Merhaba,

Only got a few days in this legendary capital of two of the world’s greatest empires, built on seven hills and spanning two continents? Nova Roma, Byzantium, Constantinople, it’s had more names than Liz Taylor, but one thing is for sure, there’s nowhere quite like Istanbul. We’ve schlepped, slept, sipped, supped and shopped all over so you can sit back like a Sultan and enjoy this Turkish delight. On your marks, jet set, go...

Overview

Think of the glittering Bosphorus, Golden Horn and Sea of Marmara dividing Istanbul into an upside down ‘Y’. The top two segments are the European side; to the left is ancient Sultanahmet stacked with treasures; on the right are Beyo g˘ lu and Nisanta¸si¸ with all their shopping and entertainment. The bottom segment is the residential Asian side. That’s all you need to know...

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Have your hotel’s number on you at ALL times Summer season (and the best time to visit) is MayOct, winter gets cold and snowy. Check dates ahead to avoid Ramadan (date varies, currently around Aug/Sep) if you can, as the city fasts until sundown Istanbul is seasonal, many places move premises or close altogether in winter (and for some of Aug), so do check ahead to avoid intense annoyance English is widely spoken in visitor-frequented areas Atatürk airport to town: 30-60 mins / ≈ TL50/€25 by cab Taxis are cheap and plentiful, but it’s meter on, or get gone! Or, hire a car and driver (see Very Useful) There is no need to tip cabs and they have two rates: ‘gündüz’ – day, and ‘gece’ – night (midnight-6am) which costs double; beware of rip-off cabs in Sultanahmet who often attempt to switch the rates Always allow extra time for any journey, as traffic can be heinous, even outside of rush hours Visa on arrival (EU exempt) – pay in US$ or euro, cash There’s a smoking ban in all enclosed public spaces, bars, cafés and restaurants, but compliance varies Istanbul is very liberal, but modest dress is required nonetheless when visiting mosques ATMs are numerous and very easy to find Currency = Turkish Lira (a.k.a. TL/YTL), euros sometimes accepted but beware of atrocious exchange rates Caddesi (Cad.) = road, Sokak (Sok.) = street The dialling code for Istanbul is +90 212 (Euro side) and 216 (Asian side), all numbers quoted in this guide use 212 unless otherwise specified Directory enq. 118, int’l operator 115, police 155, int’l ambulance 505 7272, tourist police 528 5369

These Turkish phrases will come in handy...

Merhaba / Hosh cha kal : Howdy / Laters Teshshekur Ayderim / Choc merci : Thanks a bunch Yikiliyor! : Oh my gaaad that’s faaaaaabulous

...’kay let’s party