. Karakoy will always have passing cabs, but not on the street in front of Vault Hotel. That street is one way and getting to the door by taxi will require a detour, and walking will require a few hundred yards walking up a slope.

- Pera Palas is easier to reach and will not require any walking.

- Consider also, the CVK Park Bosphorus Hotel. Has good view, good spa (my wife is a member) and good cafe and restaurants. (It is in the area our families have lived for four generations.

- Between 2 and 3 PM is the time for driver change and taxis are difficult to finf.

Thanks Otherchelebi for information re taxis and street layout in front of the vault hotel.. Really helpful. I will have a look at the hotel you mention and my mouth is already watering at thought of restaurant options !