Planning a trip to Istanbul

Tips for Families

Turks love children, and fawn all over them as a matter of course. Taken to the not-so-extreme, a total stranger may stroke your child's hair to show his or her benign affection. Back home, this would set off alarm bells; in Turkey, this is actually just a cultural norm. As for sightseeing, Istanbul is a veritable treasure chest of the magical and exotic, making exploration with the brood a delight for all involved. Kids seem to love scrambling around toppled columns and ancient ruins, exploring underground cisterns (especially the ones with water in them), and poking around the very colorful and stimulating Grand Bazaar.

If you're planning on renting a car or getting around with a tour company's car, keep in mind that car seats are considered a luxury item in Turkey, so ask/reserve ahead of time to be sure you can get one. Almost all hotels offer cots on request to accommodate families together in a room, and many restaurants have highchairs (when they don't they'll find some way to improvise). Other baby and toddler items are widely available (diapers, UHT milk), but if you're set on using a particular brand, better bring it along. Bottled baby food can be difficult to find, but restaurants will probably be more than willing to purée whatever you want.

Meanwhile, almost all tourist services (hotels, ferryboats) offer some kind of discount for children, usually 50% of the full price for children 6 to 12, while kids 5 and under generally get loads of freebies. Unfortunately, this discount does not apply to admission tickets to museums and sites for preteens. You'll also save a load of dough thanks to the Turkish tradition of providing breakfast with the room.

When to Go

After a decade of some ups and mostly downs, Turkey's tourism industry is galloping at a nice clip, thank you very much. Almost 10 international five-star hotel chains opened properties in Istanbul in 2007 alone, and the Hilton group is planning 25 additional hotels in Turkey in the coming years. So basically, if you're looking for a quiet bargain, the window of opportunity has long since passed. For the inconvenience of traveling on full flights, staying in hotels booked to capacity, and paying top dollar for almost everything (except where the dollar sign has changed to the euro or British pound sterling), visitors will be greeted by a city of intriguing contradictions positively overflowing with optimism for a more prosperous future.

Nevertheless, the seasonal ebbs and flows of tourism in Turkey follow some general patterns. The early spring months of April (tulip season!) and May and sometimes late March usher in the anticipated start of spring, when flowers are in bloom and the weather is mild. All of the stars align in June and July, when sunny days are followed by pleasant evenings of wining and dining on rooftops. The city also treats its guests to a full complement of cultural festivals in June and July, so it's no wonder that it is during these months that room rates are highest. High season is flanked by May and September, although it's often SRO in September due to the many events that take place during that month. By August, the Mediterranean sun has chased most visitors to the coasts, leaving those with no other choice than the peak of the summer to come to Turkey. Istanbul is still fairly lovely in October, but by November the city takes on a dreary, overcast, and rainy pall well into February more often than not.

Istanbul has seen temperatures ranging from 18° to 40°C (0°-104°F), but it's unlikely that you'll encounter such extremes. Summer lasts roughly from mid-June to mid-September. The city sees a sloshy .7m (27 in.) of rain annually, mostly between October and March. In spite of the cold temperatures that sweep in from the Black Sea in winter, large accumulations of snowfall are a rarity, although light dustings do occur.

Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan

One of the five obligations required by Islam is the observation of Ramadan (Ramazan in Turkish, but the former is more popularly used, even in Turkey), the Muslim holy month of fasting. For 1 full lunar month, Muslims are prohibited during daylight hours from eating, drinking, smoking, or succumbing to sexual thoughts or activity. Instead, they adapt to an altered schedule, rising before daylight for breakfast or sahur, the last meal they will have before sundown. The fast is broken at sundown with an early evening meal, or iftar. Because of the extended daylight hours in summertime, this 30-day marathon is particularly arduous, but even in the wintertime, the sleep deprivation, hunger, thirst, and nicotine withdrawal are an admirable display of determination.

Ramadan evenings include festivities and fun. In Istanbul the Hippodrome is transformed into a street fair lined with colorful booths selling dried fruit, kebaps, and sweets, and the lawn is carpeted with picnickers. Forget about moving freely around Sultanahmet while this highly atmospheric circus is going on.

There are some small considerations for potential visitors in exchange for all of this cultural overload. Expect a slight alteration in the way people and places operate: Museums and holy sights will be crowded; restaurants that are normally open might be closed; shops that are normally closed might be open; menu items that are normally available might be unavailable due to the general lack in demand, and the traffic preceding the evening meal will slow you down considerably. Also potentially bothersome are the drummers who systematically wander the streets waking Muslims (and everybody else) for sahur, or the predawn meal. And no one will offer you tea.

The dates of Ramadan for 2016 are June 6 to July 5; in 2017 the dates are May 27 to June 24.

Getting There

By Plane

From North America -- Turkish Airlines (tel. 800/874-8875; www.turkishairlines.com), American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com), and Delta Airlines (tel. 800/221-1212; www.delta.com) offer the only direct nonstop service to Istanbul's Atatürk International Airport (IST) from the United States. Canadians flying to Turkey can fly direct on Turkish Airlines, which instituted flights from Toronto to Istanbul in July 2009. These airlines are just the tip of the iceberg. Most major international airlines flying to Istanbul offer flights from North America either as part of their own network or in partnership with another airline. Choosing one involves a change of planes in the airline's home-country hub, but this slight inconvenience is often accompanied by cheaper, more comparable fares.

From Europe -- The only nonstop service to Istanbul out of London is provided by British Airways (tel. 0845/77-333-77; www.ba.com) and Turkish Airlines (tel. 20/7766-9300 in Turkey; www.turkishairlines.com), which also flies nonstop from Manchester (tel. 161/489-5287).

Istanbul's second airport, Sabiha Gökçen Airport, located on the outskirts of Istanbul on the Asian side of the Bosphorus, inaugurated a second terminal on October 31, 2009. From here, Turkish Airlines has added the destinations of Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Hanover, London, Moscow, and Stuttgart.

There are also budget and/or charter airline options. Onur Air, Senlikkoy Mah. Çatal Sok. 3, Florya (tel. 0212/663-9176; www.onurair.com.tr), offers service from several U.K. cities. Easyjet (www.easyjet.com) flies direct to Istanbul's Sabiha Gökçen Airport from Luton and Gatwick airports.

From Australia and New Zealand -- Numerous services connect to Turkey, but the biggest challenge will be selecting your preferred connecting country. The following airlines, in partnership with Turkish Airlines, allow you to make the journey with only one plane change:

British Airways (tel. 1300/767-177 in Australia, or 0800/274-847 in NZ), Emirates Airlines (tel. 1300/303-777 in Australia, or 0508 364 728 in NZ; www.emirates.com), Etihad Airlines (tel. 1800/998-995; www.etihadairways.com), Singapore Airlines (tel. 612/9350-0100; www.singaporeair.com), and Thai Airways (tel. 1300/651-960; www.thaiair.com) will get you from Sydney and Brisbane; additionally Qantas (tel. 13-13-13 in Australia, or 64-9/357-8900 in NZ; www.qantas.com.au) flies from Brisbane. From Melbourne, single-change flights can be had on Emirates and Etihad airlines.

From Perth, Emirates Airlines flies direct to Istanbul with a stopover in Dubai, while Cathay Pacific flies in partnership with Turkish. Travel from Adelaide, Canberra, and Darwin all require two or more changes of plane.

From New Zealand, Air New Zealand (tel. 13-24-76; www.airnewzealand.com.au) and Japan Airlines (tel. 1300-525-287; www.jal.com) will both get you out of Auckland with a change in Osaka onto a Turkish Airlines flight. From Wellington and Christchurch both require two plane changes.

For the best possible comparisons, visit the popular booking sites www.zuji.com.au, www.bestflights.com.au, and www.airfaresflights.com.au, or the old workhorse www.expedia.com.au.

Getting into Town from the Airport

The majority of international flights arrive to Istanbul's international airport, Atatürk Hava Limani. Sabiha Gökçen Airport is primarily a hub for charter airlines as well as for an increasing number of domestic flights.

Most hotels in Istanbul offer free pickup at the Atatürk International Airport for stays of 3 nights or more. Check with your hotel to see if yours is one of them. Absent this little perk, hotels offer airport transfers for an additional fee of anywhere from 25€ to Sultanahmet and 35€ to Taksim. Because taxi fares into both the Old City and Taksim are still very affordable, I recommend this door-to-door option first over an official hotel transfer. A taxi into Sultanahmet from Atatürk Airport should cost around 18TL and a ride into Taksim around 26TL, depending on traffic.

Getting into town from Sabiha Gökçen Airport, 40km (25 miles) east of Taksim, can be pretty expensive (75€ and up) or infuriatingly convoluted (a combination of two or more of a taxi, bus, ferry, tramway, or funicular ride, depending on the final stop), unless you take the bus .

By Bus: If your destination from Atatürk Airport is around Taksim, the reliable and convenient Havas shuttle bus (tel. 0212/444-0487) departs every 30 minutes from just outside the international terminal airport exit (10TL; trip time 40 min.). You could also take the cheaper and rarer green municipal bus no. 97 (2TL), but because Havas is so convenient and reliable, the public bus is not an option I recommend. Havas also runs a shuttle from Sabiha Gökçen Airport to Taksim, with departures scheduled for 25 minutes after the landing of each flight. The ride costs 12TL and takes around an hour.

It's unlikely that guests heading to the deluxe hotels along the Bosphorus will be taking public transportation into town. Nevertheless, Havas also runs a shuttle from Atatürk Airport to the entrance of Akmerkez at Etiler (10TL; trip time 45 min.), where taxis regularly await passengers.

By Metro/Tramway: If you're on a budget and feeling like going the whole nine yards of independent travel, take advantage of the newly completed train connection between Atatürk Airport (entrance is downstairs next to the international arrivals terminal; 2TL) and the Old City all the way up to Kabatas and Taksim. This service connects the airport to Zeytinburnu, where you will need to transfer aboveground to the tramway into the historic part of the city (stops include Beyazit, Cagagoglu, Sultanahmet, Gülhane, Sirkeci, and Eminönü). The tramway continues all the way to Kabatas, with stops at Karaköy, Tophane, and Findikli; from the last stop, a funicular transports passengers up one of Istanbul's steeper hills to Taksim. If you use the Akbil, the whole trip will cost 2TL; otherwise it'll be 2TL per transfer. The trip will take a little over an hour. Remember though, you'll be hot, tired, hungry, and luggage-laden for this convoluted, albeit convenient, journey.

By Car

With global warming issues and petrol prices in the stratosphere, driving to Turkey makes bad sense. But some people just insist on the comfort of their own vehicle, so be prepared for the red tape of sorting out multiple transit visas and at least 4 days of hard driving. The two traditional routes to take are the "northern" one through Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria; or the "southern" one through Belgium, Germany, Austria, and Italy with a car-ferry connection to Turkey. Drivers planning to stay longer than 3 months must have an International Driving Permit (IDP), which also comes in handy in out-of-the-way places where the local police can't decipher your national version. You'll also be required to provide proof of third-party insurance at the Turkish border.

By Train

Depending upon your starting point, train travel from Europe may require a number of connections. Direct trains depart daily from Bucharest and Budapest and take about 27 and 40 hours, respectively. Trains also depart daily to Istanbul from Pythion and Thessaloniki in Greece and from Sofia, Bulgaria. For information on the various connections available, visit www.bahn.de.

Remember that it is your responsibility to obtain visas where required (either transit or tourist, depending on your travel plans) for every border that you will cross.

Sirkeci Station (tel. 0212/527-0050) has been serving train passengers arriving (and departing) Istanbul from European cities for well over a century and has served as a model for railway stations throughout central Europe. A tram stop is immediately outside the station entrance, but don't rely on this if you're first arriving, as there is no ticket kiosk at this stop.

A new train service now connects Turkey with the Balkans and beyond. Serbian Railways' (www.serbianrailways.com) "Bulgaria Special" departs Belgrade for Sofia daily at 8:40am, connecting with a night sleeper train that arrives in Istanbul the following morning at 8:23am. Round-trip tickets cost 88€ and 132€ for second and first class respectively; upgrades to a sleeper car cost 9.40€ and 14€ extra.

By Bus

No longer the hippie trail of 1960s folklore, international bus travel into and out of Istanbul still offers a heavy dose of nostalgia, if not an equal amount of exhaustion and backache. Direct daily service into (and out of) Istanbul's main otogar (www.otogaristanbul.com) is provided by a number of bus companies from cities in Bulgaria, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania. The main bus companies are Metro (www.metroturizm.com.tr), Derya Tur (www.deryatur.com.tr), Drina Trans (www.drinatrans.com), Morava (www.morava.net), Öz Varol (www.ozvarolturizm.com), and Vardar Turizm (www.vardarturizm.com.tr), among others.

By Boat

Options for arriving into Istanbul by sea are limited. Serving the Black Sea, Ukrferry (www.ukrferry.com) runs a weekly ferry departing Odessa, Ukraine, on Monday; arriving Istanbul on Wednesday. Istanbul's municipal ferry company, Istanbul Deniz Otobüsleri (IDO; www.ido.com.tr), operates fast ferries and sea buses from Bandirma, Bursa (actually, Güzelyali), and Yalova (all on the south coast of the Marmara Sea), as well as from the Marmara and Avca islands. All of these ferries arrive into Istanbul's Yenikapi ferry terminal. The privately owned consortium now running the defunct Turkish Maritime Lines -- now Denizline (tel. 0212/444-3369; www.denizline.com.tr) -- operates two cruise-type ferries (pool, fitness room, disco, kids' club) between Izmir (Alsancak Ferry Terminal) and Istanbul (Sarayburnu docks, adjacent to Eminönü) departing four times per week at 5:30pm, arriving the following morning at 8:30am.

A number of ferries plying the Mediterranean arrive at ports in Turkey, but then it's up to you to get from the port to Istanbul. Marmara Lines (tel. 010/573-1805 in Italy; www.traghettiweb.it) operates service to Çesme (1 hr. west of Izmir, along Turkey's Aegean) from Ancona and Brindisi, in Italy, between March and November. Also in summer, ferries provide service between Sochi (www.seaport-sochi.ru) on the Russian coast of the Black Sea, and Trabzon, in Turkey. You can also take a puddle jumper from the Greek Islands of Chios (to Çesme), Kos (to Bodrum), and Rhodes (to Bodrum and Marmaris).

Tips for Travelers with Disabilities

Almost every hotel with an elevator has at least one handicapped-accessible room, although five-star hotels are more apt to cover all bases like grip handles and lower sinks. Although ramps have begun to appear at Turkish brick-and-mortar museums, don't expect seamless access. (The crumbling ruins of outdoor archaeological sites are another story altogether; confirm with your travel agent that your needs will be accommodated.) However, Turkish hospitality being what it is, it'll be the odd tour guide or group leader who won't bend over backward to accommodate your individual needs.

Tips for Senior Travelers

Always mention the fact that you're a senior when you first make your travel reservations. For example, many hotels offer senior discounts. Don't be shy about asking for discounts, but always carry some kind of identification, such as your passport, that shows your date of birth.

Once arrived, the rules get a little fuzzy. Senior discounts (for those 65 and older) are offered at state-run museums but are generally available only to Turkish citizens and E.U. residents. Some of Turkey's domestic airlines offer senior discounts for domestic flights (available to all seniors), so remember to ask when making a booking.

Calendar of Events

Islam follows the lunar calendar, which is shorter than the Gregorian calendar by 11 days. The result is that Muslim religious holidays fall on different dates each year.

For an exhaustive list of events beyond those listed here, check http://events.frommers.com, where you'll find a searchable, up-to-the-minute roster of what's happening in cities all over the world.

April

Eastern Orthodox Easter Sunday. If Istanbul was the birthplace of Eastern Orthodox Christianity (simply known as Christianity, in the day), then the Greek Patriarchate of Istanbul represents the bulls-eye for observance of the holiest day in Christendom, Eastern style. Mass is celebrated annually, led by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, with prayers and candlelight. April 24, 2011; April 15, 2012. tel. 0212/531-9670; www.ecupatriarchate.org.

International Istanbul Film Festival, Istanbul. This festival lasts 2 weeks, from the last Saturday of March to mid-April, offering movie buffs the rare opportunity to view Turkish movies with English subtitles. For schedules and tickets, contact travel agencies in Istanbul or the festival itself (tel. 0212/334-0700; www.iksv.org). Early April.

Presidential Cycling Tour, Istanbul. Turkey's Presidential Cycling Tour is an eight-stage, 1,212km (753-mile) version of the Tour de France beginning in Istanbul. After sprinting out of the proverbial gate in Sultanahmet Square, cyclists follow the Old City walls between Yenikapi and Eminönü before ending, to great fanfare, where they started. Second week in April. tel. 0312/310-9613; www.presidentialtourofturkey.com.

Tulip Festival, Istanbul. The tulip, widely accepted as having been exported to Holland and cultivated by appreciative Turkish 17th-century society, is celebrated annually in Istanbul. For about 2 weeks in April, city parks and roadside medians flower with a stunning variety of vibrant colors. Best viewing is in Emirgan Park, Yildiz Park, and Gülhane Park.

National Sovereignty and Children's Day, Istanbul and Ankara. This day celebrates the anniversary of the first Grand National Assembly, which met in Ankara in 1920 and was later decreed by Atatürk as Children's Day. The day is marked by parades and processions by schoolchildren. Banks and public offices are closed. April 23.

May

Hidrellez Festival. An ancient celebration of the arrival of spring feted with traditional spring foods, where wishes are attached to Nahils or "wish trees." The day is marked with ethnic music from the Balkans and culminates with acrobats jumping through fire at midnight. May 5. Ahirkapi Sok. and surrounding streets. www.hidrellez.org.

Youth & Sports Day. Atatürk arrived in Samsun on this day in 1919, which signifies the beginning of the Independence War. Students nationwide participate in athletic games, gymnastic events, and parades. May 19.

Fatih Festivities, Istanbul. This festival commemorates the conquest of Byzantium in 1453 by Sultan Fatih Mehmet with local celebrations. May 29.

June

International Istanbul Music Festival. This world-class festival features big names in classical, opera, and ballet. Past artists have included La Scala Philharmonic, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Tokyo String Quartet, Itzhak Perlman, Idil Biret, and Burhan Öçal. For schedules and tickets, contact the Istanbul Foundation for Culture & Arts (tel. 0212/293-3133; www.iksv.org). Mid-June to mid-July.

Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Tournaments, Edirne and in villages around the country. This revered national sport involves the fittest of Turkish youth and astonishing amounts of olive oil to prevent the opponent from getting a good grip. The event is usually accompanied by a colorful market and fair. Late June to early July.

July

International Jazz Festival, Istanbul. Performances are held at various locations around the city. For schedules, dates, and tickets, contact the Istanbul Foundation for Culture & Arts (tel. 0212/293-3133; www.iksv.org).

August

Zafer Bayrami (Victory Day). This national holiday commemorates the decisive victory over the invading Greek armies during the War of Independence in 1922. Parades run through the main streets, and if you go soon, you may still brush elbows with some surviving vets. August 30.

September

International Istanbul Biennial. The Istanbul Foundation for Culture & Arts (www.iksv.org) puts on this major visual-arts event organized around a current political or philosophical theme. Artists are selected from over 45 countries, whose innovative exhibitions are displayed around town, in clever venues such as 500-year-old warehouses, deconsecrated churches and synagogues, and even commuter ferries. Mid-September to early November 2011.

Seker Bayrami (or Ramadan Barami). This is the 3-day celebration punctuating the end of Ramadan. Presents and sweets are given to the children (seker means sugar in Turkish), and the Turkish Delight industry makes a killing. September 9 to September 11, 2010; August 30 to September 1, 2011.

October

Akbank Jazz Festival. This 2-week-long festival brings the blues simultaneously to Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir. Now in its 17th season, the festival hosts world-renowned performers in the cities' most atmospheric venues (tel. 0212/252-3500; www.akbanksanat.com). Last 2 weeks in October.

Cumhuriyet Bayrami (Republic Day). This event celebrates the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923. Parades, public speeches, and fireworks displays are just a few of the organized events, but individual Turkish families do their own celebrating as well. October 29.

November

Anniversary of Atatürk's Death. Turkey comes to a grinding halt at exactly 9:05am, when the population pays its respects to the father and founder of the Republic. Rather than a moment of silence, the streets and waterways echo with the blare of car horns and foghorns. Atatürk-related activities are planned for the day, such as conferences, speeches, and exhibitions, in addition to a memorial concert at the Atatürk Cultural Center. November 10.

Efes Pilsen Blues Festival. In its 20th year as of 2010, this touring blues extravaganza transports Turks to America's deep South -- at least in spirit -- by way of performers that in past years have included John Lee Hooker, Bernard Allison, John Primer, Adolphus Bell, and Luther Johnson. Shows are scheduled for Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bursa, Çanakkale, Kayseri, Denizli, and Konya, in addition to a number of other cities. First week of November through second week of December. tel. 216/444-3337; www.efesblues.com.

December

Kurban Bayrami. In the Koranic version of an old favorite, it was Abraham's son Ismael, not Isaac, who was spared the knife. Kurban Bayrami celebrates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, with 4 days of feasting and a death sentence to an alarming number of sheep, the likes of which one only sees around Thanksgiving. In fact, the 4-day festival of sacrifice is the culmination of the Hajj (holy pilgrimage), and much of the meat is given to the poor. November 16 to November 19, 2010; November 6 to November 9, 2011.

Contemporary Istanbul Art Festival. The Financial Times has predicted Istanbul to be the next major emerging market in art, providing momentum to Istanbul as a new art destination. The festival, now in its fifth year, hosts individual artists, international and Turkey-based galleries, and collectors for 4 days in early December. tel. 0212/244-7171; www.contemporaryistanbul.com.

Sustainable Travel & Ecotourism

One of the things that continually amazes me about Turkey is its ability to leapfrog over many of the challenges that traditionally the "West" has had to grapple with. Turkey seems to be a caldron of budding (and more recently, established) entrepreneurship, and all things organic, natural, vegetarian, healthy, and environmentally sound are being incorporated into the way hotels and restaurants do business. Indeed, Istanbul's iconic building, the Atatürk Cultural Center, is undergoing a massive modernization project that will make it a model for environmentally friendly restoration projects.

Elsewhere in Istanbul and around the countryside -- even in the heartland where "natural" is assumed -- organic is the new buzzword, and establishments that are thinking about these issues are certainly letting the public know. One standout is the Five Boutique Hotel, the first entirely organic hotel in Turkey.

Istanbul has two organic outdoor markets, the Ekolojik Halk Pazari in Sisli, which was started in 2008 by the environmental group Bugday (www.bugday.org) and City Farm in the Istinye Park shopping center (a noticeably higher-income area). The new Macrocenter grocery store brings all things wholesome under one roof with, at last count, nine locations in Istanbul alone. In addition, Istanbul now has dozens of specialized grocers, shops selling all-natural products, and eateries serving only "whole" foods. For chemical-free produce at open markets, look for fruit and vegetables designated as bahçemden ("from my garden").

Many of Turkey's vehicles still run on diesel fuel, although kürsünsüz (unleaded) is also pervasive. The newer green city buses are also considered ekolojik, while the new hybrid Metrobuses reduce both energy consumption and travel time in Istanbul.

Throughout this guide, I've tried to highlight establishments with practices that are good for the planet.

Escorted & Package Tours

Frommer's Favorite Local Tour Company -- Using a local travel agent can make anybody a bit skittish, but expert in Turkey, and particularly Istanbul, is the English-proficient Credo Tours (tel. 0212/254-8175; fax 0212/237-9670; www.credo.com.tr), specializing in creating private jaunts or theme tours on special request.

Culinary Travel

Only a true foodie can appreciate the rewards of planning a vacation with a special emphasis on the eating habits of a country. In Turkey, where much of the language and expressions refer back to the kitchen, there's no better way to get to the heart of this culture. Cooking classes have become so much in vogue these days that it seems that everyone is offering one. The Istanbul Culinary Institute, Mesrutiyet Cad. 59, Tepebasi (tel. 0212/251-2214; www.istanbulculinary.com), offers professional and amateur programs, as well as short, 1-day crash courses in techniques (cutting, stocks, or sauces), Ottoman cuisine (meat dishes with fruit, for example), or in Turkish basics (rice, böreks, and mantis). There are also monthly gastronomic walking tours where groups of at least four people get a crash course in street food. One such tour stumbles over to the Kumkapi wholesale fish market at 4am! Tours cost about 100TL per person; custom tours are available for 200TL per person. Turkish Flavours, Vali Konak Cad. Ugur Apt. 14/3, Nisantasi (tel. 0532/218-0653; www.turkishflavours.com), takes this culinary concept into private homes in Istanbul and on the road through private food-focused Istanbul day excursions and tailor-made itineraries into the heart of Anatolia. All tours get to the heart of the Turkish culture through market excursions, home cooking, and even wine tastings.

Tips for Women Travelers

Bait & Switch -- It's hard to believe, but in the major tourist areas of Turkey, particularly in the streets of Sultanahmet, an entire industry thrives on the acquisition and manipulation of emotions for economic gain. Foreign women, receptive, even eager for new and exotic experiences, are just ripe for the picking. Although less than attractive ones are particularly vulnerable, any single girl with cash in the bank and foreign nationality is a target.

Sultanahmet is filled with professional "gigolos" practiced in the art of courtship and persuasion. The better ones come armed with scripts; the statements "You foreigners don't know how to trust anyone!" and "You foreigners think that we (Turks) are all thieves and barbarians" effectively disarm even the most remotely liberal.

Inevitably the topic of how bad things are economically will be carefully broached: how he can't pay his bills, how worried he is over his debts, and how any moment the authorities will repossess his furniture. Some invent elaborate stories of woe; and before you know it, the woman is offering -- no, insisting -- that he accept her help.

Some seducers even take this kind of behavior to its limits by pursuing the game as far as the wedding contract. But the most deplorable of the lot have been known to forge the marriage certificate with the assistance of those in the neighborhood even less scrupulous than themselves.

But this kind of behavior doesn't represent all of Turkey, and overall women traveling alone in Turkey are treated with an almost exaggerated courtesy. In some cases, a woman will be in a better position to experience the openness of the Turkish people than if traveling en masse. With all of this warmth and hospitality, it's difficult to know how to temper one's instincts toward friendliness without affirming the general opinion among the more conservative class of Turks that all Western women are prostitutes. Even an innocent greeting or seemingly harmless camaraderie can be misinterpreted, so it's important to find a balance between polite formality and the openness that North American, European, and Australian women find so normal.

Dining -- Practically speaking, no matter how modern the country may seem on the surface, don't be surprised if you're the only female in a restaurant. Eateries often have an aile salonu (family salon), an unintimidating dining area provided for men, women, couples, and anyone else not wishing to dine among groups of smoking, drinking, mustached Turks.

Health & Safety

Staying Healthy

No particular health concerns are associated with travel to Istanbul. For information and updates on any epidemics or pandemics (such as Avian Influenza or the H1N1), visit the websites of the World Health Organization (www.who.int), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (http://ecdc.europa.eu), or the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov).

General Availability of Healthcare -- Any veteran traveler never leaves home without a basic health kit tailored to his or her particular needs. Generally, these should include diarrheal medicine such as Imodium, aspirin, ibuprofen, sunscreen, insect repellent, and sanitary products. While it is imperative to pack prescriptions that you need (insulin, cholesterol-lowering meds, and others), many are widely available in pharmacies (called eczane) in Turkey, sold by the brand name at prices often lower than at home. If you suffer from a chronic illness, consult your doctor before your departure. Pack prescription medications in your carry-on luggage, and carry them in their original containers, with pharmacy labels -- otherwise they won't make it through airport security.

What to Do If You Get Sick Away from Home -- Any local consulate can provide a list of area doctors who speak English. If you do get sick, you may want to ask the concierge at your hotel to recommend a local doctor, even his or her own. This will probably yield a better recommendation than any information number would. In fact, ask anybody on the street and he/she will likely accompany you to the doctor. Also, local doctors advertise their services through discreet signs near their offices, and most speak English.

Common Ailments

Dietary Red Flags -- Food poisoning and diarrhea are probably the most prevalent illnesses associated with travel to Turkey. Although water from the tap is chlorinated and generally safe to drink, even the locals drink bottled water. Avoid nonpasteurized dairy products and shellfish during the hot summer months, and maintain a healthy suspicion of street vendors. In the event that you become ill, drink plenty of (bottled) water and remember that diarrhea usually dissipates on its own. Pepto Bismol (bismuth subsalicylate) can often prevent symptoms, but if the problem becomes truly inconvenient, pharmacists are generally sympathetic and bilingual, and will be able to provide an effective remedy. (Ercefuryl works wonders.)

Bugs, Bites & Other Wildlife Concerns -- Rabies is endemic in parts of Turkey, and joggers have been known to be bitten by infected strays out in the heartland. But this is extremely rare. Best to stay away from animals altogether, advice that, given the sweet temperaments of the street dogs and cats, I myself am incapable of following. If you're concerned, consult your doctor for pre-exposure immunization.

Tropical Illnesses -- Although the persistence and tenacity of Turkish mosquitoes might cause you to suffer, it is unlikely that malaria will. Keep in mind that you're more likely to catch deadly mosquito-borne diseases in your own backyard than abroad. If you are experiencing symptoms, seek prompt medical attention while traveling as well as for up to 3 years after your return. Don't forget to pack a proven insect repellent (especially for those nights lounging outdoors in a tea garden or spent on the rooftops of Istanbul).

Safety

Newbie Western travelers to Turkey are often plagued by worries over safety: It is a Muslim country, after all, and there is a war going on nearby, right? Well, not actually. While Turkey's population is mostly Muslim, I'm sure I don't need to remind you that all Muslims aren't terrorists, do I? Tsk tsk, if I do. Indeed, I guarantee that one of the first impressions that will overwhelm you upon arriving in Turkey is its complete and utter "normalcy."

Second, there's a war going on, right? Sure, but it's 1,600km (1,000 miles) away as the crow flies. And as we've all so regrettably learned, distance doesn't contain conflict, and the violence in Iraq menaces us all just as much in London, Toronto, and New York as it does in Istanbul.

Okay, but what about the PKK? Sigh. Radicals committed to violence (in this case, right-wing Kurdish nationalists) are attacking Turkish soldiers in the southeast of the country. Infrequently, the violence erupts beyond these borders. In my opinion, such an attack targeting foreign tourists would be a strategic mistake; still, it might be a good idea to check in with your appropriate travel advisories. In Australia log onto www.smartraveller.gov.au; in Canada www.voyage.gc.ca; in New Zealand safetravel.govt.nz; in the U.K. www.fco.gov.uk; in the U.S. http://travel.state.gov/travel.

Tips for Gay and Lesbian Travelers

Although homosexuality is legal in Turkey, we're talking about a fairly conservative culture, so discretion is advisable, even if Turkish men are into more public displays of affection with each other than with their wives. Still gayness is coming more and more out of the closet in Turkey; in 2009 more than 3,000 members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community attended the Pride March in Istanbul. Same-sex couples now have a local resource in www.turkeygay.net. The site lists gay-friendly hotels and links to further resources. Istanbul Gay (www.istanbulgay.com) provides Istanbul-specific resources such as gay/lesbian guides, gay bar tours, and gay-friendly hotels. Kaos GL (www.kaosgl.com) was the first gay and lesbian magazine in Turkey; its online presence has a substantial section in English with features addressing issues affecting gays and lesbians in Turkey.

Money

Frommer's lists exact prices in the local currency. However, rates fluctuate, so before departing consult a currency-exchange website such as www.oanda.com/convert/classic to check up-to-the-minute rates.

On January 1, 2005, the Turkish Central Bank lopped six zeros off a currency that saw phenomenal inflation in the previous decade or so, making the handling of Turkish money even easier. But those were the old days. With a national economic growth rate rivaling that of China's, Turkey's economy is stronger than it's ever been. Meanwhile, those millionaire bank notes of yesteryear, which were replaced with the New Turkish Lira (yeni turk lirasi or YTL), are now officially no longer new. It's just the plain old (new) Turkish Lira (TL).

Bank notes come in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200TL, while coins, called the kurus (kr), come in 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 kurus pieces. There is also a 1TL coin.

In spite of the continued stabilization of the Turkish Lira, local prices for larger-ticket items (hotels, tours, carpets) are still generally quoted in foreign currency, usually the euro. But wishing to accommodate, local salesmen will often quote a price in your home currency. Similarly, prices listed in this guide are given in the currency in which they were provided, creating an unavoidable mishmash of prices in euros, pounds sterling, Turkish Lira, and U.S. dollars. Note that at the time of payment, however, prices are converted back to TL based on that day's rate of exchange. This may account for minor discrepancies in, say, the charge on your credit card bill vs. the amount you thought you were going to pay relevant to the price quoted on a hotel's website.

Now a word on value. Ten years ago, Istanbul was the quintessential budget destination. Then, a filling lunch of home-style Anatolian victuals cost $4, a taxi from the airport to Sultanahmet was $5, and the total admission for a visit to Topkapi Palace was $9. Now, appetizers alone start at 6TL, the same taxi ride costs the equivalent of around $15, and the total admission for Topkapi is 35TL. Far and above mere inflation, this increase represents the forces of supply and demand (where demand for Istanbul has skyrocketed) and the exponential expansion of a thriving middle class. Today, you can still have a meal for under $10, but the number of dining establishments with entrees at 30TL, 40TL, 50TL, and up are ever increasing. Put into further perspective, in 2009, while not at the top of the list, Istanbul ranked as the 38th most expensive city in Europe and 74th in the world. (Central London was 37th and 73th, respectively.)

It's always advisable to bring money in a variety of forms on a vacation: a mix of cash, credit cards, and if you insist, traveler's checks. You should also exchange enough petty cash to cover airport incidentals, tipping, and transportation to your hotel; you can easily withdraw money upon arrival at an airport ATM located in the arrivals terminal.

ATMs

For those of you willing to succumb to the endless, creative bank fees charged by credit card companies, ATMs on the Cirrus (tel. 800/424-7787; www.mastercard.com) and PLUS (tel. 800/843-7587; www.visa.com) networks are widely available in Istanbul. Among the most reliable of the local banks are Akbank, Türk Is Bankasi, Garanti Bankasi, Yapi Kredi Bankasi, and Ziraat Bankasi. Ask your bank whether you need a new personal identification number (PIN), as most ATMs in Turkey accept numbered passwords only, and some limit their input to four digits. Also, be aware that the ATMs are often fickle or empty, so always carry around alternatives in the form of cash or traveler's checks for emergencies.

Credit Cards & Debit Cards

Private bank accounts are not the only method where banks have been creative with mining additional fees. Purchases on credit card accounts are now also subject to a percentage fee, usually around 5%. In an annoying twist, these very same credit cards offer some of the more competitive exchange rates. It's up to you to do the math, though. Nevertheless, it's highly recommended that you travel with at least one major credit card. You must have a credit card to rent a car, and hotels and airlines usually require a credit card imprint as a deposit against expenses. Most establishments accept American Express, MasterCard, and Visa. Debit cards are also a commonly acceptable form of payment in most establishments.

Traveler's Checks

In Turkey, as in many other European countries, local merchants are loath to accept traveler's checks, as banks charge large fees to cash them out. Banks tend to charge high commissions or hide the commission in higher rates, as do the exchange offices around town. Hotels are most amenable to exchanging your traveler's checks, but hotel exchange rates are notoriously unfavorable. The post office (PTT) will probably be your best bet for exchanging them for cash.

What Things Cost in Istanbul

Taxi from airport to Sultanahmet 22TL

Havas bus from airport to Taksim 10TL

Double at Çiragan Palace with sea view 670€-1,350€

Double at the Apricot Hotel 79€-99€

Dinner for one at the Four Seasons 75TL

Dinner for one at a köfte joint around town 15TL

Bosphorus cruise (round-trip) 20TL

Commuter ferry up the Bosphorus 1.50TL

Ticket on bus, tram, or metro 2TL

Admission to Topkapi Palace (all exhibits) 35TL

Taxi from Sultanahmet to Taksim (no traffic) 10TL

Cappuccino at a European cafe 7TL

Glass of tea at a tea garden 2TL

Glass of tea in a carpet shop Free

Getting Around

We'll Tell You Where to Go -- Not sure how to get where you're going? The transport arm of the Istanbul municipality operates a great website, www.iett.gov.tr, where you can find all the routes for the whole range of transport options. You can also plug in your starting point to find out which public transport options stop there. Just click on the "How can I GO There?" icon on the bottom right of the main page (English).

By Car

With traffic getting denser and more aggravating on an hourly basis, having a car in Istanbul is the surest method for going nowhere. In the rare event that traffic moves smoothly, do you really think you know where you're going? Can you read signs in Turkish? Do you know what a "Cevreyolu" is? And once you get there, where are you going to park? If you do decide to disregard better judgment and good counsel (and the fact that traffic-related enforcement in general in Turkey has become rather unforgiving, given the potential revenues), or if you're only planning to pick up the car and drive out, here's some basic information:

The major car-rental companies in Istanbul are Avis (www.avis.com), Sixt (www.e-sixt.com), Hertz (www.hertz.com), National (www.nationalcar.com), Budget (www.budget.com), and Alamo (www.alamo.com). All have desks at Atatürk International Airport, as well as at locations in town. Meanwhile, Hertz and Decar (www.decar.com.tr) have desks in the international terminal at Sabiha Gökçen Airport, while Avis has one in the domestic terminal. Check your national website for deals; at press time, the price for a manual-transmission compact car was 60TL per day.

By Taxi

Taxis are plentiful in Istanbul and are more likely to hail you than vice versa. Avoid taxis that congregate around the main tourist spots such as Topkapi Palace, Ayasofya, and at the cruise-ship landing in Karaköy -- these are the ones adept at performing a bait-and-switch with large bank notes or taking meandering routes. Better to have your hotel call a cab for you, the agreement being that the hotel will continue giving the taxi company business only as long as the drivers remain aboveboard (granted, not a fool-proof system). Similarly, when out and about, pop into the nearest hotel and have the receptionist call a taxi for you.

Istanbul taxis no longer have separate rates for daytime and nighttime, a system which saw a 50% increase in fares between midnight and 6am. Instead, the starting rate for a taxi ride has increased from 2TL to 2.50TL. A taxi from Sultanahmet to Taksim will cost between 12TL and 16TL, depending on traffic and distance.

Don't Let Taxi Drivers Take You for a Ride -- There is a certain amount of control you give up when entering a taxi in a strange city. Your safest bet is to have your hotel concierge phone for the taxi instead of you flagging it down. (In Istanbul, under no circumstances should you hire a taxi off the street in front of the Ayasofya.) Some hotels and taxi companies have agreements that award the company repeat business in exchange for honesty and accountability at no extra charge to the passenger. Still, the risk that absolute ignorance of a location will be rewarded with a circuitous route is fairly high. A preemptive approach is always good: Get the approximate taxi fare from your hotel before you get in the car. But even once you're seated, there are still a few things to look out for to avoid being scammed.

Check to see that the meter is running. Beware of the "bait-and-switch" routine, whereby the driver takes your 10TL bank note (worth about $8.70 or £3.80) and accuses you of having given him a 1TL note. You can avoid this by holding onto the bank note until you've received your change. Also, note that 1TL notes are blue-toned and 10TL notes are orange.

For longer distances or drives outside of the city limits, taxis usually have a list of set rates. Be sure you've discussed these in advance, as you may be able to negotiate a discount (though it's doubtful). A final word: Don't get into a cab expecting bad things to happen. Just be a smart customer.

By Public Transportation

Transportation in Istanbul has come a long way since its earlier disjointed days, and improvements are being advanced at a hearty pace. While certainly not a seamless system, the network of buses, minibuses, funiculars, ferries, catamarans, subways, trains, trams, and trolley cars will certainly get you where you're going, but you may have to take all of them to get there.

The full fare for a one-way ride, without a transfer, on the bus, tramway, historic trolley, funicular to Taksim, metro, and most of the commuter ferry crossings costs 2TL (the Tünel costs 1TL). Unless you purchase a transit pass, you will have to pay the individual fare again each time you transfer lines or modes of transport. For the purpose of consistency, all prices for transportation are listed here at the pay-per-ride fare.

The metro is still a work in progress. The metro line north of Taksim has been extended. The completed Sishane metro stop will eventually be connected to the massively ambitious Marmaray project, optimistically expected to be completed around 2011. Once complete, the section of the commuter rail between Yenikapi and Sirkeci will close.

Transport Made Easy with a Transit Pass -- The entire metropolitan transport system accepts jetons (tokens) or one of a number of transit passes currently available. If you rely entirely on the jetons, you'll be forced to insert one at every transfer point, whereas use of a transit card gets you discounts for transfers. Currently there are three types of transit cards: the Akbil, the Besibiryerde, and the Istanbulkart, all with a built-in discount of 10% off the full token (or jeton) fare. Until recently, the Akbil (meaning "smart ticket") was the only transit pass offering the convenience and savings of a transit pass to commuters. The Akbil is a prepaid plastic key-chain contraption with a refillable metal "button" that connects with a receptacle in the turnstile to deduct the fare. All transfers are free for travel within a 45-minute period. For an initial deposit of 6TL (keep your receipt so that you can get your deposit back before you leave), you can add money and top it off at will. And better still, one Akbil can be used by multiple travelers in a group. Meanwhile, true to its name, the Besibiryerde ("five-in-one") is good for five rides. The newer credit card-size Istanbulkart, which operates via radio frequency, was introduced in March 2009 and is designed to eventually replace the Akbil. Both are rechargeable at vending/refilling machines located in all metro stations, at major bus and tramway hubs, and at the ferry docks. Machines accept both Turkish lira and major credit cards.

The Bus -- Metropolitan buses in Istanbul are frequent, comprehensive, economical, and easy -- if you know your way around. While there is no bus map, the destination of an individual bus line is now clearly marked at the bus stop (usually your typical glass shelter with a metal bench). Plaques at the bus stop provide a list of the stops along the route. The bus's final destination is also indicated above the front windshield, with a selection of major stops listed on the side of the bus next to the entrance (admittedly, not much help if you aren't familiar with the basic layout of the city).  You can also do some advance planning via the IETT website (www.iett.gov.tr), which has an interactive map and line-stop assistance. Still, always check with the driver before getting on to make sure the bus is going in the direction you need; and once boarded, frequently ask your neighbor when to get off. Some of the most useful major hubs are at Eminönü, Taksim, and Besiktas. Tickets are sold at the major hubs or on the bus -- if your bus doesn't have a "cashier" on board, there's an informal system whereby you can pay the driver, who will in turn hand you his own personal Akbil to use (this earns the driver about .05TL per cash-paying customer). Buses run, roughly, from 6 or 6:30am until around 11pm or midnight.

The Dolmus -- Dolmus are yellow minivans that operate like group taxis with set routes. A relatively informal system, dolmus run daily from early morning to early evening. A dolmus will leave its terminus (marked with a blue "D") only when it fills up (the word dolmus means "stuffed") and then pick up and drop off passengers along the route. The main dolmus stands are located in Taksim (at Taksim Caddesi and Tarlabasi Caddesi, near the flower sellers), Sirkeci, and Aksaray, and connect to points all over the city. Dolmus are often more direct than metropolitan buses and cheaper than taxis, cutting down on time and leaving more money in your pocket. Look for a dolumus with the name of your destination displayed in the window. When boarding, tell the driver your destination and ask how much it will be (ne kadar?). For shorter distances, 3TL to 5TL should cover it. The driver will drop you off at your destination, but if you want to get off sooner, say "inecek var" (this is my stop) or "inmek istiyorum, lütfen," the short version of "I want to get off" with a "please" stuck on the end.

The Tramway -- When the tram from Eminönü to Zeytinburnu was built and inaugurated in 1991, the planners had overlooked one very important detail: money collection. Passengers rode for free for 1 year while the system installed booths and printed tickets. The system has grown up quite a bit since then; the city recently extended the tramway from Eminönü all the way to Kabatas (just below Dolmabahçe Palace); there's also an underground funicular that hoists passengers up the hill from Kabatas to Taksim in just 110 seconds for 2TL. A ticket booth at the turnstile entrance dispenses jetons or Akbil refills. This collective service cuts trips between Taksim and Sultanahmet to around 15 minutes (with transfers), while destinations in-between (Eminönü, for the Egyptian Spice Bazaar; Çemberlitas or Beyazit for the Grand Bazaar; Tophane for the Istanbul Modern) are just a token away. By the time you read this, the tramway will most likely be extended from Kabatas north along the Bosphorus; the plan is to add stations at Dolmabahçe, Besiktas, Sisli, and points north and northwest all the way to Mahmutbey. Token (jeton) booths are located at the entrance to the turnstiles; Akbils can be purchased/refilled at selected stops, including Sultanahmet, Eminönü, and Taksim, as well as in any metro station. Hours of operation are from 6am until about midnight.

The Historic Trolley -- Just when you feel your feet are ready to fall off, you hear the jingle of the lifesaving streetcar. The "Nostalgic Tramway" now plies fresh tracks on newly laid cobblestones along Istiklal Caddesi. As with most public-transportation options, you can pay with cash or with the Akbil. The trolley runs daily from 7am to 11pm and makes three intermediary stops at Hüseyn Aga Camii, at Galatasaray High School/Flower-Fish Market, and in Beyoglu at Nutru Sokak (in front of the Turkiye Is Merkezi).

The Funicular -- The subway known as Tünel connects the sea-level neighborhood of Karaköy near the Galata Bridge with the lofty neighborhood of Beyoglu at the southern end of Istiklal Caddesi. Tünel trains run Monday through Saturday from 7am to 9pm and Sunday from 7:30am to 9pm. The cost is 1TL.

A second funicular was completed in 2006, providing a much-needed lift to those down at the docks of Kabatas (near Dolmabahçe Palace) up the very steep hill to Taksim.

The Metro/Underground -- Istanbul's modern underground is growing at a fast clip, currently connecting the new Sishane stop (located beneath Mesrutiyet Caddesi), just steps from Tünel, with (as of this writing) the Atatürk Oto Sanayi, passing through Taksim, Osmanbey (walking distance from Nisantasi), Sisli/Mecediyeköy (commercial center), Gayrettepe (even more commerce), Levent (guess what, business plus the Kanyon and Metrocity shopping malls), Sanayi, and Maslak (Turkey's equivalent of Wall St.). The metro is open from around 6:30am until midnight. You can buy jetons at the ticket window outside the turnstile; or, if you're using the Akbil, just plug it into the turnstile receptacle.

The metro extension connecting the airport to town is now complete, providing access at Yesilköy (just outside the airport; you'll need two jetons) to Aksaray via a roundabout route by way of the otogar (bus station). If your destination is Sultanahmet, exit the metro at Zeytinburnu, transfer to the tramway (by paying the fare again), and hop on any train marked EMINÖNÜ.

The Ferry & Sea Bus -- All inner- and intercity sea transport is operated by the Istanbul Deniz Otobüsleri (IDO; tel. 0212/444-4436; www.ido.com.tr). The IDO fleet includes, in order of increasing speed: conventional ferries (read: slow, both passenger-only and car); the dubiously named "fast" ferries with a speed of 35kmph (22 mph); sea buses (passenger-only catamarans with speeds ranging from 40-53kmph/25-33 mph), and fast catamarans (up to 59kmph/37 mph). Generally speaking, fast ferries serve the southern Marmara Sea ports. Some of the more useful inner-city connections are on the commuter ferries, shuttling passengers between Kadiköy and Haydarpasa; Kadiköy and Eminönü; Kadiköy and Kabatas; Kadiköy and Besiktas, and on the passenger-only commuter sea buses, which ply the Bosphorus and the Marmara Sea (Yenikapi on the European side, Kadiköy and Bostanci on the Asian side, and the Princes' Islands). Smaller, more scenic boats take a more tourist-friendly leisurely pace up the Bosphorus, and a commuter boat plies the route from Üsküdar, through Karaköy and Eminönü, to Eyüp. Sample fares for public ferries are 1.50TL for the shorter points within Greater Istanbul and 3TL for the slow ferry to the Princes' Islands and are payable via the Akbil or token. Online booking is available for fast ferries and intercity sea bus lines only.

The scenic ferry that takes the time-honored cruise up the Bosphorus leaves from Eminönü, making stops at Besiktas (near Dolmabahçe Palace and the Çiragan Palace) on its crisscross pattern up the channel to Kanlica, Yeniköy, Sariyer, Rumeli Kavagi, and Anadolu Kavag[ag]i (13TL one-way or 20TL round-trip; 90 min. each way). The ferry from Eminönü departs daily, year-round, at 10:35am, returning from its final stop at Anadolu Kavagi at 3pm. An additional noon and 1:35pm departure operates from mid-April through November or December with a return departure at 4:15pm (additional return departures on weekdays; confirm times, as they may change). On Saturday nights from July 1 to mid-August, IDO also operates a moonlit Bosphorus cruise (20TL round-trip) departing Bostanci and making stops in Moda, Eski Kadiköy, Eminönü, Üsküdar, Besiktas, Ortaköy, Çengelköy, Rumeli Kavagi, and Anadolu Kavagi. The cruise departs at 6:10pm arriving at Anadolu Kavagi at 8:50pm; the return departure is at 10pm, arriving Bostanci at 12:35am.

If you're interested in traveling by car to cities along the Marmara region (for example, Bursa or Çanakkale), the easiest and quickest way is to take an IDO car ferry or sea bus from Yenikapi to Güzelyali or Mudanya (for Bursa) or Bandirma (for Çanakkale and the Northern Aegean). The trip takes 75 minutes and 1 hour, 45 minutes respectively.

For points farther south (Izmir, Bergama, Kusadasi, Ephesus/Selçuk, or Bodrum), you may want to cruise with Denizline (tel. 0212/444-3369; www.denizline.com.tr) on the company's overnight ferry from Istanbul to Izmir.

Staying Connected

Telephones

To call Istanbul from abroad:

1. Dial the international access code: 011 from the U.S. and Canada; 00 from the U.K., Ireland, or New Zealand; or 0011 from Australia.

2. Dial the country code: 90.

3. Dial the city code 212 for the European side and 216 for the Asian side and then the number. If the number you are trying to dial is a mobile number (beginning instead with 555, 542, or 532 and their derivatives), use this number instead of the city code.

To make international calls from Istanbul: First dial 00 and then the country code (Australia 61, U.S. or Canada 1, Ireland 353, New Zealand 64, U.K. 44). Next you dial the area code and number. For example, if you wanted to call the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., you would dial 00-1-202-588-7800.

To make local calls while in town: In order to call the Asian side from the European side, you must dial 0216 and then the number. For calls to the same side, dial the city code but not the 0. To call outside of Istanbul but within Turkey, you must dial the 0 followed by the area code and seven-digit number.

For directory assistance: Dial tel. 115 (in Turkish) if you're looking for a number inside Istanbul. Unfortunately, there is no international directory.

For operator assistance: If you need operator assistance in making a call, dial tel. 115 if you're trying to make an international call and tel. 131 (in Turkish) if you want to call a number in Turkey.

Toll-free numbers: Numbers beginning with 0800 within Turkey are toll-free, but calling a toll-free number in another country from Turkey costs the same as an overseas call.

National numbers: More and more prevalent is the local 444 number (no area code). These numbers connect you to service call centers for national businesses for the cost of a local call.

Cellphones

The three letters that define much of the world's wireless capabilities are GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), a big, seamless network that makes for easy cross-border cellphone use throughout Europe and dozens of other countries worldwide. In the U.S., T-Mobile and AT&T use this quasi-universal system; in Canada, Microcell and some Rogers customers are GSM, and all Europeans and most Australians use GSM. GSM phones function with a removable plastic SIM card, encoded with your phone number and account information. If your cellphone is on a GSM system and you have a world-capable multiband phone such as many Sony Ericsson, Motorola, or Samsung models, you can make and receive calls across developed areas around much of the globe. Just call your wireless operator and ask for "international roaming" to be activated on your account. Unfortunately, per-minute charges can be high -- usually $1 to $1.50 in western Europe and up to $5 in places such as Russia and Indonesia.

Alternatively (and particularly for those with infuriating "locked" GSM phones), you can pick up a new, low-end handset at the airport in Istanbul and load in a SIM card on one of the local networks. Both Vodafone and Avea have kiosks in the international arrivals terminal in Istanbul. A new basic Nokia phone costs 70TL and the SIM card (which gives you your phone number and network connection) costs 18TL. The SIM card comes with 150 preloaded minutes, but that's not really much so you may want to buy some additional minutes if you plan on calling or texting overseas.

Internet & E-Mail

With Your Own Computer -- It's the rare hotel, restaurant, resort, cafe, and even retailer in Turkey that doesn't offer Wi-Fi. Larger (more expensive) hotels and airports usually charge a fee for usage (varying from as little as 9TL at the airport to 30TL per day at someplace like the Ceylan Inter-Continental Hotel). To find public Wi-Fi hot spots at your destination, go to www.jiwire.com; its Hotspot Finder holds the world's largest directory of public wireless hot spots.

For dialup access, most business-class hotels throughout the world offer dataports for laptop modems, or ISDN hookups for high-speed Internet access.

Without Your Own Computer -- Almost all hotels offer Internet access via a computer in the lobby, Wi-Fi, or an in-room ISDN line free or for a nominal fee. Internet cafes are generally bunched around Taksim Square, on the upper floors of the side streets perpendicular to Istiklal Caddesi, and more sparsely along Divanyolu in the Old City.

Most major airports have Internet kiosks that provide basic Web access for a per-minute fee that's usually higher than cybercafe prices.

Voice-Over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

If you have Web access while traveling, consider a broadband-based telephone service (in technical terms, Voice over Internet protocol, or VoIP) such as Skype (www.skype.com), which allows you to make free international calls if you use their services from your laptop or in a cybercafe. You'll want to have a headset with speaker capability if you're "skyping" in a public place. Check the sites for details on restrictions.

Visitor Information

Your first stop for visitor information on Turkey should be the official tourist website of Turkey catering to your country (www.gototurkey.com.au in Australia, www.turkishembassy.com in Canada, www.gototurkey.co.uk in the U.K., and www.tourismturkey.org in the U.S.).

In addition to offices at Atatürk Airport (tel. 0212/465-3451 or 465-3151) and in Sirkeci train station (tel. 0212/511-5888), you may stumble upon an official tourist office (Turizm Ofisi) in one of the many tourist hubs around town. The location at the northeast corner of Sultanahmet Meydani near Divanyolu (tel. 0212/518-1802) is pretty handy, as are the ones in Taksim Meydani (tel. 0212/245-6876), in the Hilton Hotel Arcade (tel. 0212/233-0592), in Beyazit Meydani (near the tramway exit outside of the Grand Bazaar; tel. 0212/522-4902), and at the Karaköy Seaport (tel. 0212/249-5776). If you're out and about and encounter trouble (pickpockets, scams, muggings), stop in to the passably multilingual Tourism Police at Yerebatan Cad. 6 in Sultanahmet (tel. 0212/527-4503 or 528-5369).

The Turkish Ministry of Culture (www.kultur.gov.tr) has an excellent website that contains cultural information, events, regional resources, and current-events articles. The site also offers virtual tours of state museums, as well as notable historic Ottoman palaces, mosques, and Byzantine-era churches. The Istanbul Governorship (http://english.istanbul.gov.tr) also maintains a website with travel information specific to Istanbul. Another great site for events listings in Istanbul and Ankara as well as useful general information is www.mymerhaba.com, created by expats for expats living in Turkey.

In the U.S., the Turkish Government Tourist Office has a presence in: 821 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017 (tel. 212/687-2194); 2525 Massachusetts Ave., Ste. 306, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202/612-6800); and 5055 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 850, Los Angeles, CA 90036 (tel. 323/937-8066). At these offices, you can stock up on maps, brochures, ferry schedules to Greece, and access to practical information via an interactive computer database. Turkey also maintains consulates in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York as well as honorary consulates in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Detroit, Flowood (MS), Liberty (KS), San Francisco, and Seattle. For contact information, visit the embassy website, www.washington.emb.mfa.gov.tr.

Canadian requests go through the Washington, D.C., office. The Embassy in Canada is at 197 Wurtemburg St., Ottawa, ON K1N 8L9 (tel. 613/789-4044; fax 613/789-3442; www.turkishembassy.com). You can also call the Consular Call Center at tel. 888/566-7656.

In the U.K., contact the Turkish Culture & Tourism Office at 4th Fl., 29-30 St. James's St., London SW1A 1HB (tel. 020/7839-7778). The embassy is at 43 Belgrave Sq., London SW1X 8PA (tel. 020/7393-0202; fax 020/7393-0066; www.gototurkey.co.uk).

There are no travel offices in Australia or New Zealand. The embassy is at Canberra, 6 Moona Place, Yarralumla, ACT 2600 (tel. 02/6234-0000; fax 02/6273-4402; www.kanberra.be.mfa.gov.tr).

Fast Facts

Area Codes -- The three-digit area code for the European side of Istanbul is 212; for the Asian side, dial 216.

Business Hours -- Banks are open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to noon and 1:30 to 5pm. Government offices are open Monday through Friday 8:30am to 12:30pm and 1:30 to 5:30pm. Official hours of operation for shops are Monday through Saturday 9:30am to 1pm and 2 to 7pm, but I've yet to find a store closed at lunchtime, or a shop outside of the Grand Bazaar or the Egyptian Spice Market closed on Sundays. Museums and palaces are generally open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30am to 5 or 5:30pm, while the closing day for palaces is Tuesday, Thursday, or both. Museum opening hours are generally extended by an hour or two in summer; note that museums generally also stop selling tickets up to an hour prior to the official closing time.

Consulates & Embassies -- Australia, Ritz Carlton Residences, Askerocagi Cad. 15, Elmadag Sisli (tel. 0212/243-1333; Mon-Fri 8:30-4:45); Canada, Istiklal Cad. 189/5, Beyoglu (tel. 0212/251-9838; Mon-Fri 9:30am-12:30pm and Mon-Thurs 1:30-5:30pm); United Kingdom, Mesrutiyet Cad. 34, Tepebasi (tel. 0212/334-6400; consular section Mon-Fri 9am-12:30pm and 2-3:30pm); United States, Istinye Mah., Kaplicalar Mevkii Sok. 2, Istinye (tel. 0212/335-9000; Mon-Fri 8am-4:30pm).

Courier Services -- The post office (PTT) offers an express mail service (acele posta servisi), although you may feel safer with old reliables such as DHL (tel. 0212/444-0040), FedEx (tel. 0212/444-0606), TNT (tel. 0212/444-0868), or UPS (tel. 0212/444-0033).

Dentist -- Istanbul seems to have developed its own dental tourism niche. The Koç American Hospital in Nisantasi (tel. 0212/311-2000) and the International Hospital in Yesilyurt (tel. 0212/663-3000) can provide emergency dental services in an English-speaking atmosphere. For a list of private practitioners, log onto http://turkey.usembassy.gov/docistanbul.html.

Drinking Laws -- For a predominantly Muslim country, it might be surprising that alcohol is even sold in Turkey. The truth is, beer, wine, and the national drink raki have quite a loyal following here. Alcohol is available for purchase in restaurants, in bars, in grocery aisles, and at convenience stores. In recent years, however, the current, Islamic-leaning government has done its part by setting sky-high taxes on alcohol, and restaurants operated by the municipality run a dry operation. Theoretically you have to be at least 18 to purchase or consume it.

Drugstores & Pharmacies -- Pharmacists in Turkey are qualified to provide some medical services beyond filling prescriptions, such as administering injections, bandaging minor injuries, and suggesting medication. Local pharmacies (eczane) operate on a rotating schedule so that one is always open; each posts the address of the one whose turn it is in the window (Nöbetçi or "on night duty").

Electricity -- The standard is 220 volts, and outlets are compatible with the round European two-prong plug. You may be able to leave your hair dryer at home, as most hotel rooms come equipped with at least a weak one. Visitors from America and Canada with electronics that need to be recharged will need an adapter, a transformer, or both, depending on the appliance.

Emergencies -- Local emergency numbers are fire tel. 110, police tel. 155, and ambulance tel. 112. Emergencies may also warrant a call to Medline (tel. 0212/444-1212, 24 hr. a day), a private company equipped to deal with any medical crisis, including ambulance transfers (cost varies according to distance), lab tests, and home treatment. The International Hospital also provides ambulance services.

Gasoline (Petrol) -- The cost of petrol in Turkey is among the highest in Europe. Taxes are already included in the printed price. One U.S. gallon equals 3.8 liters or .85 imperial gallons.

Holidays -- Most shops and official offices and museums are closed on January 1, April 23 (National Independence & Children's Day), May 19 (Youth & Sports Day), August 30 (Victory Day), and October 28-29 (Republic Day). These same establishments also generally close on the first day of religious holidays. During the 30 days of Ramadan, many shops and businesses close early, while many restaurants either close down completely or offer limited menus at lunchtime.

Hospitals -- For optimal local emergency care, put yourself in the hands of one of the reputed private hospital facilities with reliable English-speaking staff: the new Koç American Hospital, Güzelbahçe Sok., Nisantasi (tel. 0212/311-2000); Metropolitan Florence Nightingale Hospital, Cemil Aslangüder Sok. 8, Gayrettepe (tel. 0212/288-3400); the International Hospital, Istanbul Cad. 82, Yesilköy (tel. 0212/663-3000); the German Hospital, Siraselviler Cad. 119, Taksim (tel. 0212/293-2150); and the Or-Ahayim Balat Hastanesi (or Balat Jewish Hospital), Demirhisar Cad. 46-48 Ayvansaray (tel. 0212/491-0000), with an on-staff international patient coordinator. Don't forget that payment is required at the time of treatment.

Insurance -- For information on traveler insurance, trip-cancellation insurance, and medical insurance while traveling, visit www.frommers.com/planning.

Language -- English, French, and German are widespread, and increasingly so are Russian, Japanese, and even Korean. For the linguistically challenged, it may not be so unusual to encounter some minor language barrier (including, surprisingly enough, in established restaurants), but the inherent willingness of the Turks to help combined with a little sign language and a lot of laughs will almost always do the trick.

Laundromats -- The Turkish word for a laundromat is çamasirhane. You can drop your soiled clothing at Popup Internet and Laundry, Evkaf Sok., Yapi Hani 5/2, Divanyolu (tel. 0212/458-1997; Mon-Sat 10am-8pm). On the other side of the Golden Horn, a couple of laundry/dry cleaners are near the Pera Palace Hotel, and there's one tucked behind the dolmus stand at the end of Ana Çesmesi Sok. (intersection of Taksim Cad.), but the prices don't warrant circumventing the hotel service.

Legal Aid -- Foreigners and tourists get the benefit of the doubt in most every run-in with the law, but some things you just can't talk your way out of. For real trouble, contact your embassy or consulate for assistance and ask for their list of private law firms catering to English-speaking foreigners.

Mail -- The PTT, hard to miss with its black and yellow signs, offers the usual postal services, in addition to selling tokens (jeton) and phone cards for the phone booths located in and around the post office and in most public places. Postcards cost 65kr to Europe and 80kr to all other continents. Rates for an international express mail letter begin at 22TL and go up to 40TL for deliveries farther afield. The PTT also has currency exchange and traveler's check services. Delivery, however, is notoriously slow, so I'd stick with one of the private carriers like UPS or DHL.

Newspapers & Magazines -- For local and national information, the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review (formerly the Turkish Daily News) gives a basic rundown of the day's headlines in print and online (www.hurriyet.com.tr) in English. The national Today's Zaman (www.zaman.com) also has a bilingual website. For local listings, the Guide Istanbul and Time Out Istanbul contain essential listings for tourists. Both are available at newsstands; the former is provided free at some hotels.

Passports -- See www.frommers.com/planning for information on how to obtain a passport.

Police -- To reach the police, dial tel. 155.

Smoking -- It's official: Smoking is banned in all public places. So what does this mean for the local saying: "Eat like a Turk, smoke like a Turk"? It roughly translates to "we don't like this new law and we're not going to take it anymore." For the most part, though, people comply, and eating, drinking, and waiting around the airport is so much more pleasant these days.

Taxes -- A flat 18% VAT (value-added tax) is incorporated into the price of almost everything you buy. This number is reduced to 8% for tourist services such as hotel tax when not already included in the room rate. A special class of items that includes cars and luxury goods is taxed at a higher rate. And illustrating how the current government frowns on un-Islamic vices such as consuming alcohol, taxes for beer, wine, raki, and spirits are as high as 40TL a liter.

Time -- All of Turkey adheres to Eastern European Time (EET), which is Greenwich Mean Time +2. For North Americans: When it is noon in New York, it is 7pm in Istanbul. Daylight saving time, when clocks are set 1 hour ahead of standard time, is in effect as Eastern European Summer Time (EEST), from 1am on the second Sunday in March to 1am on the first Sunday in November.

Tipping -- Gratuities are a way of life in Turkey and are often expected for even the most minor service. Try to keep coins or small notes handy and follow these guidelines: Give the bellhop 50kr to 1TL per bag; leave at least an additional 10% to 15% of the restaurant bill for your waiter; reward your tour guide with 10€ to 20€ for a job well done; and give the attendant in the Turkish bath 5TL before the rubdown. Shows of appreciation are also expected from your chambermaid, your barber or hairdresser, and an usher who has shown you to your seat. It is not customary in Turkey to tip the taxi driver.

Toilets -- There are two types of waste repositories in Turkey: the traditional "European" toilet and the Turkish toilet -- that dreaded porcelain latrine in the floor. Public restrooms (WC, or tuvalet) are located all around town, in addition to those in public buildings such as museums. "Toll money" in Istanbul costs about 25kr, which occasionally includes a bonus handful of toilet paper. Most modern hotels and restaurants in Istanbul have European toilets, while older establishments (including eateries, shops, and such), have albeit clean squat latrines. Many Turks and Europeans swear the Turkish toilet is hygienically superior; but having stepped in more unidentifiable liquids than I care to remember, I'm not convinced. In any case, you'll be thankful for those footrests and might even master the art of avoiding backsplash. The floor-level faucet and bucket are also for quick wash-ups (probably the reason the floor is wet); in both cases, toilet paper is for drying. Flushing the toilet paper is sometimes hazardous to the life of the plumbing, but generally when this is the case, there will be a sign above the tank requesting that you dispose of it in the nearby wastebasket. My advice? Lift your skirts high, hang on to the cuffs of your pants, and always carry tissues. As for the European toilets, most have built-in bidets. Simply locate the faucet -- usually on the wall behind you to the right of the tank.

Water -- Water is an integral part of Turkish culture; when the French were perfecting the art of camouflaging fermenting bodily odors with perfume, the sultans were basting in spring water in a sky-lit marble chamber and doted on by a handful of naked members of the harem. But the reality is that the water you bathe in is not necessarily the water you want to drink. It certainly won't kill you if you do. But take it from someone with an iron constitution -- it will definitely slow you down. Do yourself a favor: Drink bottled water and wash fruit and vegetables thoroughly before eating.

Neighborhoods in Brief

In many ways, time seems to have stood still in Istanbul, especially in the neighborhoods of the Old City. Yet, at the same time, progress in the form of transportation, technology, academics, and global engagement have set Istanbul and Turkey on a forward-moving course that makes your head spin. Still, in the contradictory spirit of this city bridging continents and cultures, many feel a reverse tug in the political and religious swing of the pendulum. One might visit Istanbul a dozen times over a lifetime, and at each visit be greeted both by a familiar scene and by an altogether unexpected paradigm.

The sprawling muddle that is Istanbul-the-city comprises nearly 260 sq. km (100 sq. miles) of layered history spread over two continents. The city of Istanbul is part of the province of Istanbul -- think New York City, inside New York State -- allowing for a bit of confusion. But seeing as how this is a city guide, we will mainly concern ourselves with the three central districts of Beyoglu, Besiktas, and Fatih, plus opportunistically throw in the highlights of the Bosphorus (both European and Asian sides).

The European and Asian sides of the city are bisected by the churning north-south artery that is the Bosphorus Straits. Strategic waterway and stuff of legends, the Bosphorus is the conduit for nations of the Black Sea into the coveted trade routes of the Mediterranean and beyond.

The European side of Istanbul is itself separated by the estuary known in English as the Golden Horn and in Turkish as the Haliç. Bordering the south of the Golden Horn is the district of Fatih, neatly cinctured by what remains of the Byzantine-era defensive walls. Fatih is entirely comprised of the Historic Peninsula (aka Old Stamboul, Old Istanbul, and Rome of the East). To the north of the Golden Horn are Beyoglu and Besiktas, a hodgepodge of ancient and modern, of historic and progressive.

So as not to confuse you with a short description of every corner of Istanbul, it's important to know that neighborhoods generally bear the name of a major landmark, such as the mosque that serves the quarter, and that neighborhood delineations are anything but clear-cut. Below is a liberal selection of areas ranging from the "must see" to "off the beaten track," but this list is by no means exhaustive.

European Side: Old Istanbul

The Historic Peninsula, home to the remnants of Classical, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman eras, sits in the modern-day district of Fatih (through 2008, this was actually two districts: Fatih and Eminönü, now merged). The neighborhoods that live within the boundaries of the ancient city walls are oriented around the famed seven hills in a nearly 22 sq. km (8 1/2 sq. miles) area. Eminönü refers to the neighborhood and transportation hub at the base of the Galata Bridge. This transport hub is where you'll find ferries to just about everywhere, a metropolitan bus and dolmus hub, the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, the Yeni Valide Camii (New Queen Mother's Mosque), and Rustem Pasa Mosque, as well as a frenetic warren of passageways and back streets that wind their way uphill through local shops to the Grand Bazaar. Just steps to the east of Eminönü's transport hub is the Sirkeci train station (final stop of the legendary Orient Express), a bustling and utilitarian hub of people with places to go. As expected, it's easy to find comparatively affordable food and lodging around this neighborhood as opposed to the more popular and adjacent neighborhood of Sultanahmet. The easternmost tip of the peninsula known as Sarayburnu or Seraglio Point (literally, palace point) is where Topkapi Palace presides over the strategic convergence of the Marmara Sea, the mouth of the Bosphorus, and the Golden Horn.

At the heart of the Old City is the neighborhood of Sultanahmet, centered around the Hippodrome -- ancient racetrack, political arena, and present-day commons. Anchoring the historic center of the city are the Blue Mosque and the Ayasofya, two massive and magnificent edifices challenging each other from opposite ends of Sultanahmet Park. Bordering Sultanahmet to the southeast is the as-of-yet still characteristically residential quarter of Cankurtaran, named for the train station at Ahirkapi Gate where the commuter rail used to stop and, for all intents and purposes, absorbed under the umbrella heading of Sultanahmet.

To the southwest of Sultanahmet along the Marmara Sea and along the ancient Sea Walls is Kadirga Limani, named for the silted ancient port beneath, and now, as real estate around Sultanahmet continues to soar, a former no-go fringe neighborhood undergoing a renaissance.

To the west of Kadirga Limani is Kumkapi, destination of the daily catch by local fishermen, location of the city's fish market, and home to a dense cluster of touristy fish restaurants.

The Old City is divided by the main avenue of Divanyolu (whose name changes to Yeniçeriler Caddesi and then Ordu Caddesi as it runs westward from the Ayasofya to the Land Walls). Paving what was formerly the ceremonial entrance to the Great Palace, Divanyolu begins (or ends, if you were the emperor) at Sultanahmet Park, running westward through the neighborhoods of Çemberlitas, former site of the Forum of Constantine and close to the Nuruosmaniye entrance to the Grand Bazaar; Beyazit, built on the ruins of the Forum of Theodosius and named for the Beyazit Mosque Complex; and Laleli. North and west of Beyazit is the neighborhood of Süleymaniye, named after the mosque complex of the same name, itself bordered to the north and west by Vefa, a residential area of old Ottoman homes in various states of restoration or dilapidation.

Back at Divanyolu (now Ordu Caddesi), the road splits just as it enters Aksaray. The tramway, which follows Divanyolu, continues along the southernmost avenue (Millet Caddesi, aka Türgüt Özal Caddesi), while the northern fork becomes the major thoroughfare of Vatan Caddesi (aka Adnan Menderes Bulvari).

The district of Fatih (which before merging with Eminönü was confined to the area of the Old City between Atatürk Bulvari and the Land Walls) takes its name from the Fatih Mosque and complex, built by and for Mehmet the Conqueror immediately after the conquest. It was constructed on the site of the Havariyun, the second-most revered Byzantine church after the Ayasofya, which was the victim of earthquakes and fire. The prominence of the district in both the Byzantine and Ottoman eras can be credited with the great number of monuments that dot this now bustling working-class conglomeration of diverse and authentic (and yes, some fundamentalist) neighborhoods.

From north to south beginning at the Golden Horn are the twin quarters of Balat and Fener, Ottoman-era enclaves where Armenian, Greek, and Jewish immigrants first settled. This combined quarter is thick with the crumbling remains of monumental Byzantine palaces, synagogues, schools, and mosques and is even the home of the Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate.

Several of the defunct Byzantine defensive gates continue to exert their influence on the surrounding neighborhoods that now bear these names: Edirnekapi, which is the gateway to the Church of Saint Savior in Chora or Kariye Camii; and Ayvansaray, which sits at the base of the Old Galata Bridge near the remains of the Blachernae Palace and sections of the land walls. To the west of Adnan Menderes Bulvari is a neighborhood that has been in the news quite a bit of late. The conglomerate of mismatched, crumbling, and colorfully painted houses on and around Sulukule Caddesi earned its renown as the oldest Roma settlement in the world -- scheduled for demolition and redevelopment. Perhaps the scheduled completion in advance of 2010 is a bit ambitious, leaving a tiny window of opportunity to see a bit of cultural history.

Fatih's southeastern-most point is the busy port of Yenikapi, departure point for sea buses to Bursa, the Marmara Islands, and the southern shores of the Marmara Sea. Yenikapi is the site of the construction of one of the metro stations for the in-progress Marmaray project, made famous by the extraordinary archaeological discoveries being made there.

Following the southern Marmara Sea shoreline is the Sahil Yolu (or the coastal road); this main thoroughfare connects the Old City with the airport and suburbs. The last neighborhood of interest as the road heads out of Fatih is Yedikule (literally, seven towers), the fortress constructed by Fatih Mehmet the Conqueror incorporating the earlier Theodosian land and sea walls. Almost no one goes to this neighborhood or museum, which is why you should go. Fewer and fewer places like this can be found in Istanbul these days.

While they are not within the district boundaries laid out above, I need to mention a few additional neighborhoods in the district of Eyüp, which straddles the northern banks of the Golden Horn. West of the estuary and north of Fatih (above Fener and Balat) is the quarter of Eyüp Sultan, named for the Prophet Mohammad's warrior companion and standard-bearer, and one of the holiest figures in Islam. Tradition holds that Eyüp Sultan was slain in battle on this hill, and the site, marked by a mosque complex and tomb, is now a point of pilgrimage for Muslims. To the east of the Golden Horn (and still Eyüp) are the industrialized sections of Sütlüce and Hasköy (to name only two). Although the eastern shores of the Golden Horn are mostly occupied with shipbuilding, some venues stand out, such as the Rahmi Koç Museum and the restored Silahtaraga Power Plant, housing the SantralIstanbul galleries.

European Side: Beyoglu, Besiktas & the Bosphorus Villages of Europe

If the Old City is the jewel of empires, then the landmass on the opposite side of the Golden Horn is its crown.

The fairly unwieldy district of Beyoglu, which also straddles the centuries, is subdivided, at least colloquially, into a mosaic of characteristic quarters, with slightly more modern layers of historic, cultural, religious, and political reference than those on the other side of the Golden Horn. This triangle of Istanbul is connected to the Old City by the Galata Bridge (at Eminönü and the opposite port of Karaköy) and via the Atatürk Bridge.

At the base of the Galata Bridge on the shore opposite Eminönü is Karaköy, a functionally messy and exhilarating transport hub worth a visit for its local eateries along with a number of significant monumental Ottoman constructions. Recent additions include the Istanbul Modern, as well as the leafy tea gardens and water-pipe cafes of Tophane. Karaköy is the modern-day designation for Galata, which today more colloquially refers to the charming cobbled hill extending up from the shoreline from the fortified area between the Atatürk and Galata bridges to the Galata Tower. Istanbul's earliest (pre-classical) settlements were found in and around Galata, today a hodgepodge of steeply sloping streets radiating from the Galata Tower. Where Karaköy and Galata merge, you'll find a wealth of architectural monuments left by the European communities that thrived here during the Ottoman period.

At the summit of Galata Hill is Tünel, which also refers to the very short and very old one-stop funicular called Tünel. To make matters worse, both the upper and lower entrances of the funicular are called Tünel; thus, to avoid confusion, I refer to the area around the upper entrance as Upper Tünel and the lower as Lower Tünel or Karaköy.

Radiating around Upper Tünel (a part of Beyoglu also referred to specifically as Beyoglu) are the turn-of-the-20th-century Belle Epoque buildings -- including a high density of foreign consulates -- of 19th-century Pera. Pera recalls a bygone era of wealth, entitlement, and gaiety. Today, strolls along the previous Grand Rue de Pera have evolved into a nightly crush of humanity walking up and down the same artery now known as Istiklal Caddesi.

Lining the slopes southeast of Istiklal Caddesi is the steep-stepped quarter of Cihangir. Alternating antiques and artistic shops can be found on and around Çukurcuma. These combined neighborhoods attract artists, diplomats, expat journalists, and just plain commuters to its streets full of quirky cafes, restaurants, bars, and antiques boutiques.

If Beyoglu is the heart and soul of modern Istanbul, then Istiklal Caddesi is its lifeline. This hectic shopping street bisects the district north from Tünel to the modern, pulsating, chaotic nucleus of the city known as Taksim Square, Istanbul's equivalent to New York's Times Square. Standing at the center is a statue of Atatürk and the founding fathers of Turkey, representing on one side the War of Independence and on the other the Republic. The Atatürk Cultural Center (Atatürk Kültür Merkezi) serves as a venue for shows, opera, ballet, concerts and the Biennial; the ugly old building (instead of being torn down, as was considered) is currently undergoing restoration, with completion scheduled for sometime in 2010. The area is yet another commuter hub, city commons, business center, and open-air food court. A concentration of full-service, high-rise hotels targeting businesspeople makes the area around Taksim a perfect place for bustle and convenience. The location is also connected to a transportation network that includes the metro, a recently restored cable car/tramway along Istiklal Caddesi, a plethora of municipal buses, and a daunting network of dolmus (minibuses).

As the city's, even the country's, center, Taksim Square and the neighborhoods on its fringe are thickly dotted with nightclubs, seedy bars, and Internet cafes, attracting the indigents and pilferers of Istanbul. The pre-gentrified neighborhood of Tarlabasi, located on the opposite side of Tarlabasi Caddesi, is home to a high density of crumbling architectural gems, but it's also where you'll find Istanbul's subculture of transvestites, criminal indigents, and prostitutes, newly displaced from the now-hip neighborhood of Çukurcuma. Steer clear for now, but watch this space, as the municipality (and real estate investors) have their sights eagerly set on this neighborhood.

The city gets increasingly more elite the farther north of Taksim you go, with trendy and upscale neighborhoods belonging to the district of Sisli then sprawling out to the business districts to the north (and east of the Bosphorus villages). Immediately to the north (and inland) of Taksim Square is the commercial area of Harbiye, which sidles up to the fashionable shopping neighborhood of Nisantasi, a pleasant cross between New York's SoHo and Madison Avenue (this is technically in the district of Sisli, but never mind). Boutiques along Tesvikiye Caddesi and the smaller side streets are stocked with high-quality merchandise in elegant settings, with major names like Mudo, Emporio Armani, Vakko, and Beyman. Sandwiched between Tesvikiye, Harbiye, and the Bosphorus is Maçka, a neighborhood of business and meeting-style hotels mostly feeding into the Lutfi Kirdar Convention Center.

Besiktas-the-district refers to the Bosphorus-front real estate above Beyoglu, made popular by a long string of sultans, pasas, and empresses who constructed European-style palaces all along the historic Straits, including the Dolmabahçe, Yildiz, and Çiragan palaces. The better hotels (Les Ottomans, the Four Seasons, W, Radisson SAS) have also of late staked their claim. Like the demoted (former district absorbed by Fatih) area of Eminönü, Besiktas is a bustling port neighborhood for shopping, living, and commuting.

To the north is the uptown village with the downtown feel -- Ortaköy, which sits at the base of the Bosphorus Bridge.

The waterfront northward becomes a picturesque chain of fishing coves transformed into bourgeois residential neighborhoods teeming with cafes and fish restaurants as far north as the Black Sea mouth of the Bosphorus. These include Kuruçesme, Arnavutköy, Bebek, Rumeli Hisari, Emirgan, Istinye, Tarabya, Sariyer, and Rumeli Kavagi. You can visit these by hopping on a local bus or sightseeing from the bow of a Bosphorus ferry.

The Asian Side

The Asian side of the Bosphorus is a sprawling collection of quiet and surprisingly Europeanized residential neighborhoods with varying degrees of historical and cultural interest. Next to private vehicles, municipal buses are the primary mode of transportation, making a casual and spontaneous jaunt over to the Asian side a less than efficient prospect. However, because of the phenomenal views from the newer hotels (which also provide complimentary boat shuttle service to the European side), Asia might actually be a reasonable place to hang your hat, particularly if it's a wedding veil.

On the northernmost shore is Anadolu Kavagi, harboring the remains of a Genoese castle refortified numerous times under the Ottoman sultans.

The sleepy fishing village of Kanlica is best known for its fabled yogurt, more so than for its two major landmarks: the Iskender Pasa Mosque, built by Sinan in the 16th century and named after the then governor of Baghdad; and the Ismail Aga Coffee House, which now dishes out more yogurt than the coffee that made it famous in 1871.

Just to the south is Anadolu Hisari, the fortress built by Beyazit I as a springboard for his siege on Istanbul. It took another 56 years for his son, Mehmet (the Conqueror), to breach the Byzantine defenses.

The tiny and enchanting village of Çengelköy owes much of its popularity to the thousand-year-old oak trees whose colossal limbs enfold themselves around the waterside cafes and restaurants clustered around the boat landing.

In the 17th century, Beylerbeyi was the location of choice for summer palaces for the elite. The crown jewel was naturally Beylerbeyi Sarayi, commanding the banks above the Bosphorus Bridge.

Where many of the Bosphorus villages of Istanbul's Asian side have developed to mirror Istanbul's decidedly European lifestyle, Üsküdar, with its numerous Ottoman-era mosques, fountains, hamams, medreses, and tombs maintains a more traditional vibe.

The bustling portside center of Kadiköy is a popular choice for day-trippers drawn to the typical cobbled walkways lined with fishmongers, neighborhood lokantas, coffee shops, antiques shops, and bookstores. On Tuesdays, the neighborhood pulls out all the stops with the very well attended Sali Pazari ("Tuesday Bazaar").

Entry Requirements & Customs

Visas

Because of the seamless ease of obtaining an entry visa on arrival, there is no need to acquire one prior to departure. The visa windows, where functionaries collect payment (in US$, £, €, or Turkish lira) are prominently located adjacent to the Customs area. Be sure to pay up (and get your visa sticker affixed to your passport) before queuing in the Customs line. An entry visa for Turkey is required for citizens of Australia (US$20 or 15€), Canada (US$60 or 45€), the U.K. (£10), and the U.S. (US$20). All of these visas are valid for 3 months and multiple entries. A valid passport is sufficient for citizens of New Zealand.

The Turkish "consulate online" at www.e-konsolosluk.net provides up-to-date, country-specific information and, although completely unnecessary, processing of visas in advance of arrival.

Customs

The Turkish government has established a list of items that may be brought into the country duty-free. In addition to personal effects, travelers are permitted one video player; one laptop computer; one portable radio/tape player; one pair of binoculars (no night vision allowed); one camera and five rolls of film; one typewriter; personal sporting equipment; necessary medical items; gifts not exceeding $300; spare car parts; and various other relatively improbable items for the average tourist. (A complete list is available through the Turkish Embassy website.) Sharp instruments and weapons may not be brought into the country without special permission (diving and camping knives included). Obviously, the importation, buying, selling, and consumption of marijuana and other narcotics is strictly forbidden. You shouldn't need to watch Midnight Express to figure that one out.

What You Can Take Home from Turkey -- For valuables purchased during your stay, be prepared to provide receipts or other proof of purchase -- particularly for that 4*6-foot prize silk Hereke -- to avoid problems with Turkish Customs when you leave and to aid in declarations in your home country. Forget about having your carpet salesman lie on the official Certificate of Origin, because the U.S. immigration police are prepared to consult their little carpet blue book if you try to slip through without paying up. Be aware that the authentic 16th-century porcelain soup tureen that you bought or those authentic ancient coins attached to your new necklace are either fake or unable to make the journey with you; it is illegal to take antiquities or anything of historical value out of the country. To enforce this, the Turkish government requires that anything dating to the end of the 19th century be authenticated by a museum official before its exportation can even be considered. It is also illegal to carry out tobacco seeds and plants, or hides, skins, or clothing made from wild animals. For items dating prior to the 20th century, permission plus a certificate of authenticity from a museum official is needed. Minerals require special documentation obtainable from the General Directorate of Mining Exploration and Research in Ankara (tel. 0312/287-3430; www.mta.gov.tr).

For information on what you're allowed to bring home, contact one of the following agencies:

Australian Citizens: Australian Customs Service at tel. 1300/363-263 or log on to www.customs.gov.au.

Canadian Citizens: Canada Border Services Agency (tel. 800/461-9999 in Canada or 204/983-3500; www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca).

New Zealand Citizens: New Zealand Customs, the Customhouse, 17-21 Whitmore St., Box 2218, Wellington (tel. 04/473-6099 or 0800/428-786; www.customs.govt.nz).

U.K. Citizens: HM Customs & Excise at tel. 0845/010-9000 (from outside the U.K., 020/8929-0152), or consult their website at www.hmce.gov.uk.

U.S. Citizens: U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP), 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20229 (tel. 877/287-8667; www.cbp.gov).

Medical Requirements

There are no severe health risks in travel to western Turkey, nor are vaccinations required. Visitors journeying to southeastern Turkey may want to consider a prophylactic treatment for malaria, particularly prior to travel near the Syrian border and between the months of May and October when transmission rates are highest. Because of globalization and the increasing ease of physical movement across borders, travelers should also ensure that their and their children's vaccinations are up to date, including measles, the incidence of which has been growing in the U.K., as well as parts of Africa.