Istanbul - be very cautious

[Tudorcruisers]

Just returned last night from Istanbul as it was the final destination on our cruise. Please check with your hotel how much the taxi fare should be and also before ordering any drinks in bar/cafe etc ensure you have got a menu our price list.

 

For example hotel quoted taxi ride to Blue Mosque would be approx 15-20 Turkish Lira but on return when we just jumped into a taxi he quoted 35TL. We got out and asked another taxi and he quoted 16!! I went for an ice-cream and saw the local pay 1TL yet the guy charged me seven so I handed it back and then he said 5. When I still refused he asked me to name my price but at that stage I was just so incensed they way they try to rip off tourists I had gone off eating the ice-cream.

 

So just be very careful indeed as our experience was that if you are a tourist they will try their best to get every penny from you!! It was a nice city and I am glad we saw it but have no wish to go back due to the way we couldn't trust anyone.

[eh2zed]

That is unfortunate. Istanbul and Turkey is so great.

[Bet & Peg]

Hi Beth ~ It's Peg (as in John & Peg) ~

 

SO sorry to hear about your experiences in Istanbul - just the opposite from ours!!

 

We used Istanbul Airport Express for transportation from the ship and they were fabulous!!! Met us at the port entrance - even though we were 25 minutes late!! - and only charges 20 Euro for the van up to 6 people - we were only 4 but it still was great of drive past the line of people waiting for cabs!

 

Our hotel - Sirkeci Konak - has been super wonderful (will post more when we get home!) and we've yet to encounter anyone really trying to rip us off!!

 

Yes, for all - make sure you're given menus with prices and be careful of taxi fares - but that's much the same in a lot of cities - even my own - New York City!

 

We have found Istanbul to be fabulous and exciting - and we hate to leave tomorrow!!!

[5326jan]

Just returned last night from Istanbul as it was the final destination on our cruise. Please check with your hotel how much the taxi fare should be and also before ordering any drinks in bar/cafe etc ensure you have got a menu our price list.

 

For example hotel quoted taxi ride to Blue Mosque would be approx 15-20 Turkish Lira but on return when we just jumped into a taxi he quoted 35TL. We got out and asked another taxi and he quoted 16!! I went for an ice-cream and saw the local pay 1TL yet the guy charged me seven so I handed it back and then he said 5. When I still refused he asked me to name my price but at that stage I was just so incensed they way they try to rip off tourists I had gone off eating the ice-cream.

 

So just be very careful indeed as our experience was that if you are a tourist they will try their best to get every penny from you!! It was a nice city and I am glad we saw it but have no wish to go back due to the way we couldn't trust anyone.

 

We just returned from our cruise and 2 days in Istanbul, but completely different experience! We took the tram from the port to the city for 2 TL each and met so many nice people. We felt completely safe, although it was weird to be in a mosque on September 11, 10 year anniversary. On our 2nd day we went with friends and shared a private walking tour with guide Kagan Kosagan. http://www.tourguidesinturkey.com/kagankosagan.html It was an awesome tour and we thoroughly enjoyed our time. Kagan also took us to a great local kabob restaurant and then gave us a "primer" on shopping in the Grand Bazaar.

 

Anyone who may be nervous about going to a city with such rich culture and so many differences from what you see and do at home, consider using a private guide. You'll have a much different and better experience than wandering around by yourself. We loved Istanbul and can't wait to go back!:D

[cruisemom42]

One thing that (IMO) a lot of visitors to Turkey don't fully realize is the cultural tradition of bargaining. It pervades everything. As Hank (Hlitner) has said several times, the Turks are born merchants. They will always try to get you to pay the highest amount you'll part with for anything, and yes that may even include food and transportation services. They fully expect you to negotiate with them and to settle on what you both consider a fair price.

 

I'm not saying this SHOULD be the way things are done when it comes to a licensed taxi ride, but in any port if you choose to go "off meter" and negotiate a price, you will likely find that bargaining is expected.

 

If it was me, and I had a fair idea that the distance to be covered wasn't great (e.g., from the port to Sultanahmet or the Grand Bazaar), I wouldn't negotiate a fare, I'd insist that the driver use the meter. Of course, in Istanbul where traffic is horrendous, this may not always work in your favor. Meters take into consideration not just distance but also time.....

[jjb415]

If you don't have too much luggage the tram in Istanbul is easy and cheap. I wouldn't travel any other way in Istanbul.

[bw333]

We just came back from cruise. We had one taxi take us half way to Topkapi Palace, we were trying to save valuable time, he said we could walk the rest. Another taxi at port had no meter and tried to raise the agreed upon price upon arrival. Everyone said do Istanbul on your own, but maybe a tour guide could cut down on the street venders and carpet salesman chasing you 24/7.

[Hoyaheel]

We had two days (well, 2 half days) in Istanbul earlier this month and took the tram & walked on our own the first day (walked 7+ miles!) and had no problems being hassled anywhere. On the 2nd day, we did a walking tour to see the more popular sites so we could get the history in person. The combo was right for us - we're DIYers normally, but the cost of a walking tour was fairly low and it increased our enjoyment of the sites.

[24butterfly]

One thing that (IMO) a lot of visitors to Turkey don't fully realize is the cultural tradition of bargaining. It pervades everything. As Hank (Hlitner) has said several times, the Turks are born merchants. They will always try to get you to pay the highest amount you'll part with for anything, and yes that may even include food and transportation services. They fully expect you to negotiate with them and to settle on what you both consider a fair price.

 

I'm not saying this SHOULD be the way things are done when it comes to a licensed taxi ride, but in any port if you choose to go "off meter" and negotiate a price, you will likely find that bargaining is expected.

 

If it was me, and I had a fair idea that the distance to be covered wasn't great (e.g., from the port to Sultanahmet or the Grand Bazaar), I wouldn't negotiate a fare, I'd insist that the driver use the meter. Of course, in Istanbul where traffic is horrendous, this may not always work in your favor. Meters take into consideration not just distance but also time.....

 

I had a nice young man who spoke Turkish hail us a cab. I asked him to ask how much the fare would be, and he said 10 YTL. I said no, then, without hesitation, the cab driver dropped it to 7.....Hmmm....Didn't know I caould bargain for cab fare! I just love the whole thing--bargaining---makes it hard for me to walk into a store here at home and pay a set price....

[farbster]

We even found that the vendors on the street sold the H20 for different prices. Once challenged, they dropped the price in 1/2.

 

I was surprised at how little people would bargain at the Grand Bazaar. They would start with a high price, I countered with a very low price and they just let you walk. They never even came back with a better price.

[raphaela]

We will be in Istanbul November 12 and 13, and would like to do some DIY, but if there are any other Equinox travellers who would like to share a guided tour of main sights, please let us know. :-)

[raphaela]

I am a world class haggler.......

[texancruzer]

Raphaela, I am on your cruise........ its me TEX.

 

Unfortunately you can't post here to share a tour.....only on your roll call. I know there were some people putting a tour share for Istanbul together. Don't know if its full or not. I would ask over there !

[Bet & Peg]

I was pleasantly surprised by the Grand Bazaar! DH couldn't wait to go but I was dreading the crowds - we went one afternoon and it wasn't half as crowded as the Spice Market the previous day!! And we weren't really bothered much in either place - maybe by the afternoon sellers were just tired!!

 

Cruisemom is right - bargaining seems their way of life! But sometmes it can really work in your favor - just set a firm price in your mind unless you really, really want something! In the SM, I couldn't get any dealer to go "lower" on the long packet of spices so I willingly paid 5TL each. But in the GB I saw these cute little round boxes covered with beads for 5TL each at a number of places. I wanted a few for some friends so I was willing to pay 3TL each. I approached on young dealer and asked how if I could get 7 for 21TL - he said a firm NO - he'd sell me 8 for 20TL - I jumped on that deal!!!! It was a small amount but made ME feel good!!!! And I enjoyed the "hunt" like any good sport!!!!

 

We loved Istanbul and hope to go back someday!!

[Gamin2008]

Hi Beth ~ It's Peg (as in John & Peg) ~

 

SO sorry to hear about your experiences in Istanbul - just the opposite from ours!!

 

We used Istanbul Airport Express for transportation from the ship and they were fabulous!!! Met us at the port entrance - even though we were 25 minutes late!! - and only charges 20 Euro for the van up to 6 people - we were only 4 but it still was great of drive past the line of people waiting for cabs!

 

Our hotel - Sirkeci Konak - has been super wonderful (will post more when we get home!) and we've yet to encounter anyone really trying to rip us off!!

 

Yes, for all - make sure you're given menus with prices and be careful of taxi fares - but that's much the same in a lot of cities - even my own - New York City!

 

We have found Istanbul to be fabulous and exciting - and we hate to leave tomorrow!!!

 

 

Hi, before your trip you had mentioned on a thread that you might take the Bosphorus cruise. Did you and how was it? thx

[Bet & Peg]

Gamin2008 ~ we did take the Bosphorus day ferry - but not the evening cruise. I asked at the hotel if the evening entertainment cruise and got a so-so answer - was told it was very touristy and not to expect much from the food. We had planned on taking the day ferry - which was very good but very crowded - so DH said to forgo the evening one - I think I would have gone if it were just up to me. If you want mor info about the day ferry let me know.

 

We did go to the Whirling Dervishes which was amazing! We went to the one at the Hocapasa Cultural Center - easy walk from our hotel or the tram. Made reservations through our hotel a day in advance - 50TLpp - about $30pp.

[stpointer]

Hi Peg. I am eagerly awaiting your review of your recent cruise. I will be doing a similiar cruise next year. With regards to the day ferry, how far along did you take the ferry?

[Bet & Peg]

stpointer ~ will post some photos tonight or tomorrow, we only got home last Friday so still trying to "get back to normal"!!! I'll also work on a review - it was a fabulous cruise in all! Our second time on the Connie and she's a wonderful ship!

 

As for the ferry - we took the "Nostalgic Bosphorus Tour" for 25TL pp round trip. We took the tram to the Eminonu stop which is just by the bridge across the Golden Horn. There's an underpass (under the road & tram lines) which is filled with shopping stalls on each side! I think the signs said either river or ferries, we had no trouble finding the way. When we came out of the stairs the ferry office/ticket window was right there! I had read about not being lead astray by hawkers selling other trips but there were none around. We did get there early, ferry left about 10:35am and we arrived about 9:45am which was good since we were able to get towards the head of the line and get places at the front of the ferry - great for viewing.

 

We took it to the last stop - DH had this "thing" about going to Asia so he was happy we'd be there about 3 hours. Last stop was Anadolu Kavagi - we had a nice lunch there with the best bread!! There's a hill top remains of a castle but we didn't walk up - many did, however. We roamed the streets, shops and had lunch.

 

I think it all depends on how many days you're staying in Instanbul. We completely enjoyed the ferry trip but we were there for 4 nights so felt we could spend a day on the ferry. When we got off we went to the Spice Market since it was just on the other side of the underpass.

 

I can highly recommend Rick Steve's Istanbul book - bought it on-line and well worth the cost and weight to carry!! We used his Bosphorus tour info and also his Hagia Sophia tips and descriptions are fabulous! Met another couple at the hotel who had already done the HS and, when we said we were going the soon & had RS's book, they told us to follow his exact description of getting inside - we've avoid the crowd - they were SO correct!!! He had us going in the exit - which was no problem with the guards and we saved lots of time!!

 

I can also recommend the web site: Turkey Travel Planner - Turkey Travel - Tom's suggestions are fabulous and that's the first place I heard about the hotel.

 

I promise I'll post photos soon!

[Gamin2008]

Gamin2008 ~ we did take the Bosphorus day ferry - but not the evening cruise. I asked at the hotel if the evening entertainment cruise and got a so-so answer - was told it was very touristy and not to expect much from the food. We had planned on taking the day ferry - which was very good but very crowded - so DH said to forgo the evening one - I think I would have gone if it were just up to me. If you want mor info about the day ferry let me know.

 

We did go to the Whirling Dervishes which was amazing! We went to the one at the Hocapasa Cultural Center - easy walk from our hotel or the tram. Made reservations through our hotel a day in advance - 50TLpp - about $30pp.

 

Thank you for your reply. I know the Bosphorus Dinner Cruise received mixed reviews. Especially on those big group boats. After connection party, I might set up a private cruise on a yatch, dinner is extra though, more expensive but more intimate with only a max. of 10-12 guests.

Will have to see if anyone is interested since everyone on my roll call seem to have other plans.

Thx again,

Chantal

[stpointer]

Thank you for all the info Peg. I am booked for next September - also on the Connie - but it is never too early to start planning. We too will be spending 4 days post cruise as there seems to be so very much to see in Istanbul. I heard the scenery along the tour is stunning. Just one more question. How far ahead did you book your hotel for Istanbul?

[Bet & Peg]

We booked the Sirkeci Konak in February - I just checked!! We actually booked the cruise 14 months out and spent a snow-bound winter planning, planning, planning! We both really like the hotel so we just booked!

 

We also added a land trip to Venice and Munich so it was like two (or three) vacations all rolled into one! Lots of reservations to make!!

[stpointer]

One last question. As you stayed in Istanbul, did you need to get your own visa or did Celebrity provide one.

[austinlw]

Thank you for your reply. I know the Bosphorus Dinner Cruise received mixed reviews. Especially on those big group boats. After connection party, I might set up a private cruise on a yatch, dinner is extra though, more expensive but more intimate with only a max. of 10-12 guests.

Will have to see if anyone is interested since everyone on my roll call seem to have other plans.

Thx again,

Chantal

 

You might want to take another look at our roll call. Just noticed that some folks were looking for others to join them for this.

[Gamin2008]

You might want to take another look at our roll call. Just noticed that some folks were looking for others to join them for this.

 

Thanks, I just saw that on the roll call but people do not reply or they just don't remember where they posted the thread in the first place! :(:D I guess I will have to see the response once on board.

[renroc13]

One thing that (IMO) a lot of visitors to Turkey don't fully realize is the cultural tradition of bargaining. It pervades everything. As Hank (Hlitner) has said several times, the Turks are born merchants. They will always try to get you to pay the highest amount you'll part with for anything, and yes that may even include food and transportation services. They fully expect you to negotiate with them and to settle on what you both consider a fair price.

 

I'm not saying this SHOULD be the way things are done when it comes to a licensed taxi ride, but in any port if you choose to go "off meter" and negotiate a price, you will likely find that bargaining is expected.

 

If it was me, and I had a fair idea that the distance to be covered wasn't great (e.g., from the port to Sultanahmet or the Grand Bazaar), I wouldn't negotiate a fare, I'd insist that the driver use the meter. Of course, in Istanbul where traffic is horrendous, this may not always work in your favor. Meters take into consideration not just distance but also time.....

 

Wonderful point. We were there last year and had a private guide while in Istanbul. I negotiate everywhere in the world when we purchase unless I know it is insulting to do in a certain culture. While at the market I got one price and when our guide showed that she was with us the price dropped.....

 

I am certain that some try to take advantage so it is important to be aware and know what prices and transports should be. Ice cream prices should however be uniform. I would not be happy if I was charged more than the others for ice cream....

Karen