Istanbul Trails ~ Your Istanbul Tourist & Expat Travel Guide
Your personal Istanbul city trip & expat guide
From the category archives:
As mentioned in the first part, the First Courtyard was the most public one, and therefore not really considered as being part of the Topkapi Palace. But the deeper you go into the palace, the less accessible it was for the people of the Ottoman Empire. Where the Second Courtyard was already semi-public (see Topkapi […]
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While there are several countries that lie on more than one continent, Istanbul is the only city in the world built on two continents. Istanbul’s coordinates are 41 degrees north, and approximately 29 degrees east. Not a big deal. But if you would follow that 41°N parallel around the globe, you’ll find out that Istanbul […]
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Whatever means of transportation you choose to reach your hotel, if it has inflatable tires, chances are very likely you’ll be confronted with one of the biggest problems Istanbul has to cope with: traffic! Of course, Istanbul is not the only metropolis in the world suffering from clogged streets. But the massive proportions of these […]
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Once you’ve made your way out of the airport, there is of course still the matter of getting to your hotel. If your hotel reservation includes a free airport pick-up, you’re all sorted. If not, do keep on reading since you have a few options. Let me give you a rundown of the cheapest, quickest […]
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After passing the border control and being let into the country, you normally go look for your luggage and head for the exit. But hold your horses, there is still a small surprise ahead. At the Atatürk International Airport of Istanbul, you can also buy duty-free goods upon arrival. Although you can experience this opportunity […]
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This may seem like a strange article, not in the least because of its length. But people who have ever queued the line at the Atatürk Airport passport control for half an hour or more, only to find out that they had to buy their visa somewhere else first and were therefore sent back to […]
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The Turkish lira (Türk Lirası – TL) was introduced in 1844 and was the currency of Turkey until 2005. That year Turkey switched to the New Turkish Lira (Yeni Türk Lirası – YTL, or more officially TRY). They dropped six zeros of the old banknotes and introduced new banknotes and coins. As you can see […]
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With some 25 million visitors finding their way to Turkey every year, tourism is a key player in the country’s economy. Since tourists shouldn’t encounter any difficulties spending their money, all options are open: cash, credit cards and maybe even still traveler’s cheques. But what is the most sensible way to bring your money along? […]
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In my previous post, I described some basic guidelines to stay healthy while enjoying the city. Today, we’ll be focusing on how to survive in Istanbul’s traffic, what to do if you experience small or more serious discomforts and how to locate the Tourist Police. Cars rules in Istanbul Streets are clogged all day, all […]
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A city-trip to Istanbul doesn’t require any special vaccinations or health preparations, as long as you observe a few basic guidelines. The same applies to personal safety. Istanbul is as safe as any other major European city, if not safer. Visitors rarely become the victim of violence or theft, certainly when they stay away from […]
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