Calis Beach and Fethiye Turkey Discussion Forum
Other Local Resorts & Areas => Fethiye Turkey Discussion Forum => Topic started by: kevman on July 01, 2009, 10:12:19 AM
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Can anyone advise please on the best way of booking a mini break to Istanbul.We are looking at going in September.
Do we book our own hotel, and then book flights. Is there a good travel agents in Fethiye who can help.I am not sure about this but friends coming out in Sept would like us to do this trip so any help on the matter would be gratefully received. Thanks.
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Try contacting jacqui harvey via her profile, she recently went to Istanbul while she was over in calis.
{A Link to an old CBF topic was here - no longer available}29275
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We went to Istanbul for 4 days during our 3 week stay in Calis in June.
We booked online with Turkish Airlines which was very simple. We flew from Dalaman.
Go to http://www.thy.com/en-INT/
It cost £136.00 return for two, however, I have been told on some
occasions you can pick up cheaper flights.
Then we looked at Trip Advisor and paged through the Hotels in
Istanbul. Go to
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotels-g293974-Istanbul-Hotels.html
We picked one and emailed them and booked.
The hotel was wonderful and we will go back again as 4 days
is not enough to see everything. We loved Istanbul, so will you.
It's better to book yourself as you can then find the Hotel that
suits you and not that suits the travel agent.
Jacqui.
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Many thanks for your reply and advice.I will have a look at the websites you have given me.We have actually found a hotel we like so maybe we are half way there.
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This may sound a daft question but which airport should we use. I din't realise there was 2.
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If you have found a Hotel, check it out first on Trip Advisor and see what the general opinion of it is.
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If you're flying from Dalaman, almost all flights use Ataturk Airport (IST), Istanbul.
If you're flying from the UK, you'll more than likely get cheaper flights into Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW), Istanbul.
Check out the Hotel Tashkonak at http://www.hoteltashkonak.com/
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We flew to Ataturk Airport.
We stayed at the Sirkeci Konak Hotel in Istanbul which we hope to return to
on our next trip. Throughly recommend it. It won the Hotel of the Year prize with Trip Advisor this year. We were watching the storks nesting high in the trees opposite our hotel balcony and were really surprised to see parakeets flying around in the lower branches, After that we used to see them all the time, seems to be a colony of them in the Park next to Topkapi Palace.
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Thanks for info Jacqui, did you need your passports for the hotel?
Dave
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Yes, they took them when we booked in and then returned them to us later that day.
Jacqui.
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Yes Hotel Taskonak is a nice Boutique hotel right in the Heart of Sultanahmet where most of the main attractions are. Stayed there earlier this year....smallish but extremely friendly. Will do free transfers if you stay,I think five days. :)
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We flew to Sabihe Gokcen airport on the Asian side of Istanbul. We were able to catch a bus from the airport to the sea bus terminal at the Bospherouse and cross to Eminonu where we caught a taxi to the Sultanhamet area which is very near and has most of the tourist attractions such as the Blue Mosque, Hag Sophia and Topkapi Palace.A very pretty hotel in the area is the Green House or Yesil Ev. We had suitcases with us so a taxi was a good idea rather than the metro on this occasion. The metro made travel very easy, just buy a token at a little booth and slip it into the machine as at an English rail station. The grand bazaar is also easy to reach by metro from the Sultanhamet area. If you like a fish meal the restaurants underneath the Galata Bridge are good and you can sit and watch the ships. It is lovely at night.
The metro will take you over to the Asian side of the city which has the Dolmabahce palace, Taksim square and the more modern shopping malls further out on that line.
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"The metro will take you over to the Asian side of the city which has the Dolmabahce palace, Taksim square and the more modern shopping malls further out on that line."
The areas mentioned above are not on the Asian side, still Europe I'm afraid. 8)
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Whoops sorry!
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try the AND HOTEL right next to the
Hagia Sophia mosque in sultanhammet
amazing roof top bar and restaurant
kanga
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Thanks so much for all your information. Roll on September, really looking forward to it. will post reviews later.
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Whilst on the subject of Istanbul, has anyone visited the Kanyon shopping centre and if so, what was in there?
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Take a look at the Kanyon website
http://www.kanyon.com.tr/main_en.html
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Have to go and look when we are in Istanbul!
I liked going on the furnicular from Kabatash to Taksim square too.
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We got a taxi over the bridge to the Cevhir shopping mall. It took about 20 minutes and was 15TL. The Kanyon was just a bit further on. Cevhir was huge and a had car park in basement then the next floor had lots household shops selling furniture etc., also supermarkets and ATM's. Then there was about 4 floors of shops selling clothes, shoes, electrical goods etc., Lots of well know shops, like Mango & Debenhams also C.&.A's which I realised I had missed now it's not in the U.K. The top floor had lots of food outlets and interesting a large tobacco shop which had Havana Cigars. There was a taxi rank outside which was very convenient for our return.
Reference our Hotel, we also had lovely views down to the cruise ships from the bar/restaurant/roof terrace which had sun loungers, also because we booked for over 3 days got free pick up at airport and free 3 course dinner with a choice of two restaurants. Hotel also had a pool, fitness suite and sauna in the basement.
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Jacqui which hotel did you use?
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We stayed in the Sirkeci Konak. Which is one of 4 hotels in Istanbul which are all in the same group from Luxury to Basic. We also got 11% off the bill for paying cash.
This is the website for all the Hotels in the group http://www.sirkecigrouphotels.com/
This is the one for the Sirkeci Konak http://www.sirkecikonak.com/
Jacqui.
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thanx very much
I appreciate it