Where should I go when I leave Istanbul?
Feb 17th, 2005, 08:12 AM
#21
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I know the annoyance of rule-busting. We're doing that too. It's so painful.
OK, I'm thinking now of flipping the trip -- of doing Cappadocia first and Istanbul second. This sort of goes against every other tip I've ever done -- sightseeing first, interesting outdoorsy thing second -- but it may be our best bet. I think if we don't do that, then we'll have to stay at an airport hotel the last night. Landing so late the day before you go back to work just kills you.
OK, so let's talk about car rental in cappadocia. Why do you think you need a car and are there adequate ways to get around if you don't have one?
OK, I'm thinking now of flipping the trip -- of doing Cappadocia first and Istanbul second. This sort of goes against every other tip I've ever done -- sightseeing first, interesting outdoorsy thing second -- but it may be our best bet. I think if we don't do that, then we'll have to stay at an airport hotel the last night. Landing so late the day before you go back to work just kills you.
OK, so let's talk about car rental in cappadocia. Why do you think you need a car and are there adequate ways to get around if you don't have one?
Feb 17th, 2005, 09:53 AM
#22
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Flipping is not a bad plan as far as use of time goes. I bet you will love your trip no matter what order you do it in! Looks like there is a 5:25 to Kayseri. If you land around 4 pm, will you have enough time to get that flight? I know we are planning on getting our Visa when we arrive. Since you might not want to have to wait in line for it ( assuming there will be one), perhaps you could get it in advance? That way you would just need to collect your baggage and head over to Turkish Air after customs. Maybe Esbelli Evi would have reservation availability for those days!
As far as car rental goes, I think I have looked at this from all angles. As we have already noted, the flights out of Kayseri leave a little to be desired. I could not make the schedules work better than just getting in the car and driving. Since we are heading south and want to drive along the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts it saves time and money to have the car. Hubster is an excellent driver and he likes to drive too (well, Budapest and Prague were the exceptions, LOL,)so I think it works out best for us in the long run. We like to have our freedom. If we rule bust we will pick up Kayseri 9/14 and drop Izmir 9/24. If we don't we will drop Dalaman 9/21. We plan on flying back to IST the night before our 5:50am flight back home. I have the Holiday Inn closest to the airport booked (on points of course!) for the nights of 9/21, 9/22, 9/23 and 9/24, so I am ready no matter what happens.
As far as car rental goes, I think I have looked at this from all angles. As we have already noted, the flights out of Kayseri leave a little to be desired. I could not make the schedules work better than just getting in the car and driving. Since we are heading south and want to drive along the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts it saves time and money to have the car. Hubster is an excellent driver and he likes to drive too (well, Budapest and Prague were the exceptions, LOL,)so I think it works out best for us in the long run. We like to have our freedom. If we rule bust we will pick up Kayseri 9/14 and drop Izmir 9/24. If we don't we will drop Dalaman 9/21. We plan on flying back to IST the night before our 5:50am flight back home. I have the Holiday Inn closest to the airport booked (on points of course!) for the nights of 9/21, 9/22, 9/23 and 9/24, so I am ready no matter what happens.
Feb 21st, 2005, 08:07 AM
#23
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arrrgghhh... flipping our trip doesn't look like it's going to work, because we land at 10:30 a.m. and we wouldn't be able to catch a flight to Kayseri until 5... too much wasting of a day. So, I am resigned to spending the last night at the airport. Sigh. I think we will catch the 7:45 flight from Kayseri. Or, I'm thinking maybe catch the 11 and have one last day/dinner in Istanbul. The airport Holiday Inn you booked at, was that the Crowne Plaza? Wish they had something with Starwood or Hilton points, but I guess we'll have to shift things around.
Since we're not driving down to the coast, do you think we need a rental car in Urgup to see the sights of Cappadocia?
Since we're not driving down to the coast, do you think we need a rental car in Urgup to see the sights of Cappadocia?
Feb 28th, 2005, 10:11 AM
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Hi Amy:
I think that you could do Cappadocia without a car. Argeus (as one example) has 3 different full day trips to various points of interest around the Cappadocia. We looked at the tour descritions and they do look interesting. I also thought they looked kind of pricy at first (75 to 85 per person) but they include admissions and lunch. You can get a private guide (assuming one has a vehicle) for the day for $70 total, but then add on the cost of the car and admissions/lunch and you are about back to the same price. Of course, if you want to go somewhere not on the tour then you are out of luck. I have only looked into Argeus (mainly because I have heard good things about them on this board and in some guideboks) but I would be fairly certain there are other tours and agencies available. Of course, without a car you are restricted to Urgup in the evenings (unless you arrange a taxi or dolmus to go somewhere?) but really, after a long day where would you go besides dinner? It won't stay light so very late in September.
The HI that I have ressies at for the night before is: (this is pulled from their website) The Holiday Inn Istanbul-Atakoy Marina is located on the seafront, overlooking the Marina, close to Istanbul International Airport in a quiet, newly developed tourist centre. The business centre and most major tourist attractions are within easy reach of the hotel.Complimentary shuttle service from and to the airport daily between 07:00 and 23:00 hours. Says it is 8k from the airport ,and 19k to the city, but there is a regularly scheduled shuttle into and back from Istanbul. It does not say this is a Crown Plaza, but the email addy for reservations is a Crown Plaza one, so who knows?
I think that you could do Cappadocia without a car. Argeus (as one example) has 3 different full day trips to various points of interest around the Cappadocia. We looked at the tour descritions and they do look interesting. I also thought they looked kind of pricy at first (75 to 85 per person) but they include admissions and lunch. You can get a private guide (assuming one has a vehicle) for the day for $70 total, but then add on the cost of the car and admissions/lunch and you are about back to the same price. Of course, if you want to go somewhere not on the tour then you are out of luck. I have only looked into Argeus (mainly because I have heard good things about them on this board and in some guideboks) but I would be fairly certain there are other tours and agencies available. Of course, without a car you are restricted to Urgup in the evenings (unless you arrange a taxi or dolmus to go somewhere?) but really, after a long day where would you go besides dinner? It won't stay light so very late in September.
The HI that I have ressies at for the night before is: (this is pulled from their website) The Holiday Inn Istanbul-Atakoy Marina is located on the seafront, overlooking the Marina, close to Istanbul International Airport in a quiet, newly developed tourist centre. The business centre and most major tourist attractions are within easy reach of the hotel.Complimentary shuttle service from and to the airport daily between 07:00 and 23:00 hours. Says it is 8k from the airport ,and 19k to the city, but there is a regularly scheduled shuttle into and back from Istanbul. It does not say this is a Crown Plaza, but the email addy for reservations is a Crown Plaza one, so who knows?
Mar 1st, 2005, 03:16 PM
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Cappadocia is incredible. The "Fairy Chimneys" are the big draw but, really, the area is just absolutely beautiful. We went on a tour that included the underground city, a pottery factory tour, a caravanasari (spelling?) and some other sights. We did a pretty and fairly easy hike through Pigeon Valley. We stayed at the inexpensive Ufuk (it means "Horizon"
Pension. http://www.ufukpension.com.tr/ and booked our tour through them. We also ate at a touristy but fun cave restaurant and show. We now adopt a worldly-wise expression and say, "We see the world differently now that we've danced beneath the disco ball in a cave in Cappadocia". I loved the Open Air museum.
We ate lunch near the open air museum at a Pension and restaurant owned by a man named Hikmet. He played a sitar or similar stringed instrument and it was a very cool experience, although the food was somewhat uninspired.
Cappadocia is an absolute gem - well worth the time.
Pension. http://www.ufukpension.com.tr/ and booked our tour through them. We also ate at a touristy but fun cave restaurant and show. We now adopt a worldly-wise expression and say, "We see the world differently now that we've danced beneath the disco ball in a cave in Cappadocia". I loved the Open Air museum. We ate lunch near the open air museum at a Pension and restaurant owned by a man named Hikmet. He played a sitar or similar stringed instrument and it was a very cool experience, although the food was somewhat uninspired.
Cappadocia is an absolute gem - well worth the time.
Aug 19th, 2005, 10:10 AM
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Hi Amy - Still planning on your trip to Turkey in September?
Susan in Toronto and wj1 indicated on other threads a little while back that they were still going.
I am not certain we are still going, but I do have all my reservations in place yet.
Susan in Toronto and wj1 indicated on other threads a little while back that they were still going.
I am not certain we are still going, but I do have all my reservations in place yet.
Aug 26th, 2005, 12:40 PM
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Hi Happy --
Yep, we're still going. A friend just got back from two weeks in Istanbul last week and she had an amazing time. I have to get back on planning though -- I can't remember if I made that airport hotel reservation a while ago or not
I can't remember, but I'm assuming you're in Wisconsin? Living where I do, it's hard to be scared of traveling to other countries.
Yep, we're still going. A friend just got back from two weeks in Istanbul last week and she had an amazing time. I have to get back on planning though -- I can't remember if I made that airport hotel reservation a while ago or not
I can't remember, but I'm assuming you're in Wisconsin? Living where I do, it's hard to be scared of traveling to other countries.
Aug 26th, 2005, 12:54 PM
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Happy -- I forgot to update, we got a room as Esbelli Evi (someone must have cancelled) for Sept. 14-17 so if you still end up going we will be there at the same time. I just realized we are also taking that 8:35 a.m. flight out of Istanbul, so we'll be on your plane. Basically I'm stalking you around Turkey
I'm working on the car rental next week. Nothing like a hectic summer to get in the way of trip planning!
I'm working on the car rental next week. Nothing like a hectic summer to get in the way of trip planning!
Aug 29th, 2005, 08:27 AM
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Hi Amy:
Yes, we have cancelled. It was only in part due to security concerns,(I was not terribly worried, just a little bit, but my husband was more so ) and actually the PKK has called for a 30 day cease fire (in place for most of the time that we would be there) and the situation certainly appears to have calmed down for the time being.
We cancelled because we have already spent a week at a luxury resort in Mexico and went to Germany last month, so I was scraping the bottom of my time off barrel. PLUS, we are spending two weeks in France next April and I already have those tix. PLUS, work is just crazy for both of us right now. PLUS, our flight schedules kind of s****d and for our 15 days off (including weekends), we only were going to be actively sight-seeing in Turkey for 9.5 days. PLUS we could not figure out a way to get to Ephesus in the time alloted. So all this stuff came together and we just decided the time was not right for us to go.
I hope you have a WONDERFUL TIME! I will anxiously await some trip reports from the "September in Turkey Fodorites Club" and I expect I will feel a big dissappointment that we made the choice not to go.
Best wishes to you for a safe and fabulous trip!
Yes, we have cancelled. It was only in part due to security concerns,(I was not terribly worried, just a little bit, but my husband was more so ) and actually the PKK has called for a 30 day cease fire (in place for most of the time that we would be there) and the situation certainly appears to have calmed down for the time being.
We cancelled because we have already spent a week at a luxury resort in Mexico and went to Germany last month, so I was scraping the bottom of my time off barrel. PLUS, we are spending two weeks in France next April and I already have those tix. PLUS, work is just crazy for both of us right now. PLUS, our flight schedules kind of s****d and for our 15 days off (including weekends), we only were going to be actively sight-seeing in Turkey for 9.5 days. PLUS we could not figure out a way to get to Ephesus in the time alloted. So all this stuff came together and we just decided the time was not right for us to go.
I hope you have a WONDERFUL TIME! I will anxiously await some trip reports from the "September in Turkey Fodorites Club" and I expect I will feel a big dissappointment that we made the choice not to go.
Best wishes to you for a safe and fabulous trip!
Aug 29th, 2005, 01:01 PM
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Oh, Amy - if you are still looking for car rental info, I had great service from Mehmet at Argeus. He quoted a 1.6 cc Ford Focus (manual though) with zero ded CDW for $66 dollars a day. We were planning on dropping in Dalaman, so that included one way fees if any.I can give his email addy when I get home if you need it.
Aug 29th, 2005, 01:47 PM
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Hi Happy --
That's too bad you won't heading to Turkey this year -- I'll miss you in Cappadocia! I pulled together the last of my logistical details -- thanks for the car rental info, but neither of us ever leaverned to drive a manual. So we're stuck paying through the nose. Oh well. Did you see the New York Times had another article about art in Istabul this Sunday? I felt very proud since 2 of the restaurants I planned to go to were in there
Happy travels!
That's too bad you won't heading to Turkey this year -- I'll miss you in Cappadocia! I pulled together the last of my logistical details -- thanks for the car rental info, but neither of us ever leaverned to drive a manual. So we're stuck paying through the nose. Oh well. Did you see the New York Times had another article about art in Istabul this Sunday? I felt very proud since 2 of the restaurants I planned to go to were in there
Happy travels!
Sep 1st, 2005, 08:56 PM
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Hi, Amy. I finally found the thread you told me about. I must have missed the most recent NY Times article about Turkey- do you have the link or date?
We are leaving for Istanbul on Sept. 12 and will be there until Sept. 18, when we fly to Izmir. Do you know the dates of the Kurdish group's cease fire? I'd like to tell my family so they won't worry so much! We're staying at the Hotel Arcady
Have a good trip!
Roz
We are leaving for Istanbul on Sept. 12 and will be there until Sept. 18, when we fly to Izmir. Do you know the dates of the Kurdish group's cease fire? I'd like to tell my family so they won't worry so much! We're staying at the Hotel Arcady
Have a good trip!
Roz
Sep 2nd, 2005, 09:34 AM
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Hi Rshorens:
Hope you have a great trip!
I have been kicking myself since I cancelled. I just love to travel and plan and see new places, but it really was the right choice for us for a variety of reasons.
I copied the following from an article online today in the Turkish Daily News
"The PKK announced a fresh one-month unilateral cease-fire on Aug. 19 but underlined that they would continue to defend themselves in the face of Turkish military operations"
BTW, some idiot blew himself up today near a metro and police station in Bursa - Turkish Daily News called him a suspected bomber and did not give any affiliation for him. Glad he did not hurt innocent people.
Hope you will post a trip report when you get back so I can travel vicariously!
Hope you have a great trip!
I have been kicking myself since I cancelled. I just love to travel and plan and see new places, but it really was the right choice for us for a variety of reasons.
I copied the following from an article online today in the Turkish Daily News
"The PKK announced a fresh one-month unilateral cease-fire on Aug. 19 but underlined that they would continue to defend themselves in the face of Turkish military operations"
BTW, some idiot blew himself up today near a metro and police station in Bursa - Turkish Daily News called him a suspected bomber and did not give any affiliation for him. Glad he did not hurt innocent people.
Hope you will post a trip report when you get back so I can travel vicariously!
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