Istanbul Ili Travel Forum

Hello

I am planning to study Turkish next year for 2 months at the Dilmer Language School in Taksim Square.

I will be in Istanbul for a total of 9 weeks.

Can anyone advise me of a safe neighbourhood to rent an apartment that has good public transport connections to Dilmer Square.

Thanks
Sez

How can I manage to get tickets for matches of the Turkish Süperlig in advance from abroad?

Me and three friend will visit Istanbul in October or November and we want to visit a match of Fenerbahce, Galatasaray or Besiktas.

Will it be possible to buy tickets online and will they be delivered or reserved? Or aren't the games usually sold out, so that we will be able to buy tickets directly before the match?

Btw: Regarding http://www.tff.org.tr games will be played exclusively on sundays, 12:00 am. Is it true or will the matchday and -times vary?

Hi,

might be somebody know, where exactly stood the old tower of Galata? Where is concrete place?
Look what I found: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galata_Tower_(old)

Thanks.

Jurga

We need to go to Tunel Square. Cagdas Tramway (Modern Tramway) from Zeytinburnu stops at Karakoy tram station.
From Karakoy Tram Station to Tunel square how do we go? kindly advice.

Hi, I am off with the girls for a couple of days to Istanbul and we would like to try and buy belly dancing outfits, can anyone suggest where might be a good place to try?

Also we arrive at Sabiha Gokca airport can anybody tell me how to get to the centre of Istanbul and how much it will cost, is it easy by public transport?

1. Does Cagdas Tramway (Modern Tramway) from Zeytinburnu stops at Istiklal Caddesi?

2. From Istiklal Caddesi is there Cagdas Tramway (Modern Tramvay) to reach Eminonu. Please advice

Is it possible for a tourist to walk over the bosphorus bridge, just to experience walking from asia to europe?

OCT 1st (Cont'd)
Other alternative is we can go to Dolmabahce palace directly from our hotel, then can we take traditional ferry from Besiktas at 10:50 AM, will reach Rumeli Kavagi at 11:55 AM then to Ortakoy/ or take TurYol's boat. – Please suggest.
3. Does Cagdas Tramway (Modern Tramvay) from Zeytinburnu stops at Istiklal Caddesi to reach Yenisehir Palace hotel

SEPT 30
1. From Yenisehir Palace hotel from which metro station we need to travel to Osmanbey
OCT 1st
2. From Yenisehir Palace hotel is there Cagdas Tramway (Modern Tramvay) to reach Eminonu. We are taking the Bosphorus cruise by Traditional Ferry & will reach Rumeli Kavagi at 11:55 AM. We need go to Dolmabahce palace but it closes at 3 PM on OCT 1st , also we need to go Ortakoy too Please suggest. Other alternative is we can go to Dolmabahce palace directly from our hotel, then can we take traditional ferry from Besiktas at 10:50 AM, will reach Rumeli Kavagi at 11:55 AM then to Ortakoy/ or take TurYol's boat. – Please suggest.
3. Does Cagdas Tramway (Modern Tramvay) from Zeytinburnu stops at Istiklal Caddesi to reach Yenisehir Palace hotel

what would be the best way 2 travel from marmaris to besiktas, istanbul? im visiting in sept

Hello and thank you for reading this. I will be in Istanbul for one day so went to do a day trip. I found 2 companies that do day trips. The one company is double the price, but states it is a member of the Turkish Tourist Board etc. The second company has a great website on the web however the gentleman I am now talking to who answered my email to that company has a yahoo address.
Should i be concerned or is it safe to go with this gentleman at the docks? Probably being silly but I thought others might know.

Could anybody post or link a schedule of the Süperlig season 2008/09, especially concerning the clubs in Istanbul?

Hi,

We need to reach Athens from Istanbul by morning to catch the Olympic Airways flight to Paros around 3pm.

Would anyone know about the day train from Istanbul, leaving Istanbul at 8.30 reaching Thessaloniki at 22.50 and then an Intercity leaves Thessaloniki at 7.30 to reach Athens by 11.37am.

My questions are:

1. What to do the whole night in Thessaloniki? Is there accommodation at the Station or nearby? Do people keep sitting at the Station itself?

2. Is the Greek Intercity on time or usually late?

3. Approximate fare for the journey.

Many thanks for any help,

Regards,

Nitin

Our first visit, do we need a car. We will be staying in Sirkeci area.

My sister and brother in law will be returning to Singapore from Helsinki via Istanbul. When they arrive at Istanbul, the next connecting flight back to Singapore will be the following night at midnight. With Singapore passports, we do not need a visa to enter Turkey.Unfortunately their passports were stolen in Finland and they have emergency travelling documents issued to them. Now with these documents, they now need a visa. My sister had been looking forward to this one night stay in istanbul. Now that she is unwell with her bad cough, she probably wants to rest at the airport.
1)When in transit, do they need a visa?
2)Is there an airport hotel at the Istanbul airport that they can stay in and rest for the night?
3) If they are better, can they get a visa there and then at the airport?
Please help. Thank you VTers !

Ooops, not quite finished. As I was saying,my husband and I are travelling to Istanbul 30th Sept - 4th Oct. We will be staying in Sultanahmet. Will this cause us any difficulties, i.e. will things be closed down? I am hoping that this will be a very exciting time. Is there anything special that we could be involved in?

My husband and I are travelling to Istanbul 30 Sept - 4th Oct. I have just realised that this the end of Ramamadan.

Can someone enlighten me on this? Ten years ago, my husband and I were in Istanbul at the end of our honeymoon cruise. My memory is vague on this, but we had a magnificent dinner one evening (after a long and scary cab ride from our hotel) at what appeared to be a former palace or castle. The restaurant was outdoors, along the Bosphorous River -- the bridge across it was to our left. The tables had umbrella tops, and the waiters brought us blanket shawls because the weather was cool. There were numerous stray cats roaming about the tables. We could see the lights on the other side of the River. It was amazing to be between Europe and Asia and so very romantic.

Thanks.

I can't think of the name of the place we were at. Does anyone have any idea?

Hi,

I'll be arriving at Istanbul airpot at midnight on my own. I need to get to a hostel / Guest house in a safe way, so I need to know:
what is the cheapest way?
Does anyone know of a hotel/hostel where they can pick you up from the airport?
If I attempted to make my own way in a taxi would that be safer?
How safe is Istanbul for a single woman ?
thanks,
Paula

We are travelling from Mamaris to Istanbul by Public Coach. We are unsure where it will sop in Istanbul eventually. Help and information is needed for the following bizarre points
1. How do we get to Sultanamet(Blue mosque) from the Otgar station?
2. How much are we expected to pay?
3. Directions possible - if we decide to loose a few pounds - weight wise and how long will it take.

Upon our return I will create a page to share my experiences ....

Does anyone have experience booking with this online company? Are they reputable? As usual, we are always a bit concerned since this will be for our arrival night in this city. Thank you in advance for your kind repsonse. Also, we are thinking of the Central Palas Hotel in Taksim... thoughts on this one woudl be appreciated as well.

Hi,

Me and some of my colleagues are planning (about 5 people at the moment) to visit Istanbul during the coming Eid holidays (1st week of October).

Since we are going on a small group, we plan to engage a local tour with driver to take us around Istanbul.

Any recommendation is much appreciated.

Regards,
KiaSu

Hi all,
I have a nine hour layover in Istanbul on my way to South Africa. Is it possible and easy to store my luggage at the airport and do some site seeing for a few hours? How far is the airport from the city? Thanks!

SEPT 30th – OCT 1st (Cont’d)
SEPT 30th – Osmanbey – Shopping in the evening. (Metro from Taksim to Osmanbey)
****************************************
OCT 1: Bosphorus Cruise (WED ) –From Taksim to Kabatas by Funicular – From Kabatas to Eminonu take the tram. From Prier 3 take the Scenic Bosphorus cruise, leaving at 10:35 AM. to Rumeli Kavagi reaching at 11:55 AM. After a seafood lunch, ride south stopping at the Yildiz Palace and Park, from Rumeli Kavagi take minibus – (Which No.? from Where) to Ortakoy travelling along the Bosporus. Stop in trendy Ortaköy for seaside tea and snacks, Dolmabahce palace (stay for 1 hr) from Ortakoy take a bus (Which No? From where) or taxi. It takes only 10 minutes to walk from the palace to Kabatash. Take funicular from Kabatash to taksim..

OCT 2nd (Cont’d)
*************************************************
OCT 2nd Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia & Hippodrome (THRU)
From Taksim to Tünel Square walking along Istiklal Caddesi.………….Galata Tower (stay 1/2 to 1 hr) for the best views of the city from this Genoese cone-topped stone tower. Continue downhill ……………Galata Bridge (stay 1/2 hr) .Start at the bridge over the Golden Horn which links Old and New Istanbul....
Have lunch in a simple local restaurant, then take a walking tour of Sultanahmet : the Hippodrome, Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia (stay for 1 hr ), Yerebatan Saray (Sunken Palace Cistern stay for ½ hr ), the Blue Mosque One should prefer to visit the mosque in the morning or before 3-4 o'clock in the afternoon because the prayer times rotate according to the sun's positions (Stay for ½ hr) – Take Tram from Sultanahmet to Kabatas & from Kabatas to Taksim Funicular.

OCT 3rd -4th
OCT 3rd : Topkapi Palace, Istiklal (FRI) – Funicular from Taksim to Kabatas & Tram from Kabatas to Gulhane & back vice versa.
Topkapi Palace (stay 2-3 hr).
Get to Topkapi Palace before its doors open and go straight to the Harem to assure your place in the guided tour. After the tour, explore the rest of the palace/museum, perhaps having an early lunch in the palace's Konyali Restaurant. In the afternoon, take a taxi to the Kariye Müzesi (Church of the Holy Savior in Chora) to see its splendid Byzantine mosaics.
*********************************
OCT 4th – (SAT) Grand Bazaar & Spice bazaar. Take Funicular from Taksim to Kabatas & Tram from Kabatas to Gulhane & back vice versa

As I am travelling from Istanbul to Marmaris on October 10, 2008, can you help me decide if it is okey to depart from Sabiha Gokcen Airport although I am staying with my family in the center of Istanbul? There are available Turkish Airlines seats from Sabiha Airport to Dalaman Airport, are transport not a problem to and from these airports to my Resort/Hotel? I am staying in Loryma Hotel/Resort in Turunc, are buses always available in this area from Dalaman Airport? I will continue searching for answers but if you have one, I will appreciate it very much.

At first I thought of taking a bus from Istanbul to Marmaris but considering the travel time and limited # of days of stay, I decided to take a one-way flight with my family on October 10, 2008. I just checked the Turkish Airlines and all the lowest fare (from THY49) on said date were closed/taken.
I need help to find other airlines or any other way to get to Marmaris. Your help will be greatly appreciated.

Hi all,
Do you know a nice and cheap seaside location in Turkey to spend 3 days in August, travelling by bus from Cappadocia and then going back to Istanbul?No cruises considered.
Thanks

Landing at the Airport Sabiha at 2pm, is it possible to take a night buses and go to Cappadocia directly the same day?!Is there connection from this 2nd airport I cannot find info on price/Timetable on Sabiha(no info on the website)2nd Question: Where we can go by bus to spend 2 days on a seaside place nice,cheap and quiet..?I don't want to make a cruise...
Many thanks