It’s not so difficult to organize a trip to Istanbul on your own - you just need to make an approximate plan for your trip. This amazing city, in the center of which lies the border of Europe and Asia, makes a strong impression on people. Unfortunately, as part of a vacation, you can only go for a limited time. How to spend the available time as useful as possible? Consider in general terms.
general information
Organizing a trip to Istanbul on your own is easy. According to experienced travelers, the first thing a person needs is determination and self-confidence. Having determined for himself that he really wants to go here, a person thereby overcomes halfway to departure. If the desire is strong enough, it will be easy to organize a vacation. Tackling the matter on your own, you can save good money, and every day you will visit exactly those places and attractions that are of interest to you.
According to experienced tourists, organizing a trip to Istanbul for themselves is quite easy, people do not encounter any serious obstacles and problems in achieving this goal. In order for the trip to become a source of pleasant impressions, you need to think over the placement and options for the round trip, find out the prices in order to roughly calculate your budget for each day. You should make a list of attractions in advance and plan their visit so that the daily route is not only attractive, but also rational. It will not be superfluous to think in advance what to bring to friends as souvenirs. This will avoid the chaotic purchase of beautiful trinkets indiscriminately.
How long, how short
When planning a trip to Istanbul, first of all, you need to evaluate how long a person can afford. Today there are special programs that allow you to briefly get acquainted with the capital of the country in just a day or a couple of days, although they mainly relate to shopping tours. Organizing a vacation for yourself, you can also go for such a short period, but experienced tourists consider this a waste of time and money. In just one or two days, you can only get acquainted with a couple of the most interesting points of the city, but you won’t be able to get a holistic impression, and you don’t have time to buy souvenirs and other goods. Everything you can get acquainted with in such a short time will simply mix in your head, and you will not get any clear impression of the city.
As experienced tourists note, when planning a trip to Turkey, to Istanbul, it is worth taking a look at the prices of air tickets. If a person plans to spend three days in the country, the price for the flight will be the same as when planning for a three-week vacation. Consequently, it is not possible to reduce the cost of the flight only by reducing the length of the stay, and this expense item, among others, is considered the most significant in the travel budget. On the other hand, going for a long time, you can please yourself with a thoughtful acquaintance with attractive points. Surely there will be enough time to take a ferry ride, try amazingly delicious local dishes in restaurants.
Without haste
From various sources you can find out about the impressions of people who planned their vacation on their own. Many say that their trip lasted a week or a half, and this time was enough to get a good impression, while tourists did not have time to miss their homes. The best memories remained with those who responsibly picked up the season, who were lucky with the weather. To better get to know the places, people, having calculated the time in advance, used public transport. If there is no need to constantly rush, because only a few days are allocated for a stay, this option of exploring the daily life of the city is rightfully considered the best.
As experienced travelers say, it is better to go to Turkey in the warm season. If you want to give yourself a trip to the Bosphorus and Istanbul, the weather will be one of the main factors forming the impression of the trip. In the warm season, the city is beautiful and pleases the eye with flowering bushes, green trees. However, as experienced tourists note, in the cold season in Turkey it is also comfortable, because there are no frosts and snowdrifts.
When planning a trip, you must definitely lay the maximum time for walking. This is especially true for the period of familiarization with the historical parts of the city. Using transport here is inconvenient, and the sights here are located literally at every step. If acquaintance with them will tire, you can relax in the cozy cafes that are in every building. Walking around the historical areas, you can feel the spirit of the city and get acquainted with the unique atmosphere - the very one that for centuries has fallen in love with guests from all over the world.
About the road
For many, traveling to Istanbul on their own seems too difficult because they need to organize all their movements in their native country and in a foreign country. Buying tickets is not as difficult as it may seem, and the path to the hotel is not such an insurmountable barrier to deny yourself an adventure. There are many virtual outlets created to compare ticket prices. They work with different airlines and give information not only on the requested day, but also on the nearest dates. You can pick up tickets for a direct flight or find one with a transfer (this usually costs less). As experienced travelers note, it is easiest to use destinations served by Turkish airlines. It will cost relatively inexpensive, you will not have to feel discomfort from transplants.
For a person planning a trip to Istanbul on their own, it may seem a problem to try to get from the airport to the chosen hotel. It's not that complicated. You can book a transfer in advance, then already upon arrival a taxi driver will be waiting for you. An alternative is public transport. If the traveler is traveling with large suitcases or disastrously does not like to use public transport, a transfer will be a convenient and preferred option. The cost of the trip will be relatively reasonable.
Where to live?
Many are eager to visit the Turkish capital, having become acquainted with Brodsky's book. The trip to Istanbul, described in expressions characteristic of this poet, creates a feeling of something surprising, timeless, unusual, alluring. Of course, it will not be easy for a modern person with a completely different mentality and habits to see Istanbul Brodsky, but there are certain ways for this. For example, it is worth choosing accommodation in those areas of the city that were popular at the time when the Russian poet entered the Turkish capital.
In general, according to experienced tourists, after selecting a flight and buying tickets, you should begin to resolve the issue of accommodation. The traveler must immediately determine which area of the city is preferable for him, as well as his budget. There are many special services created for the selection of hotels. It is enough to set the price limits and your requirements, and then choose the appropriate option from the list provided.
The nuances of choosing a home
If you want to repeat Brodsky’s trip to Istanbul, you must choose a place to live in the historical part of the city. Such a location will not disappoint: there are sights everywhere, at any time there is something to see, how to sweeten your eyes, and where to get interesting historical information. The most convenient way to stay is in Sultanahmet. This is the name of the area in which there are many historically important and interesting points, which can easily be reached on foot. Since the area is traditionally in great demand among travelers, a lot of hotels of different levels have been opened here. Along with luxury five-star hotels there are small hotels of a lower rank (three stars). On average, for one night in the warm season you need to pay from 250 lire or more, that is, you should count on about 3.5 thousand rubles per night.
Some people who organize trips to Istanbul for themselves, know from their own experience that they are pleasant and enjoy long walks in the residential neighborhoods of cities in unfamiliar countries. At the service of such travelers is the Airbnb service. This project is designed so that everyone can offer their apartments, rooms for rent, and travelers arriving in a new place would rent them without additional costs and special labor. Through this service you can find accommodation to your liking. It offers luxurious apartments with great views, apartments with windows on the Bosphorus, small cozy rooms in conveniently located parts of the city. On average, closer to the center, you can rent a house for less than 2 thousand rubles per night.
Why is this convenient?
As you can see from the reviews covering the topic of independent holiday planning, a trip to Istanbul, subject to booking accommodation through Airbnb, will really become accessible to everyone. This is especially beneficial if traveling with a group of people (friends or family). You can rent at your disposal a comfortable house in which there is a stove for cooking, a refrigerator, several beds. Similar amenities (of course, without a kitchen) in the hotel will cost much more.
Through this service you can rent a relatively small housing, but it will please with its cleanliness and accuracy. Already on the site you can see how much to get from the selected location to public transport stops. Another point is the convenience of acquiring everyday food. Renting an ordinary apartment, most likely you can find a grocery store nearby, which means you can eat simple food. This will slightly reduce costs compared with a regular visit to restaurants.
About planning
As you can see from the reviews, it’s not very difficult to organize a trip to Istanbul on your own, although experienced tourists advise you to take a plan very responsibly. They begin to compose it, having decided on the habitat, so that it is convenient to move along the routes from day to day. First, make a list of places that I would especially like to visit. It is necessary to include in it the most interesting sights for a particular traveler, the most attractive museums. You can distribute the route by days already on the spot, but you can think over this moment in advance. Information in navigators and personal sites of museums can come to the rescue, but not every place has such a resource, and inaccurate data is sometimes indicated in public sources.
As you can see from the reviews, it’s very difficult for some to plan their own trip to Istanbul, because some interesting sights are located at a great distance from each other. This is due to the specific layout of the city. The Bosphorus divides it into two parts, one of which is typically European, the second - classical Asian. For each day, you should choose interesting places in one half of the village, otherwise there simply will not be enough time to get where you want.
Technical points
Perhaps you can’t find such reviews about traveling to Istanbul, from which it would be clear how much money you need to take with you. It all depends on the desires and capabilities of a particular tourist. The needs and demands of people are very different. In the general case, it is believed that for a modest trip for a week, it is enough to have 600 dollars with you (about 40,000 rubles). If a person likes shopping, prefers not the cheapest brands, visits high-class restaurants, you need to have at least one thousand dollars (67,000 rubles) with you. In addition to food and the purchase of goods in stores, you need to build on the desire to purchase souvenirs for friends and relatives staying at home.
If you want to save on food, you can buy ready-made food in stores - in Turkey there are a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits, so this food is not only affordable, but also tasty and healthy. In addition, food in a cafe is considered cheaper than a restaurant. In order not to spend too much money on souvenirs, it is better to make a list of presents in advance and clearly follow it.
The second important technical point is related to the documentation of the trip. When planning your first trip to Istanbul on your own, you need to familiarize yourself with the list of official papers that every tourist needs. However, there is nothing special about him. You must have a foreign passport with you. You need to have a ticket home, as well as confirmation of the fact of booking a home. You need insurance. A person must confirm their own solvency. To do this, provide an account statement. It should be from 500 dollars (33 500 rubles) and more. The alternative is cash on hand. It is enough for the majority to present a passport, but at the stage of international control they may request other documents.
Do I need insurance?
Some tourists, planning a trip to Istanbul for 5 days or even shorter time, think that medical insurance is a waste of money. Of course, probably nothing bad will happen to a person, but there may be a situation when it is urgent to seek medical help. Services in this case will be very expensive. Having insurance will save an impressive amount of money, whatever the reason for going to doctors. Currently, insurance is pretty cheap. You can purchase a policy at the office of a specialized enterprise or on the website of such a company. Registration takes only a couple of minutes and does not require any special documents or manipulations.
On average, a simple appointment with a doctor in a clinic will cost a foreigner 150 lire. If there is a need for urgent service, its price will be much higher.
Getting to know the city: where to start?
Mostly, in tourist tips on traveling to Istanbul, it is precisely about the curious points that you need to visit when you arrive at the place. There are some of the most famous sights - most of the guests of the state get acquainted with them, and with others - only if there is time for this. Significant sights give an idea of life during the existence of the Byzantine Empire. A curious traveler will learn a lot about the Ottoman era.
According to many tourists, the first to visit is Hagia Sophia. This is an amazing building, monumental, incredibly beautiful. Almost all tourists consider it one of the most famous architectural masterpieces of the world. No less impressive is the Topkapi Palace. Acquaintance with this object will allow you to imagine what the country looked like during the Ottoman period. Curious details give a good idea of the culture of the people at that time. Another very beautiful ensemble, which includes not only the palace, but also a magnificent park, is known as Dolmabahce.
About sights
On your first trip to Istanbul, you should definitely visit the Basilica Cistern. This object makes a strong impression with its specific architectural solution. An unusual atmosphere dominates here. It is especially good in this place during the hot season, because the coolness and humidity reign inside the ancient structure, especially pleasant after the summer heat.
Rumelihisar fortress is attractive for city guests. It remained in perfect condition, despite the upheavals in the history of the city on the Bosphorus. The observation deck of the fortress is accessible to any modern tourist. From here you can enjoy the beauty of the strait and the magnificent bridge built to connect two shores, two parts of a unique city on the border of the parts of the world.
When planning a trip to Istanbul for 3 days, it is worth including the Grand Bazaar in the list of noteworthy sights. This is a truly eastern trading platform that makes a strong impression on any European who first finds himself in such a place. Similar experiences can be obtained by taking time to visit the Egyptian Bazaar.
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Extremely attractive are the churches built in the era of the Byzantine Empire. Traditionally, guidebooks recommend getting acquainted with the monastery of Chora. Many tourists note the charm of the Church of Our Lady of Pammakarista. No less curious is the construction in honor of Christ Pantocrator.
Travel advice dedicated to Istanbul travel always recommends at least half a day to travel across the strait. Special boats, pleasure ships serving tourists are working here. You can ride them on the world famous strait and learn more about the history of the city from the cognitive program broadcast through the speakers. As experienced travelers note, the impression will remain indelible.
What language will we speak?
When getting acquainted with tips for traveling to Istanbul for independent tourists, you should pay attention to the aspect of the language barrier. It seems to some people that traveling outside our country without knowing the English language is categorically impossible. The situation is much simpler. As experienced tourists note, most of the local population of Istanbul knows English very poorly or does not know at all. This applies even to those who live and work in the tourist area of the city. An elementary supply of words will already be sufficient to be able to communicate with the locals. Most museums provide audio guides in different languages, including Russian.
In the historical center of the village, the menus in cafes and restaurants are duplicated in Russian. When planning a visit to traditional bazaars, you should also not be scared - you can easily find Russian-speaking sellers. If you are interested in the Lalel district and shopping centers, then there is nothing to fear at all, because almost all local workers at least somehow speak Russian or understand our language.
What about risks?
When planning a trip to Istanbul with children or a trip alone, tourists not unreasonably think about the dangers that await guests from other countries. According to many, the whole city is safe, although there are several areas where it is better not to go in the evening. Experienced travelers are advised to avoid Lalell, Aksaray. Many streets are considered completely safe for walking at any time of the day, even if they are made by a lonely young foreign girl. In any case, it is better to spend time in crowded tourist areas, not too far from these places.
Financial issue
The currency used in Turkey is local lira. From home, it is better to keep money in dollars, which upon arrival in the city can be exchanged for lira. There are exchange points at the airport. There are local money exchange points in the city. It is simple to pay with lira; using the national currency allows you to save money. Many sellers accept dollars, but the rate will not be as profitable as when exchanging at a special point. If after rest there are liras, they will be exchanged at the bank. An alternative is the airport, but it is not very profitable. In the exchange office, all bills are marked with a special seal, in Turkey it does not bother anyone, but in our country such banknotes are accepted only with an additional commission or through an ATM.