Advice on Istanbul

In article , D.A.L.
wrote:

 > Any have any recommendations for Istanbul? Myself and a group of 5 other
 > friends are going there next year for a long weekend break. None have been
 > there before so have no idea of where to stay (or rather not stay) and what
 > is the best time of year (Spring, early Summer?). Also, we're all aware of
 > the terrorist threat out there at the moment with bombs going off at HSBC
 > bank and the British Consulate last year - are these anywhere near the
 > tourist areas? Is it safe to be a Westerner in Istansbul? Then again, is
 > it safe to be a Westerner anywhere??
 >
 > Thanks in advance.

Well, that depends on what you want to do. I like the old architecture
and art, so visits to the Blue Mosque, Aya Sofya, and the imperial
palace were great. There are probably Istanbul-specific guidebooks in
your local bookstore, too.

--
Dan Stephenson
Photos and movies from US Parks and all over Europe:
<a rel="nofollow" style='text-decoration: none;' href="http://homepage.mac.com/stepheda" target="_blank">http://homepage.mac.com/stepheda</a>
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In article , NoNameAtAll
wrote:

 > All my advice on Istanbul can be found at the following site:
<font color=purple> > <a rel="nofollow" style='text-decoration: none;' href="http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/71f79/1c0a38/</font" target="_blank">http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/71f79/1c0a38/</font</a>>
 >
 > As for safety, Istanbul is much safer than nearly any other city in the world
 > of similar size. All types of crime are far less frequent there. With regard
 > to
 > terrorism, there have been a few bombing incidents lately that I'm sure you've
 > heard of, but I'm not aware of any attacks targeting tourists. For what it's
 > worth, I would gladly return to Istanbul now without any fear for my safety.
 > Feel free to email me with any specific questions after you have a chance to
 > look over the information on the web site I listed, and enjoy your trip!

That may be true for physical safety, but for the OP, please note that
the street vendors are extremely pushy and a real annoyance. NO I
don't want to look at your FUCKING CARPETS!

--
Dan Stephenson
Photos and movies from US Parks and all over Europe:
<a rel="nofollow" style='text-decoration: none;' href="http://homepage.mac.com/stepheda" target="_blank">http://homepage.mac.com/stepheda</a>
 >> Stay informed about: Advice on Istanbul 

 >That may be true for physical safety, but for the OP, please note that
 >the street vendors are extremely pushy and a real annoyance. NO I
 >don't want to look at your FUCKING CARPETS!

LOL! I too found these people to be incredibly annoying, along with people
trying to lure me into other kinds of stores and of course the "tour guides"
all over the place.
 >> Stay informed about: Advice on Istanbul 

Dan Stephenson wrote:

  >> As for safety, Istanbul is much safer than nearly any other city in the
  >> world of similar size. All types of crime are far less frequent there.
  >> With regard to terrorism, there have been a few bombing incidents lately
  >> that I'm sure you've heard of, but I'm not aware of any attacks targeting
  >> tourists. For what it's worth, I would gladly return to Istanbul now
  >> without any fear for my safety. Feel free to email me with any specific
  >> questions after you have a chance to look over the information on the web
  >> site I listed, and enjoy your trip!
 >
 > That may be true for physical safety, but for the OP, please note that
 > the street vendors are extremely pushy and a real annoyance. NO I
 > don't want to look at your FUCKING CARPETS!

Tell them you have a Turkish friend at home who gets you carpets wholesale
and it would be insulting to him if he were to come to your house and find
you'd purchased one from someone else.

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: <a rel="nofollow" style='text-decoration: none;' href="http://travel.u.nu" target="_blank">http://travel.u.nu</a>
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