Istanbul, Turkey

You will find a place for any budget.

if it is your first visit, I suggest you go with a tour just to get a sense of the place.

Great place to be.

Burnout.

Beware! :)

great city... I love it...

I loved the culture in it, the blend of Europe and Middle East in one place..

I loved the nature... the rivers, the trees...

I've been there late september and the weather was simply amazing..

I loved the food... the bazaar, the shopping...

BUT

Though it is a big touristic destination, I didn't find Turkish people there to be friendly or helpful, they were rather on the aggressive side, this is why I am a bit reluctant to go again with a kid.

if expenses costs much then maybe will not go there... =(

Stay in Ciragan Palace with the Bosphorus (spell??) view and will easily go bankrupt :(-

Pascha Suite - 7350 Euroes a night phewwwwwww

Vali suite - 3450 Euroes per night huh!!!

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- Listen to Many...Speak to a Few -

maybe will not go there...

Any impressions from Istanbul?? Have been? If yes, hope it was great:-)

Local money is Turkish Lira and the rate is somewhere near 1$=1.5TL. Rarely snowing in winter, reasonable prices,good cheap food, very high the gas price 2$/ltr...Turkyie (as they spell the name) is a secular country with muslim majority population, NATO member, wish to be E.U. member, fanatics in team sports. Avoid to be near stadium in Istanbul when big matches happens: Fenerbahce-Galatasaray, Fenerbahce-Beshiktas, Beshiktas-Galatasaray...street fights are normal in this days between the fanatics supporters...

Anyway,enjoy your time and be careful do not break the law:Polis(local police) is one of the toughest in the world!

Go there at least twice a year and stay couple of days (en route to another destination for which I must pass by Istanbul).

Tell me what u need to know ?

What about the costs/prices? Is it reasonable? Currency in Istanbul is EURO right?

I heard it will "snow" there. If so, for which month/s?

Out of my own European experience, I would like to recommend Greece and any of it's beautiful islands. I would like to recommend Kefalonia( if you want to see glimpses of this beautiful island, pls watch Nicolas Cage's CAPTAIN CORRELI'S MANDOLIN. All the beaches are awesome and great in the summer. Best time to visit, June/July/August

Wherever you go, make sure to have a safe holiday! have a good one!

I enjoyed a lot a small restaurant near the Bosphorus, we eat balik (fish) and drink raki (national pride!) and listened turkish music from a live band...

Istanbul is an open history lesson, two continent city, huge, spectacular, alive, crazy, restless...A must go for a pro-traveler!

around 40 Eur/pers(?!)...they will help you visit in one day like in one week by yourself..and the second day don't miss the boat tour on Bosphorus...lose one night in Taxim-listen some live Turkish music, plenty of small&chic restaurants there, yummy food...wear comfortable shoes..Enjoy!

City is amazing - great

tram system is good

boat is great

but the sellers at the markets can be very aggressive and scary and some of the babies have moustaches