Hello,

I'm going to Istanbul for 5 days later this month and am looking for recommendations for a great, pleasant, English speaking driver. I'll be traveling alone but am not crazy about the idea of getting a tour guide so am thinking that a knowledgable driver might be a good fit. If anyone has a tour guide they love in Istanbul, I'd be interested in hearing about that as well. The idea is to have some direction but not be inundated with details, as I enjoy exploring solo.

Appreciate all tips!

Not sure if you need one really. We spent 3 days pre cruise there last Oct. and most of the major attractions are within walking distance from the Sultanamet area which has a lot of hotels and restaurants.

As jacketwatch says, most major attractions are within easy walking distance of each other; other sites are readily reached by public transportation. My experience was that traffic was very heavy and slow-moving, so using a car would have taken much longer than walking or taking the tram for many places I visited. For the places that can't be readily reached by public transportation, you can take taxis, which are not expensive.

And BTW, audio guides in English are available at many of the major sites.

Hope that helps!

Thanks very much, this is helpful!

You can also use the hotel services to get ideas and help with tours. You should really enjoy IST. Do try the apple tea!

A good tour guide : www.tourali.com