Istanbul
Eat
- The Turkish cuisine is very diverse. Famous Turkish food includes kebabs, including the Iskender Kebab (served with a sauce of yogurt, tomato, and bread), borek (stuffed pastry), and menemen (omelet with tomato and spices, breakfast dish). These dishes can be sampled in most restaurants around town.
- You can get fresh grilled fish in some of the places below the Galata Bridge, but beware: an inflow of tourism means that not all places are good out there.
- Good restaurants can be found in Beyoglu, Besiktas, and on the side of the Bosporus. Restaurants in Sultanahmet cater mostly to tourists, which means that they are usually expensive, and only a handful of them are good.
- Warning: Although some good coffee places exist, most places make coffee with the aid of Nescafe.
- Warning: smoking in Istanbul cafes and restaurants is still very common.
Sleep
- There are plenty of hostels in Istanbul, charging about USD 10–USD 20 for a bed in a dorm. There are plenty of hotels in all price ranges. Private rooms and apartments start from about USD 20.
- Staying in Sultanahmet means you will have ready access to the main sights but are far removed from any of the ‘real’ Istanbul life. The further northeast you go, the more real the experience becomes. In most cases, staying in Beyoglu will strike the right balance. This does mean, though, that you will be going up and down the hill a lot. If this is a problem, Besiktas is a good alternative.
Transport
- Town:
Areas such as Sultanahmet, Beyoglu, and Besiktas can all easily be covered on foot. Taxis between areas should cost around USD 5–USD 10 (with Uber charging similar amounts). Taxi prices are almost always negotiable.
Metros and trams go between certain areas, but the destinations they go to are often limited. For instance, no metros go to Sultanahmet, although trams do. In Beyoglu, the Kabatas funicular can prevent a steep climb uphill to Taksim Square.
For all public transport, single fare tokens (jetons) are available through machines (costing around 3 TL or 1 USD). For TL 6 (USD 2), a public transport card can be bought, which usually cuts the cost of your fare by about half.
- Airport:
From Ataturk Airport, the cost for a train and tram/metro anywhere in town amounts to around TL 8 (around USD 2.75). Expect the ride to take about 30 min–60 min (depending on your location). A taxi should cost around TL 50–TL 80 (around USD 18–USD 27).
- Out of town:
There are a few trains, and for some locations, even ferries may be an option. But in most cases, a bus is the best budget option. Almost all buses leave from Istanbul Otogar, which is on metro line 1.
- Warning: taxi drivers in Istanbul are famous for scams.