Visiting Istanbul

Visiting Istanbul

When I first cracked open a guide book on Istanbul, I was overwhelmed with the information of places to see, transportation, food and visas. I'll share what I learned about visiting Istanbul.

Entering Turkey: Visa

  This is a breeze, but for some reason the guide books and websites make it sound like an epic battle. Make sure your passport has 6 months left on it first. For the majority of countries, it is just a matter of having exact cash on you. American Dollars, Euros and Pound Sterling are accepted. For American citizens it costs $20. Most EU citizens it is 15euros and for British Citizens is 10gbp. Some countries (such as Canada and Denmark) pay more, so check before you leave. 

You get this when you arrive at the airport (Ataturk or Sabiha Gokcen). Walk towards passport control and there is a little visa counter. Slide your passport over with the cash and they'll put the sticker in without a word. They are 90day multi-entry in most cases (it does differ for some countries). Then jump into the passport control line and while waiting for your entry stamp, think about what you want to see first. 

Getting out of the airport:

There are several modes of transportation from the airport. 

-Airport Shuttle. Many if not most hotels offer airport shuttles in their price. Check if your hotel offers it and is really the best for door to door service. The chauffeur is usually waiting with a sign outside baggage claim. 

-Public Transportation. This is the best way if you want to get to Sultanahmet cheap. In the terminals, follow the signs for the train. You'll be underground. There are token machines and its 2tl, but I suggest grabbing 2 tokens, because you will need to make a transfer. Grab either train on either side of the platform as Ataturk Airport is the last stop. Announcements are made in English as well as Turkish on the train and there are detailed stop lists. There are several stops that are transfer options, but I always take Zeytinburnu. At Zeytinburnu, like any of transfer stops, follow the signs to the tramway. Go in the direction of Kabatas. The tramway passes through Sultanhamet and continues on to Kabatas, where you can change to the funicular and take it up to Taksim Sq.

Another option is the public bus. the 96T goes direction airport to Taksim. It will cost a little over 3tl and you can pay when you board. This method can take the longest and varies greatly on time of day and traffic. For bus schedule, go here: 96T Ataturk-Taksim bus schedule/line stop

-Havataş. This is my favorite method. These are charter buses that go to/from a specific location (Taksim and Bakirkoy Pier). Make sure to ask which airport before jumping on, stow your luggage below and fork over the 10tl and grab a cushy seat for the approx. 40min ride. They depart from the airport every 30min. They depart from the city locations every 1hr on the hour.

-Taxi is the most direct door to door, but you'll pay for that convenience. Its usually about 25-35tl from the airport to Sultanahmet, depending on traffic. There is a taxi stand. Follow the signs from outside baggage claim.

A Place to Stay:

There are some options for lodging in Istanbul, it really depends on how much you plan on spending.

-Couchsurfing (www.couchsurfing.com). This can honestly be the most fun, but its also a mixed bag. Its free, so you never know where you are going to end up staying. You can make great friends and staying in a real home also adds a bit more to the trip.

-Hostels (www.hostelworld.com). There are a lot of hostels in Beyoglu/Taksim area. There is also a great one in an old mansion on the asian side.

-Hotels (www.venere.com). There is absolutely no shortage of hotels in Istanbul. In fact, they seem to sprout everywhere like mushrooms. It depends on what you want to spend and where. You can find some with squat toilets still or you can stay in a penthouse overlooking the Bosporus.


-AirBnB (www.airbnb.com). Great tool for finding full apartments to private rooms. You can get a place in a non-touristy neighborhood and have locals give you all the best spots from there. 

-Craigslist (http://istanbul.craigslist.com.tr/). If you are planning on staying for a longer period of time. You can rent a room in someone's apartment. It is actually how I found both of my apartments and can be a great tool. Make sure you communicate a lot with the person and ask for photos if you don't have a chance to see the place first. 

-Rental Apartments (www.istanbulsweethome). There are a few companies that offer rental apartments, this just happens to be the one my parents used for their visit. You get your own flat, bathroom, kitchen and living room usually. My parents like it better because there is more space to relax and if one suffers from jetlag, they can move into another room without disturbing anyone. It is actually sometimes cheaper overall than a hotel. 

Dress:

Guide books recommend women cover up. That's a yes and a no in my opinion. Yes, you SHOULD dress conservatively when visiting religious sights such as mosques. No hoochie shorts or low cut tanks there. You may be asked to cover up using communal pants/shirts and a headscarf at the mosque. Generally though, fashion typically is the same as the US or Europe. You see women covered head to toe in black, walking next to a girl in a mini skirt, tube top and heels. I must add though, you should be aware of the neighborhood you are in. Some neighborhoods are very conservative and dressing skimpily will probably cause harassment. If you are a reader of my blog, you'll notice I never had a headscarf and notice how my clothes don't differ from my American-at-home style. 

Shopping:

You can shop very well in Istanbul. Since all the guide books give you information on shopping in the Bazaars and Sultanahmet, I'll focus on non-touristy shopping. 

-Malls galore in Istanbul. More are being built all the time. I suggest if you love to shop, check out:

Cevahir in Sisli is one/was one of the largest malls in Europe. 

Kanyon in Levent has upscale with a large Harvey Nichols as its anchor. 

Istiklal Caddesi has Mango, United Colors of Benneton, LTB and tons of other shops on its 1.6km stretch. Beyoglu and Galata has tons of side streets with thrift stores and boutiques. 

Istinye Park is also very upscale, full of designers and has a mini-Grand Bazaar. 

Bagdat Caddessi on the asian side has D&G, Prada, Gucci, etc all along its several km stretch, along with dozens of cafes and restaurants.

Marmara Forum in Bakirkoy opened recently and is accesible by tramway from Kabatas/Sultanahmet. Also minibuses. 

Forum Istanbul in Bayrampasa is a huge mall and has an Ikea and an aquarium.

Sapphire in Levent is not very big, but it does have an H&M. 

the list goes on and on....

Some alternative shops to find Istanbul inspired gifts are: Paşabahçe, Mudo, Vakko, Swatch, Tepehome and Mavi Jeans. All are chains and sell anything from canvas bags, glass, watches, scarves, t-shirts and even cans of "Turkish" air. 

If there is anything else you want to know, such as restaurant/bar recommendations, directions somewhere or anything else, just drop me an email and I will get back to you!
moejo721 (at) gmail.com