For Travelers to Istanbul.....
 

Excellent article in today's NYTimes...hotel and restaurant and cafe suggestions, astute observations, etc.
My favorite cafe is Pierre Loti's..not mentioned in the article, though.

If you're thinking of Turkey and Istanbul, you're heading to an intriguing direction. Enjoy!

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/12/tr...?th&emc=th

Stu T.

Thanks for posting this. We have just returned from Istanbul and as soon as I can get going I'll be posting a rapturous trip report.

Julie:

It's been four years since our month-long visit to Turkey..looking forward to your trip report.

We drove most of the way thru the country....spent an unforgettable week in Istanbul...flew to Cappadocia, picked up car in Urgup...spent four days in that indescribable lunarscaped region, drove to Konya and then to the rarely-visited "Lake District", south to Antalya and the enchanting Turquoise Coast, onward to Pamukkale, Ephesus, Kusadasi, Bodrum and Marmaris...ferry to Rhodes, flew to Santorini, Mykonos, Athens. Marvelous trip..."rapturous" certainly fits!

Stu T.

I agree with the 'rapturous' adjective !

I'm just back from a week and a half in Turkey and had a fantastic time even though I probably only saw about 10% of all that there is to do and see.

I hope to post a trip report soon.

M.

For people who live in the real world:

Can't one comfortably spend a weekend in Istanbul for 100 Euro all up?

Harzer

Harzer, I'd have to say no. Turkey isn't France or Italy but it's not Albania either, at least not as far as Istanbul is
concerned. While a beer and a glass of wine wasn't the 10 euros you might pay in Paris, it was anywhere for 3 to 6 to even 10 turkish lire, at about .75 US to the lire.

I agree with Julie here...we found Turkey to be among the most moderate of all European countries..not inexpensive, but certainly more moderately priced than Western European countries.

When traveling in the countryside, away from Istanbul and into Cappadocia, and other inland regions, it would rank among the least expensive foodwise and lodgings.

But no matter..it remains as an intriguingly exotic, constantly interesting, historically fascinating and friendly place to spend your money.

Stu T.