I'm looking for 1 travel book that gives detailed information on how to get to the places to see, fees, operating hours within Istanbul, Ankara, Cappadocia, Antalya, Pamukkale, Ephesus and Izmir. It does not even have to have a lot of information describing the site because I have already gathered a lot of them from web sites and from traveloges. I don't need information on lodging nor places to eat. <BR>I went to bookstores and was bewildered by the selection that included Fodor's, Frommers, Michelin NEOS, etc, etc. I want to bring just 1 book. <BR>Thank you.

This may have too much information for you (hotels, etc.), but I like Lonely Planet's guide to Turkey. (Sorry, Fodors.) I usually get guidebooks from the library and photocopy the pages for the areas that I'm visiting, but this time I actually bought the book. I plan to go back to Turkey and know I'll use it again.

I agree. Lonely Planet's Turkey guide is excellent, especially if you're most concerned with details like transportation, etc. I also think that LP tends to be more comprehensive in the number of locations listed; the factual info is usually good - whether you like the commentary or not is another matter.

Hi Just wanted to reply to your question. We went to Turkey last year and used the "Cadogan Guide" I found it very helpfull, well written especially in its descriptions of sites. A good historical background and accurate. I usually use "lonely planet" but found this better. It didn't fall apart as my lp guide to Czech and Slovak Reps did either after a few weeks, <BR>alan

I actually had a bad experience with the Lonely Planet Turkey book -- the book directed me to a hammam and did not describe just how "raw" it actually was. I was scrubbed within an inch of my life by what I'm pretty sure was a Brillo pad, it was extremely dirty and sketchy, and basically my clothes were taken away from me and held hostage until I gave a bigger tip than the already good one I had given. After the fact, this makes for a good story (I'll spare you details), and I chalk it up to travel experience. At the time, though, it was scary and a bad situation for a woman to be in alone. <BR> <BR>Just FYI: I'm not sure how good Lonely Planet's judgment is in terms of safety, etc.. I had no other complaints, though.

...by the way, it is not that I am particularly skittish or high-maintenance, and I understand Lonely Planet's general tone. However, this was one awkward situation which I felt the book exacerbated rather than ameliorated by virtue of its description.

I am addicted to travel guides-- and am planning my trip to Turkey for this year, so I've purchased a half dozen or so. <BR>My overall favorite is The Lonely Planet Guidebook; excellent information, concise description, geared to the budget traveller but with enough valuable information for everyone. <BR> <BR>I like the Rough Guide as well. The descriptions are more thorough than Lonely Planet's, but not significantly more helpful. Again, a guide geared to the budget traveller. <BR> <BR>I like the way Fodor's lays out its walks & itineraries. It's actually a pretty decent guide for Turkey, though the descriptions are pretty brief. <BR> <BR>I really like the Insight Guides; they're wonderful to look at (not to travel with-- way too heavy) because the photos are beautiful and is pretty good for its information. <BR> <BR>Unlike the earlier poster, I didn't like the Cadogan guidebook at all. I had used them a lot for a trip to Italy, but I found the guide for Turkey had gaps in what it covered, and the author's taste somehow wasn't mine. <BR> <BR>If you get one guide, get the Lonely Planet; a good complement would be the Insight guide to Turkey, since the photos really do help one to visualize what it's all about.

Thanks to all for your input. I love this forum.