One tour book says not to brush our teeth with the water--not to even get it in our mouth when showering; another says it is safe. How can I find out (would rather not spend the first day being sick). We'll be staying in a hotel in the old town (Admiral Hotel). Thanks

I wouldn't experiment. Hotel should supply bottled water, or get your own.

I drank water right from the tap in Istanbul and I did not get sick, not even diarrhea.

I also drank the water given to me out of pitchers at all the restaurants I ate at.

Istanbul is a modern city with world-class hotels, restaurants, shops, entertainment.

I stayed at the Ritz-Carlton.

If you are worried, only drink bottled water. But, I wouldn't worry at all about brushing your teeth or opening your mouth in the shower.

Thingorjus, posting 10+ years in Fodorville

I live in Istanbul.
The tap water is heavily chlorinated and very safe but does not taste good.
You can use it for boiling pasta or brushing teeth easily, but we prefer bottled water for drinking and for tea and coffee.
The ice you get at most places will be from tap water.
Finally, I have never heard of anyone, local or visitor getting ill from tap water in Istanbul.

However, I have heard that visitors may suffer from tap water in the Southeastern Turkish city of Gaziantep, although it did not happen to us.

I'm usually pretty sensitive to local bugaboos in tap water in far-flung places. In Istanbul, I drank bottled water but didn't take extra precautions when showering or brushing teeth... and I suffered no ill effects.

My husband got quite ill in Istanbul and I assumed it was from the water used to wash the vegetables in a salad that he ate that I didn't. Guess I was wrong. If you do get sick go to a pharmacy and the pharmacist will give you better stuff than the usual Immodium.

Marija, salads not washed properly may have some residues of soil, fertilizers or pesticides left on them which may cause some nasty digestive problems. I suffered same in Chicago also.

Guess we're even OC. We're in Chicago.

I have brushed my teeth using tap water a zillion times in Istanbul and in other parts of Turkey and never got sick.

However, I only drink it if I haven't got any bottled water but that is because of the taste as otherchelebi has already told us.

One of the few trips I've not gotten sick was to Turkey. I drank tap water in Istanbul and Cappadocia. I did ask about salads in one restaurant and was assured that water was safe and they washed everything very well. Didn't question anything much after that. DH was fine also. Might be concerned in other places, but not Istanbul.

I live near Istanbul; we buy 19 Liter (5gal)bottles of water for drinking at home, but brush our teeth and shower regularly with no problems using tap water. I use tap water for cooking pasta and coffee, and have even had a glass or two straight from the tap. When they serve Turkish coffee they always give a small glass of tap water; I drink it. Now questioning my purchase of 19L bottles... However, our guts are used to things after Africa and central Asia. As a traveller not wanting a ruined holiday, I buy water for drinking. You've already paid for the flights and hotel, the cost of water is comparatively inconsequential and could be important. #1 thing to do after check in: Find a shop, get about 4 or 5 1.5 liter bottles for the hotel room, feel no worries about staying hydrated. What's 10-15 bucks to aleviate fear and possible illness?

Marija, We will be in Chicago this october again. Will try salads again and report on the outcome. At that time it was a cesar salad, at Giordano's, i think. My father in-law was hit worse than I and the salad was the only thing we shared. (he was visiting DD for graduation from SAIC some years ago.)

Thanks for all the replies--I won't worry about the water for teeth and showering.

I was told by a Turkish gal in IST. that it is not so much the water from the tap but the pipes and taps in older buildings.. It would be advisable to but bottled water as No. Amer. inners are not usually not geared to abrupt changes in intake of any out of the ordinary substances..

OC, <b>please</b> do not try salads, or anything else, at Giordano's again. Ask your daughter to take you to Great Lake pizza--a pizza and salad you will always remember for the right reasons.

Some people have very sensitive systems and can become ill due to drinking water different than they are used to - even if there is noting wrong with the water. It can simply be a differnt type/amount of minerals. I would stick with bottled water where possible if you have any concerns. (We drink bottled water almost everywhere due to taste issues - NYC water has no taste - so water in many other places tastes awful to us.)

Both DH and I brushed our teeth with the tap water in Istanbul, washed fruit and made tea and coffee with it upon arrival before I noticed the 'not to drink tap water' sign. Our hotel supplied bottle water in the fridge and the house keeper actually put a big bottle next to the kettle the second day. I won't worry so much about the water unless you have some health issues. Eating yogurt can beef up the good bacteria in the guts. It works for us.

we never got sick in Turkey but used bottled water for brushing teeth and drinking, However we ate fruit, salads etc which I am sure were washed with tap water and we had ice in our drinks.

People from Sanliurfa (Southeastern Turkey) believe that the local hot Isot pepper (aka Urfa Biber) has great health benefits and desinfects your insides. Whether you believe in it or not, you should try it because of its rich flavor. Watch the video on www.potentpepper.com