Update: as of 7 April 2019, the new Istanbul Airport (IST) is operational and the only airport on the European side of Istanbul for commercial passenger airlines! Here you can find information on how to reach your hotel from the new Istanbul Airport. New Istanbul Airport is Istanbul’s third international airport. The grand ceremonial opening was on 29th October 2018, … [Read more...]
Advantages of Using a Travel Agent for Trip to Istanbul or Tour of Turkey
Here at Istanbul Insider I provide information, tips, and tricks for people that want to plan their Istanbul trip on their own. Typically, they will book their plane tickets and hotel online, arrange for transportation from the airport, read through most sections of Istanbul Insider as well as one of the great guide books, put together an itinerary based on their interests, and … [Read more...]
More Tips To Prevent Popular Istanbul Taxi Scams
Here are four more popular Istanbul taxi scams. You can find the first six popular Istanbul taxi scams here. This page is a bonus page for subscribers to the Istanbul Checklists Series. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do so in the sidebar. Higher Base Fee Scam -- The taxi driver just dropped off a customer after a short ride and thus a small fare. Instead of … [Read more...]
Why You Should Consider a Private Bosphorus Cruise
Two weeks ago I took a private Bosphorus cruise on the Zoe yacht. I’ve been living in Istanbul for over 10 years now, so I’m no stranger to sailing the Istanbul strait. But this Bosphorus cruise was the best I have taken so far. Here are the details of this beautiful day, and why you should consider it, too. Getting to the Pier A week earlier I booked the Daily Bosphorus … [Read more...]
Istanbul Transportation Map With Places of Interest
This Istanbul transportation map is geared toward tourists. To avoid confusion, it doesn't show every single line available in Istanbul. No, instead it only shows the most the important metro, tram, and funicular lines from a tourist's point of view. And to make finding your way in Istanbul even easier, I put the most common places of interest on the transportation map as … [Read more...]