How to plan a trip to Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul is something quite unique to behold in that one half is part of Europe and the other is part of Asia. Whether Turkey as a whole can be counted as a European country or an Asian one is a debate which stretches back for decades.

Much like New York and Dubai, Istanbul is really more than one city. As a matter of fact, not so long ago the two municipalities (Kad?köy and Üsküdar on the Asian side, Sultanahmet, Galata, and Golden Horn on the European side) either side of the Bosphorus were not even joined up – it look until the latter part of the 19th century before unification was achieved.

Accommodation in Istanbul

So with this in mind, which side of Istanbul would be better for the traveler to stay at?

The great majority of hotels are on the European side of the city, as that’s where many of the historical sites and economic areas are located (Hotels in Sultanahmet), so it’s probably best to “go with the flow” and book on over here- you’ll save on transport fares for a start. As for which hotel to book, it’s probably good to consider tripadvisor.com’s top-ranked hotel, the Sirkeci Konak Hotel, which features 54 rooms and have a reputation for excellence. However it’ll set you back around €140 a night, and that’s not counting taxes. For travelers on a tighter budget who want the same central location in Sultanahmet, the Hotel Ocean’s 7 is one of the best rated hotels on venere.com – it costs from €50 per night for a single room. Now you’ve got an idea of what accommodation will cost you, there’s another important factor to consider – climate.

Istanbul Weather

While stepping rather dangerously into the dark, murky pit of over-generalization, Istanbul’s climate can best be described as “hot in winter, cold in summer”. However, as an average, the temperature in the summer months seldom dips above 30° C, although it does sometimes go into the early forties at the very height of summer. It’s a fairly common sight for it to snow in the winter in Istanbul, although many winters pass by with just rain.

Istanbul Transport

Transportation around the city is not as difficult as you might expect, with a reasonably widespread metro service currently being extended to the Asian side. There are also modern trams operating throughout the city center. Both these systems cost under €1 and will get you pretty much anywhere you need to go. Buses are also available to link up the systems.

The most convenient transport is of course taxis – the average trip should not cost much more than €5 – some drivers are less scrupulous than others so be wary of being driven around. Ferries across the Bosphorus are also in abundance for those who want a more scenic and leisurely route, as an alternative for just taking the bridge.

Thanks for reading and enjoy your travels!

Photo of the Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey by Timothy Neesan

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About the author

Paul Crompton is an avid reader and has a passion for cars and technology, primarily. He loves traveling to whichever exotic travel location which is cheap. His dream is to become an advertising executive.