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Istanbul or Cairo with 70 year old mother?

Istanbul or Cairo with 70 year old mother?

Old Jan 5th, 2009, 05:29 AM
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Istanbul or Cairo with 70 year old mother?

Hello all!

I am planning a trip with my mom to Paris, Rome and then either Istanbul or Cairo. We are planning to stay around 3 weeks, but she has some difficulty walking (she gets tired easily) so I was wondering if you could give me some advice. We would be traveling at the end of May.

Thank you so much!!
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Old Jan 5th, 2009, 09:44 AM
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Cairo, while interesting, is not worth the trip/distance unless you are also going to visit other parts of Egypt also. Most tourists stay in Cairo for two days (one day for the pyramids, and one day for the museum, "Coptic Cairo" and city) and then leave for Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel, etc.
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Old Jan 5th, 2009, 10:03 AM
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I've only been to Cairo -- so my answer my not be fair -- but I would choose Cairo over Istanbul. We were only there for about 36 hours after spending a week on the Red Sea. We loved it. Seeing the Pyramids and the Sphinx was amazing. Indescribable. It felt like something that everyone should do at some point. It's hard to say more than just "they are the PYRAMIDS!"
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Old Jan 5th, 2009, 10:07 AM
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I agree with sf7307. While it might be possible to fill 3 weeks with activity in Cairo, you are more likely to become bored and restless. Temperatures start to warm up by the end of May and this may exceed your Mom's comfort zone. I've never been to Istanbul, so can't really comment on the attractions there.

How long would you be staying in Paris/Rome? You might wish to consider a side destination from one of those spots to fill out the three weeks instead of Cairo or Istanbul.

Have a wonderful time wherever you end up.

tC
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Old Jan 5th, 2009, 10:14 AM
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I don't think the OP intended to spend 3 weeks in either Istabul or Cairo, that was the length of the entire trip including Paris and Rome.

I haven't been to Istanbul, so I can't say what that would be like. I have been to Cairo, and lots of it is relatively flat, however. Also, I know someone who went with a relative who was rather frail and they had a good time. I was with a tour group which included a 75 year old woman who had had polio, and she got by okay in Cairo and enjoyed it.

I do not undersatnd sf7307's thought that Cairo isn't worth seeing without the rest of Egypt, but I suppose Istanbul is worth seeing without the rest of Turkey? I don't know about that, I did visit some other parts of Egypt, but I don't see why that would be the case. There are a couple close day trips that would be included in a Cairo visit, anyway (ie, Memphis). YOu could do some short Nile cruise, also, from Cairo.
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Old Jan 5th, 2009, 10:32 AM
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I would suggest you go to the Africa forum and read posts about others' trips to Egypt. Hardly anyone spends (or recommends) more than a couple of days in Cairo. The reason is there really isn't that much to see. It's not like Paris or Rome or New York where you could spend weeks and still not have seen everything you wanted to see...there are simply not many "tourist attractions".

I haven't been in Istanbul so can't comment whether it's worth 2 days or 2 weeks.
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Old Jan 6th, 2009, 01:58 AM
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I do to would be careful with the heat issue. I have not been to Egypt yet, but soon will go, must be amazing to see the Pyramids and rest of the remains & culture.

However as a poster said you can visit Istanbul without visiting rest of the country. Also one can spend 2 days to 2 months in Istanbul and always will have something to do & explore....

Happy travelling whatever your decision would be.

Murat
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Old Jan 6th, 2009, 03:17 AM
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I would agree to look at temperatures, see weatherbase.com and other sites and see whether you think temps in May in Cairo would be comfortable for your mother, as heat can affect elderly people differently. Also look at humidity levels. In any event, be sure to make sure she stays hydrated.

A basic question would be: which place is more appealing to YOU or to your mother? They both offer a lot to see and do in terms of history, but it is quite different history (in terms of millennia) you would be seeing. What are your interests, hobbies, etc? Does one place lend itself more easily to those interests?

I have not been to Cairo in decades, so can’t really speak from recent experience, but my recollection is that other than places like the Valley of the Kings (which is a big exception no doubt), she would not be required to do a lot of walking in and around sites. You can travel to them by car and do some minimal walking around them or just look. She would not have to climb the pyramids. One souck is pretty much like the next, so one trip may be enough. The exception is of course their wonderful museums, for which I am assuming a wheelchair would be possible. You might want to look into wheelchair or other mobility assistance in the Valley of the Kings and Luxor. You may be able to rent a wheelchair for the entire trip, I just don’t know how useable there are in the tomb/temple areas.

I would say that this would be different in Istanbul, where I don’t think your mother could do say the Ayia Sofia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar in the same day (as many people might do). Even just walking around the main sites in Sultanahmet might be tiring, so you might want to spread things out more and give more rest periods. You might also look into whether a wheelchair would be possible at larger sites like Topkapi Palace. In either place, a trip up river (or in the case of the Nile an actual cruise) may be a good way to see places, and your mother can decide how much she would want to go ashore. Half day trips around the Boshporus area are also possible and quite nice.

I think with good planning, a well-thought out itin that uses short waling periods with rest periods, and use of a wheelchair when possible, either would be doable, albeit the heat in May in Egypt is one issue.
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Old Jan 6th, 2009, 07:18 AM
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In the last 13 months I've been to both Istanbul and Cairo and I definitely vote for Istanbul. IMO it's a nicer city with a lot more to do. Although both are large, bustling cities I thought Istanbul was a lot less chaotic. And of course the heat will be worse in Cairo than Istanbul during the month of May.
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Old Jan 6th, 2009, 08:31 AM
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I thought Istanbul was a lot less chaotic.

I'm not sure I know of a city that's MORE chaotic than Cairo (and that was one of its "charms", or at least one of the memories I will always have). As a regular poster on the Africa forum, a Cairo resident, has said, when you want to cross the street in Cairo, find the nearest old person and cross with them, not because people are deferential to the elderly, but because "they didn't get old by being stupid". There are very few traffic lights in Cairo; you cross the street by dodging traffic.

Regarding Cicerone's post, note that most of it was not about Cairo at all - the Valley of the Kings is near Luxor, not Cairo (which was my original point -- that there isn't enough to see in Cairo to make it worth the detour by itself).

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Old Jan 7th, 2009, 08:38 AM
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Having been to both Istanbul and Cairo. I would vote for Istanbul. The pace of the city is slower. There are better services. It is much easier walking. Transportation is much easier.
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Old Jan 7th, 2009, 08:48 AM
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As a former Cairo resident, I would have to agree with the above. Even for the able-bodied, Cairo sidewalks are quite a challenge! They are often broken or very uneven and you're often better off walking in the highly congested roadway! Temperatures that time of year can be well into the 90s or higher (37C or more)!
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