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Here
are some questions I've been asked
by users of Turkey
Travel Planner(most
recent at top). I've omitted travelers'
names to protect their privacy:
How
Do You Tell a Flying Carpet to
Fly?
"How would you say in Turkish, "Fly!" such
as a command to a flying carpet?"
What
About the Aspendos Opera & Ballet
Festival?
Two Danish travelers enjoyed an opera
at the Aspendos festival
last year, and want to do the same
this year...
Is
Turkey safe and friendly now?
Nick's Report.
I helped Nick Fletcher plan
his trip (late March 2003). His
report: "it's safe and friendly."
Ferry
from Athens to Çanakkale?
is a regularly scheduled ferry between
Athens to Çanakkale?
Istanbul:
Stay in Sultanahmet or Taksim
Square?
I prefer Sultanahmet 'coz
you can walk to all the sights, but Taksim & Istiklal
Caddesi have shopping, cafes, nightlife...
Can
I See Gallipoli On My Own Without
a Tour?
Sure! Plenty of ferries across
the Dardanelles from Çanakkale.
The only challenge is transport on
the peninsula....
Can
I Go Cheaply from Athens to Istanbul
by Bus?
Yes, but it's a 20-hour, US$60 trip.
Ferry costs even more...
How
Do I Go from Cyprus to Antalya?
Well, there's bus-and-ferry (cheap
but long) or plane via Istanbul (expensive
but long)...
Can
I Go from Athens to Istanbul
by Ship?
Yes, but it's not the way it used to
be...
Crazy
Turkish Jeans Shops Get Business!
A wholesaler from a country near Turkey
saw the blue jeans shops signs
in Funny
Stuff...and wants to buy a lot
of jeans!
Train
from Istanbul to Izmir
There used to be lots more,
but now there's only one...
Seeing
Istanbul from a Cruise Ship
Then spending some time at a luxury
resort....
Leisurely
Three-Week Itinerary
Concentrating on Istanbul, Ephesus and Cappadocia,
with an emphasis on photography.
Do
They Gouge Americans?
Why are there so many different
prices for the same hotel room?
Frequent
Travel Istanbul<-->Ankara
What's the best way if you have to
go back and forth a lot?
Single
Female Going from Greece to Turkey
"Am I crazy? What about
a one-week
itinerary?"
Hebrew
Language Courses in Istanbul
Contact the Chief
Rabbinate...
Two-Week
Itinerary is Too Fast!
All of Turkey in two weeks?
Unfortunately, it's impossible.
How
Do You Tell a Flying Carpet to
Fly?
How would you
say in Turkish, "Fly!" such
as a command to a flying carpet?
Brian
_______________________________
Well, it sounds kind of silly, but
you'd say "Uç!" (OOCH!),
the imperative of "uçmak," (ooch-MAHK)
to fly.
But perhaps
what you really want to say is "Take
off!" which would be "Kalk!" (KAHLK!,
rise, go!)
Legal disclaimer:
I will not be responsible for airborne
accidents should the use of these
words result in your carpet actually
taking off. ;-)
Tom
(Back
to Top)
What
About the Aspendos Opera & Ballet
Festival?
Hello,
I write to you
to ask, if you can tell me if there
is an opera festival at Aspendos this
year in September. Last year my wife
and I had the chance to go to the
opera. It was a very great experience.
Since we will go to Turkey this year,
we would like the plan the trip so
we could go to the opera again. I
hope You can help med with an answer.
We have been in Turkey 9 times before
and we also look forward the visit
your lovely country again.
With regards,
Keld K, Denmark
______________________________________________
Keld,
Thanks for your
message, and apologies for the late
reply. I was traveling.
The 10th annual Aspendos Opera
and Ballet Festival, in Antalya province,
opens this year on June 14th with
Verdi's Aida by the Turkish
State Opera, and closes on August
16th with Tschaikovsky's Nutcracker.
Alas, no operas
in September, from what I can tell.
Happy travels!
Regards,
Tom Brosnahan
(Back
to Top)
Greetings
Tom,
First I would
like to extend my thanks and say
that I found your site to be extremely
useful, informative and well put
together. I am planning a trip to
Turkey sometime in the near future
and your site has been very useful
in not only helping me put the trip
together but also in learning a little
more about the places where IÕll
be going.
I do have one
question that I hope you can help
me with. ÊI was wondering if you
could tell me if there is a regularly
scheduled ferry between Athens to Çanakkale?
Thanks for the
help and IÕll defiantly be recommending
your site to those travelers who
wish to visit Turkey.
John E
____________________________________________________
John,
Thanks for your
kind words about my Turkey
Travel Planner website.
No, there's
no ferry between Athens and Çanakkale.
The major terminus for ships and
ferries coming from the western Med
and Aegean is Çesme,
west of Izmir.
Some cruise ships go to Istanbul,
of course.
There are ferries
from several Greek islands to
points in Turkey, and some can
even transport a car or two, but
of course you'd need to get your
car from Athens to the island first
(if it's a car you're thinking
of).
The closest
ferry from the Greek islands would
be from Lesvos (Mytileni) to Ayvalik,
the most problematic and expensive
of the island ferries.
Hope this helps!
Regards,
Tom Brosnahan
(Back
to Top)
Is
Turkey safe and friendly now? Nick's
Report.
Hi Tom -
I just got back
from Greece and Turkey this week
[early April]. My brother and I barely
got out of Athens on the 20th due
to one of the several large anti-war
protests in Athens, but we did make
it to Selcuk on
3/20.
We stayed at
the Australian-New Zealand
pension there, which would
make a great addition to your page
on Selcuk. They'll give you a free
ride to Ephesus in
the morning as well. They run a carpet
shop, so you get the usual "check
out my carpets" hassle, but
they're not pushy about it. Great
breakfast and dinner there,
too, and it's very cheap.
Pergamum was
very cool, and again, I've got a
recommendation for a pension, in
Bergama - the Athena pension
is awesome. space heaters
and electric blankets in the rooms,
and the guy who runs it is very cool
and friendly. also very cheap,
about 7 USD/person.
We definitely
needed the extra day to see everything,
as we did Ephesus on
3/21, Pergamum on
3/22, Troy on
3/23, and Istanbul on
3/24 before flying back to Athens
that night.
Istanbul was
a bit annoying, between
the guy hassling us at the Blue
Mosque to come visit his cousin's carpet
shop, the visit to the
carpet shop, and the same sort
of thing going on left and right
at the Grand
Bazaar.
All in all,
though, it was a great trip and despite
the warnings from the US government (bogus,
in my opinion, and probably retaliation
for Turkey not buying into this war), I
never felt the slightest bit unsafe
anywhere in Turkey, or in
Greece for that matter.
Alright, thanks
again for your help in planning my
trip - everything went off without
a hitch.
Take care,
Nick
(Back
to Top)
Istanbul:
Stay in Sultanahmet or Taksim
Square?
I have just
stumbled across your site and found
it to be exceptionally comprehensive
and useful.
We plan to spend
a week in Istanbul prior
to taking a comprehensive tour through
other parts of Turkey. We expect
to be there in mid-March.
The package
which we are using for Air/hotel
offers the Grand Yavuz hotel
located near the Hippodrome and
conveniently located where most of
the major old town attractions are
situated.
Alternatively,
for a modest upgrade in price, we
could locate at either of the Nippon or Golden
Age I, both shown as 4 star
hotels. These are both in the Taksim area.
I'm wondering
if the transportation
system makes it simple to go
from that area to the attractions
or would we be better off by just
locating at the Grand Yavuz which,
from pictures, looks like a pretty
decent place.
Have you any
words of wisdom on this question
and the transportation system? Thanks
for anything you might pass along.
________________________________________________
Thanks for your
message, and for your kind words
about my Turkey
Travel Planner. It's nowhere
near as comprehensive and helpful
as I plan to make it, but I'm delighted
that even at this early stage it
has been helpful to you.
The
Grand Yavuz is fine. The
rooms are a bit simpler than those
at the Nippon and Golden
Age, but still perfectly
adequate.
For transportation,
you'd use taxis to
get from Taksim to Sultanahmet (the Hippodrome area).
Depending on time of day, the taxi
ride might take 10 to 15 minutes
and cost $4 or $5.
I myself prefer
being able to walk out my
hotel door and stroll to the sights,
which you certainly would be able
to do from the Grand Yavuz.
The Nippon and
Golden Age are both fine, almost
always filled with groups.
You'd have the shops, restaurants
and nightclubs of Taksim and Istiklal
Caddesi within walking distance
here.
By the way,
there's a little-known Byzantine
cistern near the Grand Yavuz:
the Serefiye Sarni?i (Cistern
of Theodosius). It's entered
by a side door to the right of the
main entrance of the EminšnŸ
Belediye Baskanligi (a city
government building) on Piyer Loti
Caddesi. Wander in and have a look.
If there's a guard there, he'll turn
on the lights for you. It hasn't
been tarted up for tourism. Most
major buildings in Constantinople
had cisterns beneath them. This one
is probably about 1600 years old.
By the way,
I'm leaving for Turkey in late February,
but returning after the first week
in March.
Have a great
trip!
Regards,
Tom Brosnahan
(Back
to Top)
______________________________________________
Tom,
Congratulations!
You are the first person to whom
I have ever had the opportunity to
say,"The check's in the mail." I
will mail it this afternoon.
DV
(Back
to Top)
Can
I See Gallipoli On My Own, Without
a Tour?
Hi Tom,
I have enjoyed
surfing your pages on Turkey and
would like to know if it is possible
to visit Gallipoli other
than by guided tour, and
if so how. Are ferries from Çanakkale regular?
Full around ANZAC day? Reasonably
priced?
Thanks,
Regards, RC
______________________________________________
RC,
Certainly you
can visit Gallipoli without
a guided tour. The only challenge
is transportation.
The battlefields
are spread out. A motorbike would
be fine (in warm weather), a rental
car good in any weather. Hiking would
be okay if you only wanted to see
a few battlefields and were in good
condition.
Ferries run
across the Dardanelles from Çanakkale day
and night (the smaller passenger
ferries usually don't run late at
night, tho'). The ferries are pretty
cheap, really.
Full on ANZAC
Day? Probably, but they'll probably
put on extra boats.
Regards, Tom
Brosnahan
(Back
to Top)
Can
I Go Cheaply from Athens to Istanbul
by Bus?
Hello,
My name is A~~
and I'm from Canada. in May a friend
and I will be coming to Turkey. We
are backpacking throughout Europe
so we only have a week in
Turkey. I don't know if
you answer these kind of questions
but since you have a site on travelling
in Turkey I figure it can't hurt
to try.
Where
in Turkey do you think we should
go in a week on a limited budget? Should
we stick to Istanbul ro go off
a bit down the coast?
ALSO, I know
you are not a travel agent or anything
but I was wondering on if you could
give me a clue on how to
get to Athens for the cheapest price.
I'm trying to check out buses but
it's difficult since alot of the
site are in Turkish. You see, we
are going to London in the end but
I have found a cheap ticket from
Athens to London, I just have to
get to Athens. Any info could help,
a name of a bus line, a website,
anything,...
Thank you very
much for listening,
Cheers! A~~
______________________________________________
A~~,
I'd stick to Istanbul,
taking day trips or overnights to Edirne, Bursa, ‚anakkale.
Or spend four nights in Istanbul
and at least two in Cappadocia.
For more ideas see my Recommended
Itineraries.
Your choices
for getting to Athens are bus or ferry since
the flights are expensive. There
are direct buses from Istanbul,
a 20-hour, 1150-km (715-mile) trip.
For example, Varan,
Turkey's best (and most luxurious)
bus company, has a bus leaving Istanbul
every Tuesday in May at 10 am, arriving
in Athens 20 hours later, for US$60
per person, one-way; 20% discount
for people 13 to 24 years old.
Other bus companies
will probably be somewhat cheaper,
perhaps as little as US$45 (that's
a guess). You can find them at the Istanbul
International Otogar. Travel
agencies in Sultanahmet will
also sell you tickets, but shop around.
As for ferries
to the Greek Islands,
I'd go down the coast to Kusadasi,
cross to Samos, and go on to
Athens from there; or you could
go from ‚esme (west
of Izmir)
to Chios. The one-way fare from
Turkey to the island will be
about US$30 plus $6 to $10 in
port tax; then you must pay more
to get from the island to Athens.
(Unfortunately, I don't have
schedules for ferries from the
Greek islands to Athens.)
Enjoy your trip!
Regards, Tom
Brosnahan
(Back
to Top)
Cyprus
to Antalya
Could you give
me information on travel
between Cyprus and Antalya,
please? I will be in Girne, Cyprus
and would like to travel to Antalya
on or near May 14, and return to
Cyprus on or near May 18. Is there
ferry or air service that I might
use?
Thank you, R~~
_______________________________________________________
R~~,
There's daily
ferry service between
Girne (Kyrenia), Northern Cyprus,
and Tasucu (near Silifke) on the
Turkish Mediterranean
coast. From Tasucu you'd need
to catch a bus westward to Antalya,
a 390-km (242-mile) nine-hour trip.
Long, but relatively cheap.
The alternative
is to fly from Cyprus
to Istanbul, then to Antalya, but
there are no close connecting flights.
I have not heard of a direct flight
or ferry between Antalya and Cyprus.
Sorry not to
have good news. Hope this helps!
Regards, Tom
Brosnahan
(Back
to Top)
Can
I Go from Athens to Istanbul by
Ship?
Dear Tom:
I've been driving
myself crackers on the web trying
to find what I want and now I'm beginning
to suspect it doesn't exist. So I
turn to you, the real expert on the
ground.
Is there not
even one ferry that runs between
Athens and Istanbul? It can stop
at as many islands as it wants, as
far as I'm concerned, but I can't
stand the idea that I can't arrive
in Istanbul by sea. What's the story?
Many thanks,
(Ms.) E Z
_____________________________________________
Dear E~~,
There used to
be a good number of ships and ferries
that connected Athens and Istanbul,
but they've re-routed to ‚esme,
the western port for Izmir.
There are some
cruise ships that go from Athens
to Istanbul, but it's expensive to
hop on one of those just for the
Athens-Istanbul segment.
Turkish
Maritime Lines runs ferries
between Venice, Brindisi and ‚esme,
but they haven't set their 2003
schedules yet, and their website
(http://www.tdi.com.tr/eng/denizyollari.shtml)
is a complete waste of time: has
no info, doesn't work right.
If you *really*
want to arrive in Istanbul by sea,
you can cross from Athens to a Turkish Aegean
coast town, make your way to Bandirma or Yalova,
and take a fast ferry from there.
See Greek
Island Ferries for details.
Hope this helps!
Cheers, Tom
Brosnahan
(Back
to Top)
Crazy
Turkish Jeans Shops Get Business!
Hello Mr. Tom,
I'm a wholesaler,
i want to go to Turkey to buy clothes...
so i want you to guide me to these
shops Jeans and sportswear. so how
can i know their mails and their
local,
thank you so
much for helping me.
_____________________________________
Z~~,
Thanks for your
message.
Istanbul is
FULL of jeans
shops and workshops making other
sorts of clothes. It's a rich and
fertile ground for a wholesaler.
I'm afraid
I don't have the addresses and contact
info for any of them. I just wandered
the streets taking pictures.
I'll bet that
if you contacted the commercial
section of the nearest Turkish Embassy they
could help you with contact info;
or the Istanbul Chamber of
Commerce (Istanbul Ticaret
Odasi, ITO), Resadiye Cad. 34378
EminšnŸ, Istanbul; TEL : +90 212
455 6000, +90 212 511 0565, fax +90
212 5131565 - 5201656; bilgi@tr-ito.com
The ITO website
is not very useful: http://www.tr-ito.com
If you go to
several streets and districts in
the city you'll see plenty of them.
The districts are:
--‚adircilar
Caddesi, on the west side of the
Kapali ‚arsi (Grand
Bazaar), and the northward continuation
of ‚adircilar Caddesi, called Fuatpasa
Caddesi
--Laleli, a
district west of the Grand Bazaar
and north of Ordu Caddesi, near Aksaray
--Mahmutpasa,
a street and district north of the
Grand Bazaar on the way to EminšnŸ.
Hope this helps.
Good luck!
Tom Brosnahan
(Back
to Top)
Train
from Istanbul to Izmir
Help!
Can you tell
me if there is a train that goes
from Istambul to Izmir?
I shall be traveling
on 7.3.03 & returning on the
15.3.03
Can you tell
me how much it is & how often?
Many Thanks,
A~~ (UK)
_______________________________________________________
A~~,
There's one
train daily in each direction between Izmir's
Basmane station and Bandirma,
the port on the southern shore of
the Sea
of Marmara for fast
ferryboats to Istanbul.
So you'd take
a fast ferry from Istanbul to Bandirma
(about 2 hours) to catch the train
that departs Bandirma at 4 pm, arriving
in Izmir (Basmane) at 10:39 pm (if
it's on time). The entire trip might
take 11 hours.
A bus from Istanbul
to Izmir would be much faster (about
8 hours; they leave about every 30
minutes all day, in both directions).
Or you could take the fast ferry
to Bandirma, a taxi from the ferry
dock to Bandirma's "otogar"
(bus station), then a bus to Izmir
(4.25 hours).
Unless you really
have a good reason to take the train,
I'd strongly recommend the bus instead.
Much more comfortable, and faster.
Cheers,
Tom Brosnahan
(Back
to Top)
Seeing
Istanbul from a Cruise Ship
Dear Tom,
I just left
your web site, and think it's wonderful.
Perhaps, you can help us.
My wife and
I are taking a cruise on
the Radisson Diamond in
July, from Athens to Istanbul. We
would like to spend about 5 or 6
days in Turkey after we leave the
cruise ship.
The cruise ship
actually docks in Istanbul for 2
nights, and we will be living aboard
ship those nights. I believe that
the ship provides tours of the city
at additional cost.
Where would
you suggest visiting after we see
Istanbul? We thought we would like
to go to a resort for a few days
to rest before returning home to
New York.
We will be visiting
Kusadasi and Dikili on the cruise.
Thanks for your
help...and your web site.
_____________________________________________
You can take
the cruise ship's cruises, or I can
set you up with your own guide
and driver for probably
about the same cost. Or you can walkabout
on your own with a guidebook, as
the ship will dock right smack dab
in the middle of the city (at Karakšy/Galata,
mouth of the Golden
Horn).
As for a resort
at which to unwind, Kusadasi is
too honky tonk. Dikili is small and
fairly peaceful. You will have seen Pergamum (from
Dikili) and Ephesus (from
Kusadasi). You will not have seen Cappadocia,
which is one of the Top
Three sights (along with Istanbul
and Ephesus) in Turkey. It's hardly
a seaside resort, but it'd be an
interesting contrast. I can recommend
a cozy inn with troglodyte
(cave) rooms run by a friend
of mine.
Otherwise, there
are lots of luxury hotels along the Mediterranean
coast, but they may be crowded
with groups in July. What's your
preference? All-inclusive resort,
cozy little out-of-the-way place?
I like the idea
of the Radisson Diamond. I once considered
being a lecturer on that boat.
Cheers, Tom
Brosnahan
(Back
to Top)
Leisurely
Three-Week Itinerary
Greetings,
First thank
you for taking the time to establish
such an informative-rich
site.... I am planning a
trip to Turkey (my first) in September
for about 3 weeks. I have read through
your itineraries. Typically I tend
to travel at a more leisure
pace in order to get the
full flavor of an area. I enjoy staying
in pensions or hotels that are smaller
and more reflective of the site.
I think I would
like to concentrate on Istanbul
and two other areas of Turkey
for my visit. I would be interested
in any suggestions you might have.
I am a serious photo-hobbyist and
enjoy photographic venues. I doubt
Turkey will disappoint. Thank you
in advance.
___________
David
David, Thanks
for your message, and for your interest
in Turkey Travel Planner. Your kind
words are most welcome!
I'd suggest Istanbul, †rgŸp (Cappadocia)
and Ephesus/Sel?uk as
your bases, With the most
time in Istanbul and equal amounts
in Cappadocia and Ephesus.
From Istanbul
you can take excursions to Edirne and Bursa;
in Cappadocia you can extend to the Ihlara
Valley and even Konya;
in the Ephesus area there are lots
of possibilities, including (besides
Ephesus) Miletus, Priene,
Didyma, Sirince, and even
as far south as Bodrum or
east to Aphrodisias and Pamukkale (should
you have the time).
As for photography,
I'm a semi-pro photographer (just
gone digital) and I find Turkey delightful
for shooting. Most days should be
very sunny in September while you're
there. Concentrate on the early
morning and late
afternoon (of course) when
the light is warm and low-temperature.
The midday light is very high-temperature
and thus colors are quite washed
out and shadows harsh.
All three areas
I've recommended are excellent for
photography. You should consider
a hot-air
balloon flight in Cappadocia
for a truly unforgettable photo experience.
The air is clear, the light warm
and dramatic, and the angles unbeatable.
Have a great
trip!
Regards,
Tom Brosnahan
(Back
to Top)
Do
They Gouge Americans?
Dear Mr. Brosnahan,
I have trip
planned for next summer to Turkey.
I've always been fascinated by parts
of the world that are mysterious,
ancient, mystical and the like.
Anyway, I planned
the trip so far ahead because I wanted
to make the most of my time spent
in Turkey.
However, my
experience thus far is that there
is evidently a perception amongst
the Turks that all Americans
are millionaires or something.\
I understand negotiation
is part of life in Turkey and
I would like to "get over
it" but when somone quotes
me an extremely over inflated
price in anticipation
of negotiation it simply offends
me. If I'm quoted what I consider
a fair price I pay it even if I
could get it cheaper by dilly dallying.
Why gouge people just because you
can?
Having said
that, I tell you I'm having an enormously
difficult time planning an itenerary....
[This traveler goes on to give an
example of people who have tried
to "gouge" over price.]
[Tom:] I
don't think anyone is trying to gouge
you here. Rather, the way
hotel prices are set is pretty confusing.
The hotel can set any prices it wants,
of course, and can change them at
any time. In fact, hotels
rent rooms at all sorts of prices,
just as airlines sell seats at all
sorts of fares and car rental companies
rent cars at all sorts of different
rates. It's all a part of modern
marketing.
Of course, the
hotel wants to get as much money
as it can without alienating customers.
A hotel advertises prices called "rack
rates" which are pretty
much the highest prices it intends
to charge (except perhaps for special
holiday and event periods, when prices
may be even higher). Then, in various
marketing programs, it discounts
those rack rates.
As a customer,
you may end up paying any of a number
of prices, high or low, depending
upon where you learn of the price
and make your reservation: website,
travel agent, toll-free number, advertisement,
etc. etc. All hotels throughout
the world do this, all the time.
Now, the hotel sets its rates, and
wants travel agencies to sell its
rooms, so it gives travel agents
a set of prices to charge. Travel
agents add their commission (usually
10%) to the prices and offer those
prices to the public. The prices
that the hotel gives to the agents
would normally be the same as the
hotel itself would be charging. However,
if the hotel isn't getting many guests,
it may lower its rates temporarily,
but not pass that discount on to
travel agents. So the travel agents
are only authorized to sell rooms
at the higher rates. I think that's
what happened in your case.
Let's look more
closely:
[Traveler:]
The hotel quoted me $59. I didn't
negotiate because I think that is
very fair. They will pick us up,
give us a free dinner and free breakfast
buffet every day.
[Tom:] Yes,
that's a good rate--if it includes
the 18% VAT (tax). If it doesn't,
your true rate is $70, which is still
pretty good because of the dinner
and the transfer (airport to hotel).
My travel agency friends were given
a rate of $36 per person per day
(or $72 for two), breakfast and tax
included, by the hotel. They cannot
really offer you any rate lower than
that because the hotel won't honor
it.
[Traveler:]
One agency I contacted quoted me
$75 a night for the hotel. Now that's
gouging if they are paying $39.
[Tom:] No,
they'd be paying $64.80, and earning
$10.20 in commission.
[Traveler:]
One guide quoted me 125 USD per day.
[Tom:] That
doesn't sound unreasonable to me,
but a lot depends on the competence
of the guide and the services offered.
If the guide is knowledgeable and
shows you around in his or her own
car, $125 a day is an excellent rate.
[Traveler:]
Another agency offered to book me
and my husband into a fancier hotel
and provide a guide for $1265 for
six days.
[Tom:] The
(better hotel) is a nice hotel, and
if the guide is good, that's not
really a bad rate. That hotel normally
charges about $135 to $175 a night,
I think; you'd be paying abut $211
a night total, or, say, $135 per
night for the hotel and $76 per day
for the guide. Not bad at all.
[Traveler:]
A freind of mine was in Turkey a
few years back and paid a guide $20.
Another contact was there last summer
and paid $30.
[Tom:] I
rather doubt that $20 or $30 would
be enough to hire a good licensed
guide for a day. Perhaps an inexperienced
(but enthusiastic) student guide
with nothing better to do who wants
to practice his/her English; or a
guide for one or two buildings right
around Sultanahmet.... $30 a day
would come out to $3.75 per hour
for an eight-hour day.
I don't really
think people are trying to stick
it to you (although that's certainly
possible, it happens everywhere)
as that the pricing structure is
complex, and the services being offered
are not necessarily directly comparable.
For $30 a day you might get a guide
whose English is not easy to understand
and who knows little about what he's
showing you. For $125 a day you may
get a guide with a university degree,
fluent English, and a car to drive
you around. Either service might
be fine for the price, but they're
quite different services.
By offering
you a room at your choice of hotel
for $72 per night, a travel agency
would be giving you the lowest price
it could (and still make a few dollars
for its efforts). The travel agency
can't control the hotel, so if the
hotel wants to discount its price
for you, there's nothing the agency
can do about it. You benefit, but
the travel agency won't try very
hard to sell the hotel's rooms, so
the hotel may lose in the end.
By the way,
price complexity is a fact of life
in the USA as well. If you asked
everyone in a hotel or on a plane
what they paid for the service, you'd
get at least a dozen different prices,
and probably more--for exactly the
same service. It's just the way marketing
works.
Hope this helps!
Regards, Tom
Brosnahan
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Frequent
Traveler Istanbul<-->Ankara
Hi Tom,
Your
website is pretty fantastic! I
look forward to the updates. I
am an American who will be working
in Ankara for 4 weeks in March,
2003, and would like to spend weekends
and extra days in Istanbul.
Can you suggest the
best way for me to travel between
Istanbul and Ankara over and over
again?
Is flying the
only answer? I tried to get a schedule
of Turkish
Airlines flights between the
two cities, but came up blank. Is
the overnight train best? I am on
something of a budget. Thanks so
much!
______________________________________________________
Bus is
probably the cheapest way to
get back and forth between Istanbul
and Ankara. With the expressway
completed, it's pretty fast, too;
but a night bus leaving Friday
evening will get you to Istanbul
in the middle of the night, which
would be no fun.
I prefer
a sleeper
train (there are several).
If you share a compartment with
one or two others, the price is
pretty low. Couchettes are
even cheaper, but not nearly so
comfortable (or private).
When you factor
in all the time for a plane
trip, it doesn't look that much
better (and it's far more expensive):
from your apartment or hotel to the
place where you catch the airport
bus (Ankara's ASTI bus terminal or
the railroad station), then on the
airport bus for 35 km to the airport,
then go through all that security,
then wait for the plane, then board
(if it's on time); the flight is
quick enough, only about an hour;
but then there's the de-planeing
at Istanbul, the wait for the airport
bus, the bus ride into the city,
the ride to wherever you're staying.
It can add up to almost the same
as the bus.
Hope this helps,
Tom Brosnahan
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Single
Female Going from Greece to Turkey
Hello tom,
I saw your website in a search to find the
easiest way to get from greece to Turkey.
I will be flying into Athens on the
4th of december and flying back out
of Istanbul.
I was thinking
a week in each country.
Do you have
any suggestions on were it is worth
going in turkey (and how do I get
there from greece)? I was thinking
I was just going to go to istanbul,
but then I saw your website and it
sparked my interest.
Also, I am a
female traveling by myself,
will that be a problem? HELP!!!
I really have no clue what I am
getting myself into.
_____________________________________________
Hi,and thanks
for your message.
Turkey Travel
Planner has lots of suggestions on
the best places to go in a short
amount of time. Try Recommended
Itineraries for itinerary suggestions
for a week's travel. Or look at Top
Sites.
In
summer the daily ferryboats
from the Greek islands to the
Turkish coast are the best way
to travel to places other
than Istanbul, but in winter these
services run far less frequently.
Your
winter choices are probably a direct
flight from Athens to Istanbul,
or a bus (cheaper but
longer). You could take a bus or
train to northern Greece, then
cross the border to Edirne and
get a fast bus (every hour) to
Istanbul.
Single
women travel in Turkey all
the time. You need to
take the customary precautions,
but I think you'll find Turks
generally to be very welcoming.
Keep your relations with men
formal, not friendly, and they
will respond in kind. Turkish
women and families will be happy
to help you out while you travel.
Don't be afraid to ask them.
Have a great
trip!
Regards, Tom
Brosnahan
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Hebrew
Language Courses in Istanbul
Hi. My name
is ~~. I am a student in Istanbul.
I am interested in learing Hebrew.
You traveled Turkey(and istanbull)
a lot. Maybe you can suggest
some plase, some courses to learn
hebrew. Thanks.... in advance.
_______________________________________________
Sorry, I don't
know where one might take Hebrew
classes in Istanbul, but the Chief
Rabbinate would know.
Regards,
Tom Brosnahan
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Two-Week
Itinerary is Too Fast!
Hi,Tom,
I read the lonely planet about the
Turkey and get your website. I
just want to check whether we(4
in a group) can travel by ourselves
withe public transportation or
rent a mini van around Turkey(esp
in the steps of Paul) within 12-14
days?
My route as follows:
30/9 arriving istanbul.
1.Istanbul
2.iSTANBUL/Cappadocia
3.Nemut Dagi
4.Urfa
5.Harran and drive to Antakya
6.Tarsus and Konya
7.Denzili and Pammukkale
8.Ephesus
9.Samos and Patmos and back drive to
Izmir
10.Ismir and Bergama
11.Troy and Cannakkale
12.Galiboli/Anzac park
13.Drive to Kesan and across to Boarder
of Greece to Thessalonika...
Our journey planned next Oct.
Can you give some advice or need to
do private consult with you, but i
am in Malaysia. Hope to hear from you
soon.
______________________________________________________
Greetings from
Hawaii, where I'm at a travel writers'
meeting. Thanks for your message.
The
first part of your trip is too
rushed. One day in Istanbul
is not enough, nor is one day to,
in and onward from Cappadocia;
same for Nemrut Dagi. Turkey is
a big country, and mountainous.
You've got to
cut some things from your itinerary.
I'll be happy to review your itinerary
and offer suggestions, but this will
take some time, so I'm afraid I'll
have to charge
you for the service.
Good luck!
Tom Brosnahan
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