First Trip to Istanbul
 

My husband and I will be traveling to Istanbul from Boston in March 2009. I love to plan and so the planning has begun. I have reserved a room, the penthouse suite, at Empress Zoe. The ride from the airport is not included as it seems to be with other hotels. I am considering public transportation from Ataturk Airport. I do see that there is a train and tram into Sultanhamet Square. I would like to hear from anyone that has done this before. We arrive at 4:25 p.m. Thanks.

Opaldog - Congrats at staying at Empress Zoe. I stayed there in Oct 2001 and experienced the Penthouse Suite for part of the stay (it was booked for several of the days we were there so we could not have it for the full time). It is a loveley hotel and the Penthouse Suite was wonderful - the view from bedroom!!

To your question - I would just take a cab from the airport. If memory serves it was not that expensive. I wouldn't want to have to struggle with finding the train/tram and then struggling with luggage.

Hi

Another vote for taking the cab. Istanbul is fantastic - you're in for a real treat.

I love to plan too! It's half the fun of the trip :)

Sounds like a plan. Has anyone used the Akbil transit pass? It seems that you just charge it when needed.

You might be interested in my trip report:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35151861

Hi Opaldog

Hubby and I used the train & tram to get to the historic center of Istanbul from the airport 3 days in a row last May.

Getting on at the airport is super easy and the train is practically empty. We just used tokens we bought at the booth at the airport. You will have no problem getting a seat getting on at the airport. Even so, I would NOT really recommend doing it. Lots of people get on the train at every stop, and then everyone gets off at Zetinburnu to switch to the tram. You have to hike around the station a bit to switch and the tram is crowded.There were times we were just smooshed together like sardines in a tin. It was a real slice of local life tho! I would not want to be handling luggage at that point. Save yourself the hassle and take a cab :)

I appreciate all the replies. I don't want to struggle with luggage on a packed train. We only take carryon's, but I think we'll go for a taxi or a shuttle.

Michael: I actually have read your report and really enjoyed it; well written, nice format.

Hi opaldog -
yes, I have used the akbil and it is simple and straightforward. It works like other stored fare cards - you "load" it and each time you use it the fare amount is deducted. I bought mine a the Taksim station, but believe they are available at several locations.
And though I found using public transport to get around was easy, I would also advise taking a cab from and back to the airport.
(BTW, I thought I posted an Istanbul trip report but can't seem to find it)

Hi Seamus
The Akbil sounds like a good idea for us. I'm expecting weather in early March to be up and down; cool and perhaps rainy. That said, we'll probably appreciate public transportation over walking at times. If you have a report I'd enjoy reading it.

Has anyone been to Istanbul in March? I'm wondering if my expectations of weather are correct.

Hi opaldog, I'm also planning on Istanbul in March, and originally was planning on flying from Boston (I live in Western Mass) but am now considering going to JFK instead as I'm not finding very good flights from Boston. Do you mind telling me what carrier you are using, etc. It sounds like you already bought your tickets.

I was also considering doing public transportation from the airport (I've done it in every other city) but as I haven't got a hotel yet (was also looking at Empress Zoe) maybe I'll look for one with airport pickup. Anyway, have fun planning, I've already found tons of information on-line and it looks like a wonderful city. How long will you be staying?

The Empress Zoe arranged airport pickup for us. The driver was waiting outside of baggage claim. Great place to stay!

isabel: We are flying on swiss (swiss.com) I purchased my tickets back in June. They were $570 total. I was actually looking for fares to Paris at the time. They were showing high and this fare to Istanbul jumped out at me. We've been thinking of visitng Istanbul and this just pushed us into going.

I have read that Boston is one of the more expensive airports to fly out of due to the fees charged to the airlines. I did fly out of JFK to Rome twice in the past 2 years. I did it because I flew on Eurofly and they only fly from JFK. It was ok driving to JFK, but the drive home was deadly. We thought we were going to fall asleep the whole way back.

Weekender: I will check with the Empress Zoe as my trip nears to find out about transportation from the airport.

I agree with others that after getting off the flight you probably won't want to deal with figuring out the public transportation, and you'll probably be able to arrange a transfer close to the trip. Airport taxis are hopefully more well-regulated than the rest (had a bad experience with a cabbie, so be mindful). Traffic could be bad at that time of day, just be aware.
The Akbil transit pass (which I have heard is not sold at airport) was so cool--no fumbling for coins, etc. You've got plenty of time to learn your Turkish numbers well (and a few phrases) so you'll be a pro when you buy yours from a kiosk with a line of Istanbullus behind you.
I also have to rave about the tram. I walked--a lot--but it was nice to have the convenient option to hop on, and I used it often at night.
Istanbul is such a fantastic city, even if you have cold weather it will be an amazing trip. Makes me wistful just thinking about it!

Also, for the people looking for flights, I flew Iberia--who had a great sale last spring (don't know about their Boston options, as I'm in DC).

Opaldog - I have been in Istanbul in March, and though it was cool, it wasn't cold. Either would have been welcome by us since we live in Miami and are bloody tired of the heat! There were two days that were overcast and one day with a very light misty rain - nothing to speak of. It didn't stop us for one minute, and there is so much to do.

Just as when you travel to Ireland, layers are key: a shirt, a sweater, a jacket, so you can peel off if it's warmer and put on more if it's cooler - and of course a small folding umbrella - and you'll be fine.

sandra3120: What were the crowds like in Istanbul in March? I'm for an end of low season type crowd. I usually travel in off seasons so I'm used to coping with all types of weather. It sounds as though Istanbul is a favorite city of many.

Hi again Opaldog. It also occurred to me that a fixed rate pick up (even through EZ) might be preferable over worrying about cab fare if the taxi gets stuck in traffic. Traffic is heavy there!