Istanbul advice
 

My partner and I are trying to book a vacation during his February break and have decided to go to one city in Europe for what would be a seven day trip. Right now our options are Rome, Madrid or Istanbul. All seem to be comparably priced and we can get nonstops to all of them through Toronto.

I've done research about all three of these cities at various points in the past couple of years. Istanbul intrigues me greatly but also makes me the most nervous. Any thoughts or comments about two gay American guys traveling there. I know the Muslim culture isn't known for their enthusiasm for homosexuality but we are pretty low key.

Not sure what exactly I am asking- maybe for some reassurance that it will be safe and comfortable for us to visit.

Beyond that, any advice on good areas to stay in would be appreciated (preferably areas where restaurants, markets, shopping is all within walking distance)

Thanks

We always thought of visiting Turkey. The final push was a gay couples raving about their trip to that country.

The Fodorite who can answer your question best..is Other Celibi, a resident and curmudgeonly native of Istanbul. He will be specific and informative. I promise.

<b>OC, please chime in for Tom!</b>

Stu

You shouldn't have a problem in Istanbul.

Istanbul is pretty cosmopolitan. Lots of partying and raucous nightlife in Ortakoy.

You do see gay men in Taksim Square/Istiklal Caddesi area during the day.

You would be more conspicuous if you stayed in Sultanahmet, which is a little village around the Blue Mosque. You see lots of foreign Muslims here, women wearing burkas. These are Arab tourists.

Turkish women do not wear Burkas. Some do wear the headscarf and conservative dress.

If you could afford it, stay at the Ciragan Kempinski Hotel.

Lots of gay men running around here. Very high society, sophisticated people not concerned about who you sleep with unless it's a member of the Koc Family.

Thin, in Istanbul July 2005 with Keith, Cousin Muffy, and Mother

We were just there and noticed what may have been many gay couples who appeared to be having a grand time. But I certainly defer to OC, the Istanbul expert.
We just started our TR and have covered our first 5 days in IST.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ern-turkey.cfm
Hope you go and have a great trip!

"You would be more conspicuous if you stayed in Sultanahmet,"
I disagree with that statement -- the historic quarter, Sultanhmet, is so jammed with tourists particularly folks coming off the huge cruise ships, that it's hard to notice much of anyone. The streets are packed during the day and it appeared to us to be a lot of European tourists along with tourists from other muslim countries. That said, it was my least favorite part of IST despite its convenience to the major sites.

I've been to Istanbul twice in the last two years and can't imagine you would have any problem. I've stayed both times in the Ortakoy area (at the Radisson Blu) but love poking around in Sultanahmet.

Thanks for the responses so far. I am looking more closely into it and will follow up with more questions once I narrow down my hotel choices.

FWIW, Our favorite Istanbul dining experience was at a "gay" restaurant (all the staff and a majority of the clientele). Reservations are essentail!

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...-Istanbul.html

The Beyoğlu neighborhood, as mentioned, and where the restaurant above was, is where you'll find the local gay population as well as other various artistic types. It's a beautiful neighborhood architecturally and very convenient for tourists. One caveat, parts of it are hilly. There are some very nice VRBO places here. It's a good VRBO city. I would suggest finding a nice 1 BR rental. Many of the oldest buildings have apartments with large terraces.

The pedestrianized, mega-shopping/restaurant/market street - İstiklal - is also in the 'hood. Google "İstiklal" for more info/images.

BTW - 7 days sounds great. We spent a week there and, is the case in some other major tourist cities, it wasn't nearly enough....

tom: I believe that Istanbul may be significantly more cosmopolitan than you might imagine. While attitudes in Rome and Madrid may be more 'traditional' than you might suppose.

Having said that...I'll add my voice to those who are paging OC to the thread. He's most definitely the Istanbul expert here.

If you do end up choosing Istanbul, you could do as we did and split your time between a couple locations to get two different tastes of the local flavor.

If you base yourselves in the touristy Sultanahmet area, I can tell you we really enjoyed the Hotel Empress Zoe. Nicer people cannot be found, and the location is awesome. And their signature cocktail has become somewhat like a religion for ms_go.

Interesting mr_go. I didn't consider that. Good to know. And thanks bardo. That's the type of info in find really helpful.

Oh I didn't notice your second post mr_go. That's not a bad idea - about splitting the stay.

We did the same re splitting time in two different areas.

mr_go, where did you stay when you moved? And what is in that cocktail? Inquisitive minds . . .

You may find the excellent and highly detailed trip report by Fodor's poster tedgale helpful. It is titled Istanbul and the Aegean in Springtime. I printed it out for my Turkey file.

Many Istanbul hotels offer free one way airport transportation.
If you chose two different hotels then you could a free ride both coming and going.

Just my personal opinion but I go back to Rome and Madrid often. Istanbul was a one-time visit.

cw: For the last part of our stay, we picked the Hotel Villa Zurich in Cihangir, an area just to the east of the Istiklal Caddesi and not far from Beyoglu. It has plenty cafes, restaurants and bars, with a much more local feel than Sultanahmet (and even steeper hills).

It was a serviceable place and I had no complaints. But not especially memorable.

Hello Tom42,

Your visit in February means that your best option for lodging will be Cihangir-Taksim area.

February will be colder and wetter than most months although the days will be starting to get longer.

Sultanahmet area will be empty and depressing after dark. The Bosphorus will also not have the vibes of the warmer months.
However, Cihangir, Taksim and Beyoglu will be in full swing.

If you can afford it, another and possibly a better option is Nisantasi-Tesvikiye area, where the beautiful people and yuppies congregate in the Winter.
Not far from this area is a new hotel where Yestravel stayed recently, called La Sagrada, (If I remember correctly) at Osmanbey, less than ten minutes walk from Nisantasi. and more reasonably priced than the hotels at Nisantasi.

You should have no problems due to your life style or preferences. However, Sultanahmet in February will not be as friendly as any of the other areas. And you would be noticed by not only the inquisitive conservative people of that area but also by the scammers and the bounty hunters.

Being together should help you avoid possible hunters in Taksim Istiklal areas also. But, still a warning not to accept offers or invitations for a bar or home visit from slick "nice guys" who would be out to get into your wallets. This is a warning to all young men and not only to gays. Trip Advisor has a few threads on this scam, which is practiced in many other European countries and cities also.

The guy(s) disappear after a few drinks and you are faced with an atrociously high tab, running into hundreds of bucks for just a couple of drinks.

Istanbul has a great deal to share with you and may actually be quite a bit friendlier than Madrid or Rome although I was much older than you when I visited those cities.

You can easily get to the Sultanahmet area from Osmanbey by metro+funicular+tram or from Tesvikiye by dolmus (shared mini van)+funicular+tram or even dolmus+ferry (only early in the morning with an evening return, through Besiktas)

If you haven't decided for certain on Istanbul, I would like to put in a vote for Rome. Admittedly, I've only been to Istanbul twice (30 years apart), and I've been to Rome at least a dozen times; but I can honestly say that I have no desire to return to Istanbul, whereas I have never tired of visiting Rome, and cannot wait to do so again soon. (I do realize that I'm in the minority in my not loving Istanbul.)

If you do decide to go to Istanbul, though, I strongly advise you to stay in any neighborhood but Sultanahmet. Unless you happen to like honky-tonk and used car salesmen.