My husband and I are considering a visit to Turkey in February, and would like to know if anyone has been there during this time and could give me some insight.

We have to travel in February because we have credits that have to be used by then. We are also considering warmer regions (southern Spain, Morocco) but Turkey keeps popping up because a) we always wanted to visit and b) the flights are actually reasonable.

We will only have about a week and were considering 3-4 nights in Istanbul and 3-4 nights on the Aegean near Izmir. We love ancient history and ruins, and I think Istanbul looks fascinating. We almost always travel during off-season, because it's cheaper and we greatly enjoy not fighting the crowds. I know it will be cold, but is it miserable? We traveled to Vienna and Munich in February a few years back and it was ridiculously cold (and I'm from the midwest). And will things be open on the Aegean?

Thanks!
Tracy

I was in Turkey this February. We landed in IST the day before a blizzard, and it was a bit bizarre walking through Istanbul in a heavy snow storm! But there were advantages. The Grand Bazaar was relatively empty, and the rug merchant who begged me to come into his shop actually sold me a runner for less than 50% of what he originally asked.

We then went to Ephesus and Bodrum, and the weather was very nice.

A hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia in February? It was extremely cold. If you do it, wear everything you can possibly put on.

By the time we got back to Istanbul at the end of the trip, the weather was very nice.

So, bottom line, it will probably work out quite well for you.

Thank you so much for your reply. It was helpful. It doesn't sound like the weather is too bad overall, although perhaps I should be prepared for a blizzard at any time!

I would love to visit Cappadocia but with the weather and timing I don't think it's going to be possible. The weather stats on the Aegean don't look too bad. We aren't looking to hop into the beach so I think we'll be okay. I just hope most of the main sights will be open.

Thanks again!
Tracy

If you are looking for a hotel recommendation I loved The Empress Zoe http://www.emzoe.com/htm/124/ent.php

We spent 9-10 days there in October 2001 - fantastic place if you want something other than a cookie-cutter chain. If you like what you see on the web site you'll like the hotel.

We found plenty to keep us occupied for 9 days in Istanbul - there is so much to see.

I was in Istanbul for about 2 weeks in last february. Beginning was good than we had snow everywhere for 3 days, was not so cold but was a challange, than rest of the week was suuny as if it was May.

If you plan well and self sufficiant I do not see any reason why you should not enjoy Istanbul in february.

Aegean will be a lot milder and even expect sunny days if not rain. Renting a car would give you freedom to explore ancient sites and you will have to visit a lot of them

Cappadocia could be also snowy but dry cold, daytime sunshine.... If you want you could fit in the program if your budget allows extra flights.

Happy travelling,

Murat

If you like archeology do not miss Ephesus. But also consider Didima, Priene and Miletus, all of which we did in an easy day's drive between Bodrum and Ephesus. All three are readily accessible on your own with a retnal car. They sell brochures or little books at the entrance to all sights. Or with a little internet research you could find all you needed in advance for explanations, maps, etc. You could get an early flight one morning Istanbul to Bodrum, pick up a rental car, very easy driving, see those three sights in a day, stay near Ephesus (we loved the little town of Sirince) see Ephesus the second day and still have third day to explore before catching a flight back from Izmir to Istanbul. Izmir is an easy drive from Sirince.

You might have to do a little digging on the internet to confirm all sights are open in February though. On a google search I found a tripadvisor forum which was pretty clear they are all open all year and accessible by car even if scheduled tours don't seem to go there in the off season. (We went in May.)

Turkey is fabulous, one of our top trips. Enjoy planning!

Hi Tracy!
I'm resurfacing after the 9/15 tax deadline, LOL ;-)
Did you and your DH decide on a location for your trip for this coming winter/spring?

I finally put together an album of highlights from Austria. Here is the link:
http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=421...=SYE/otsi=SALB

We leave for Italy for the family trip in 2 months and we ended up booking Greece for May. After that, we're starting to think about starting a family... but I'd love to get in another trip before we do! There are so many places on the list though ;-)

Hi Jill!

Funny you brought this back up to the top because I'm sitting here browing through my Turkey guidebook as I write this! We are going to be booking our tickets in a few weeks, and so far Turkey it is. I'm beyond excited!

We too are getting ready to start a family, very soon actually, so I may very well be pregnant on this trip. Kinda weird to plan a trip when you may be pregnant! This will probably be our last big vacation for a little while!

Your pictures are gorgeous! You look like you had tons of fun. I loved the pics of Vienna...brought back memories! It looks like you did get a chance to rent bikes along the Wachau Valley. Hope you enjoyed it! That was a highlight of our trip. The pictures of the ruined castle with the fog around it are beautiful and very evocative. Where was that?

I'm sure you are looking forward to Italy and Greece! We have teetered back and forth between Greece and Turkey for a few months now. In the end we are choosing Turkey mostly because of the flights...flights to Turkey are cheaper and more conveience; flights from Athens to CLT seem to all include an overnight in London, something we want to avoid with the unfavorable exchange rate. Do you know what your itinerary in Greece will be?

Talk to you soon!
Tracy

How exciting!! Both your family plan news and your trip news! If we do fit in another trip after Greece it would likely be while I would be pregnant so I totally know how you feel about how new and different it is to plan a trip with that in mind!
Turkey is one of the highest countries on my "list" too ~ I am sure y'all will have an incredible visit! There are SO many amazing archaeological and cultural sights. I haven't been of course, but I feel like Istanbul must be one of those cities like Rome... layer after layer of history. A place that requires many visits to get your hands completely around it but also a place that thrills you with every little taste you get. I think 3 to 4 days there sounds fabulous! Have you decided where else you will go?

The castles in the fog are from the Ehenbichl area. There were 4 fortresses guarding the pass through the Alps down to Italy and we hiked to all 4 of them through rain, fog, a cloud, and sunshine. Nothing like variety ;-) We did bicycle along the Danube and had a blast! Thank you again so much for the info on that

I'm still working on the Greece itinerary... will be posting it on Fodors for feedback soon

Hi - you'll be perfectly fine in February; just remember layers like in Ireland. And you won't be fighting those hoards of tourists more common in summer. As a lover of ancient history, you'll find plenty to do. But don't ignore the middle ages - Istanbul is fabulous.

Jill, I never heard of those castles but I MUST visit them one day! Your pictures of them are absolutely stunning.

I agree with you about Istanbul, as I think of Rome when I think of Istanbul too. We are tempted to spend the whole week in Istanbul, as I'm sure you could spend months there and not see everything, but we really want to see some of the ruins as well so I think we will fly to Izmir and then drive along some of the Aegean coast. Epheses is high on our list, and I have about a dozen other ruins highlighted in my guidebook as well. I wish we had more time, but my company has a policy of only one week off at a time unless I get special permission.

Wow...so you may be pregnant next year too! That is so exciting!! It is very weird planning a trip when you may be pregnant. I'm mostly worried about being sick on vacation, since if I am pregnant I'll only be a few months along. And we are used to being very active. Since I've never been pregnant before I don't know what to expect or how much activity I should plan. Luckily since it will be February, with little crowds, we should have some flexibility with our itinerary. Can't wait to hear more about your upcoming Greece trip!

Sandra, thank you for your thoughts. I am a little worried about traveling in February, but love traveling during off-season overall because of the lack of crowds. I went to Ireland in February 07 so I know all about layers!

Tracy

Hi Tracy,

As I live in Istanbul, I am sure it will be a little bit cold. But I always prefer February to July. 3-4 nights will be great for Istanbul.All major sites really worth seeing are located in the Old City area(Sultanahmet).Blue Mosque(which is not blue actuallt the name comes from the special Iznik tyles inside),Topkapi Palace, Underground Cistern, St. Sophia etc.If you would like to have a holiday keeps cost saving, I highly recommend you to stay in Old City area .If you do so, you can walk to the historical sites easily and all sites are walking distance to each other. Additionally, you should have a dinner at Bosphorus .I can give you all the names recommended and safe ones.I mean hotels,restaurants etc. There are more than thirty 5*hotels and more than 200 4*hotels .
As it will be your first stay you should have an itinerary and a guide. You can visit everywhere yourself but you do not get any historical information about the sites .To catch the local life and get the excite of this charming city I highly recommend you to hire a guide .
I do not want to mix up everything but if you need any help please e-mail to me .
Have a safe trip

turkishdelight, thank you for your reply. Can you tell me about how cold it usually is in February? We were looking at the averages, which weren't bad, but I found historical weather data on wunderground.com and it looks like the last two February's the highs were barely above freezing (32 degrees F). Now I can handle some cold weather, and would prefer cooler temps over hot and humid and crowded, but I'm not so sure I would have a great time if it's super cold.

We are now debating possibly doing Spain instead of Turkey because of the temps. I have my heart set on Turkey, but not sure if it's worth the risk of bad weather. As I mentioned above, we were in Vienna and Munich in February of 04 and it was so cold that we had to literally run from place to place because it was too cold to walk around outside.

Thanks!
Tracy

I was in Istanbul during that freekishly cold weather last February. All of the people we encounters said how unusual it was. Our guide, who had also lived in the states, equated the normal wather to the Pacific northwest. There are some storms that blow through, but in general it is the 40s in February.

Unless you are hiking across the countryside you should be fine with a sweater and a good coat. If nothing else it might give you the excuse to purchase a good Turkish leather coat.

Diane, thank you for your thoughts. I guess I am just nervous about booking a trip to Turkey when the last two February's show pretty chilly temps. I love walking the streets and admiring architecture while on vacation, and I'm worried that it will be too cold in Istanbul to do so.

Tracy

Tracey,

I think you'll be fine strolling the area and looking at the amazing builidings. The streets in old Istanbul are narrow and unless you catch one with the wind, even in cold weather they are cozy. At the Palace, Blue Mosque and Agia Sophia it will be more brisk because it is unobstructed from the wind. But what makes those building so speical is their insides. The outsides are nice, but you'll find yourself spending more time in them than out.

If it is chilly it will give you an excuse to have tea with the local populace (and a few shopkeepers) which is also a great experience.

I did reallize in reading your earlier post you were concerned about the main sites in the Agean being open. They all are. Some of the small inns or hotels might be, but the sites (and shops) are.

Have a wonderful trip.

Diane

Diane,

Thank you so very much for your response. We bit the bullet and purchased our tickets last Friday. I am beyond thrilled...Turkey looks amazing. I am happy to hear that the wind won't, hopefully, be too bad. And an excuse to drink hot tea or cocoa (if Turkey has such a thing) is always good and a nice respite from sightseeing.

Thanks again!
Tracy

Yay on making the final decision! Let the planning (my favorite part) begin

I'm going in December and if there's a blizzard, I say BRING IT ON, BABY!! I live in the land of eternal summer and we never see snow. Years ago I had the rare privelege of seeing snow in Athens, and although it didn't stick I just went bananas, I was so excited. When I see snow I turn into a little kid who just wants to go outside and play.

Maybe I should rebook for Feb? ;-)

Hey Tracy!

Congratulations on your decision! I hope you guys have a great time. We'll expect a trip report from you when you return.

Gina