| Istanbul | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Country | Turkey |
| Population | 14 657 434 |
| Postal Code | 34000–34990 |
Istanbul - the largest city in Turkey.
Characteristic
History
Drive
In principle, there are no direct connections between Poland and Turkey, except for a few air connections, own means of transport or bus service operated by some travel agencies. The most popular options for getting to Istanbul can be divided as follows:
By plane
The main airport in Istanbul is the airport. Ataturk (İstanbul Atatürk Havalimanı). On the Asian side there is the Sabiha airport (Sabiha Gökçen Uluslararası Havaalanı).
A ticket purchased two months before departure should not cost more than PLN 1,000. Direct flights from Warsaw are operated by LOT (http://www.lot.pl) and Turkish THY lines (http://www.thy.com/pl-PL/index.aspx). Interesting offers with a transfer may have, for example, Lufthansa, Swiss, Malev or Air Baltic. The journey takes less than 3 hours, and with a change - around 5.
All the airlines listed above land at Atatürk Airport.
You can also check the offer of the low-cost German airline Germanwings from Berlin Schonefeld to Sabiha airport.
Line selection is a cheap combination http://www.sunexpress.com from Berlin Tegel to Sabiha Gökçen International Airport. Flights several times a week for reasonable money.
By train: Krakow - Bucharest - Istanbul
It departs from Krakow down Bucharest fast train Cracovia (the train also goes to Budapest - in Miskolc the carriages are separated, some go to Budapest, the rest to Bucharest). The train arrives in Bucharest at 23:26 the next day (journey time 23 hours 50 minutes). The train to Istanbul departs from Bucharest at 13:24, arriving there at 08:24 the next day (journey time 19 hours). The disadvantage of this connection is the need to wait the entire night in Bucharest until the train leaves for Istanbul.
By train, by bus: Krakow - Budapest - Bucharest - Istanbul
A fairly inexpensive way to get to Istanbul is to travel by train by the "border to border" method, which consists in buying tickets for travel only within a given country, thus avoiding paying for tickets at international fares.
The first stage of the journey is getting to the Hungarian Lokoshaza. It is possible to travel through the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Choosing a trip through the Czech Republic you should drive to Cieszyn, in Cieszyn cross the border and in Czech Cieszyn purchase a ticket to Komarno (the journey to Komarno takes about 6-8 hours and requires at least one change). Cross the border in Komarno (you can walk) and in Hungarian Komárom buy a ticket to Lokoshaza.
The second option is to travel through Slovakia. Drive to Muszynaby purchasing a separate ticket for crossing the Polish-Slovak border. In Slovak Plavec you must purchase a ticket to Kosice, and separately for the drive to Hidasnemeti on the Hungarian side. In Hidasnemeti, buy a ticket to Lokoshaza.
In Lokoshaza, buy a ticket for the journey to Arad on the Romanian side (the border cannot be crossed on foot). From Arad, drive to Bucharest or Ruse near the border with Bulgaria.WITH Bucharest it is possible to reach Istanbul by direct train (departure at 1:24 pm, arrival at 08:24 the next day) or by direct bus, while from Ruse you can take a bus to Sofia in Bulgaria. From Sofia by direct train to Istanbul, or with changes.
By bus and train: Przemyśl - Suceava - Bucharest - Istanbul
On Fridays, at 4 a.m., the Romanian bus Tasa Suceava departs from Przemyśl (via Lviv and Chernivtsi), and arrives from there on Wednesdays. The journey takes approximately 16 hours. The ticket costs about PLN 100. Before traveling, please contact the Przemyśl train station at 0-16 678 54 35.
By bus, train, ferry: Przemyśl - Lviv - Odessa - Istanbul
Przemyski PKS There are no more connections with Romania!
By bus
Some travel agencies support connections between major Polish cities and Istanbul. The cost of a return trip is PLN 600, the travel time is 37-40 hours.
By car
Travel through Ukraine is not recommended due to the poor condition of Ukrainian roads. The best solution will be to travel through Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria (long wait at the borders).
Communication
The most convenient way to get around the city is by public transport. Even if the stay lasts only a few days, it is worth getting a city card. The card can be purchased at vending machines, in booths located in the immediate vicinity of tram stops. We pay in cash, its cost is 6 lira (TRY) (as of November 2019). This is for the card itself. The card should be topped up in the same machine by placing it on the white rectangle on the machine. The vending machine only accepts cash, up to 20 lira. Then we put the card at the entrance to the bus stop to unlock the "reel". One card supports many people. You just have to put it on the "reel" several times. We pay with the card for trams, metro, train through the Bosphorus tunnel and for ferries (some) through the Bosphorus.
subway
Istanbul's metro is modern and trains run frequently.
- M1 - Aksaray - Kirazli / Atatürk Airport
- M2 - Yenikapi - Hacrosman
- M3 - Kirazli - MetroKent / Olimpiyat Parks
- M4 - Kadikoy IDO - Kartal
Suburban railway
The Marmaray Railway currently runs from Kazlicesme to Ayrslik Cesmeni on the Asian side.
Tram
- T1 - Kabatas - Bagcilar Merkez
- T4 - Topkapi - Mescid-i Selam
- T5 - historic tram between Taksim and Beyoglu Tunel - runs irregularly.
- T. - the oldest underground railway between Beyoglu Tunel and Karakoy
- F1 - underground railway between Taksim and Kabatas
Cableway
- Taskisla - Macka
- Piyer Loti - Eyup
Ferries
Ferries run regularly, even at night, from numerous harbors between the European part (Kabatas, Besiktas, Karakoy, Eminonu) and the Asian part (Kadikoy, Usdukar, Princes' Islands).
Tourist attractions
Museums
It is worth a try
Nearest neighborhood
Shopping
The worst shopping option is the famous Grand Bazaar. If someone is looking for an oriental atmosphere, a traditional bazaar full of fragrances, exotic goods and Asian atmosphere, they will be very disappointed. The Grand Bazaar is an attraction for tourists with wealthy wallets, whose wealth, however, does not allow you to buy real Prada bags. The bazaar consists of boutiques with counterfeit (in fact - they are fakes at a very high level of quality) handbags, sheepskin coats, leather jackets, scarves like Hermes and Burbers, etc. They sell men in suits who mainly ask about the "name" of the bag you are looking for. The Grand Bazaar is quite artificial in this climate and is more a "product" for an undemanding tourist than it shows how the trade looks like in a city that has been trading for many hundreds of years. The spice market with spices, teas and cheeses is more atmospheric. Here you can buy a few Turkish specialties at a decent price, but the famous bargaining can already be put into fairy tales. Vendors usually put up prices. The real bazaars, where sellers shout over each other praising their goods, where it is colorful and exotic for a European, are located in districts far away from the tourist center. The townspeople buy their goods there, it is inexpensive and you can find something interesting.
Gastronomy
Sparingly
Contrary to appearances, Istanbul is not a very cheap place to eat, if you do not look well. Everywhere in the places where there are the most tourists, there are rates for tourists, and the quality of the dishes served differs from the idea of Turkish cuisine. a great option is a trip to the square by the Galata Bridge from the side of the spice market. There, by the quay, there are two boats, from which FISH BREAD (originally Balik Ekmek) is served, i.e. freshly baked fish fillet, tossed into a fresh roll, with the addition of lettuce and onion. You can season the fish with lemon juice. The dish costs 5 lira and it is amazing - fresh, fragrant. And the whole envelope is unforgettable - the screams of the staff, the transfer of rolls from a rocking boat to the land, the pace at which the rolls are folded. Mainly Turks eat there, because most tourists can be cut into the expensive restaurants on the Galata Bridge, which do not provide half of the taste and sensations that fish with fish bread give. This is fast food at its best and most natural.
Moderate
Delicious food for moderate money can be eaten on the Asian side, in the Kadikoy district. There are no crowds of visitors and plenty of eateries where the people of Istanbul eat. For a dozen lira you can eat fresh fish, the so-called Turkish pizza (with green parsley, lemon juice, rolled, 5 to 10 lira (2019 status) for a 25 cm cake) and a whole lot of other dishes, whose names are hard to remember, but always cost a dozen lira. Real Turkish coffee, brewed in a crucible on a charcoal-fired stove, is also very popular in this area. Moderate price around 10 lira, the taste experience is priceless.
Exclusively
Parties
Accommodation
Reservations can be made, inter alia, through the following portals:
- Istanbul hotels - All price categories
Sparingly
- Hotel Emek (http://www.hotelemek.com/), bathroom in the room, located in the Sultanahment district, prices for single room: $ 25, double: $ 30, triple: $ 42, shared room for 4-10 people: $ 15 / person.
Moderate
Exclusively
contact
Security
There are two types of threats in Istanbul.
The first are terrorist attacks, the last one at Taksim Square in 2016 (as of November 2019).
The second type is a threat awaiting a tourist in every large city. There is a risk of theft by the so-called pickpockets and, much less frequently, minor robberies. Normal safety precautions should be followed. Do not carry all the cash with you, use only one payment card, passport, the rest of the cash and payment cards leave the hotel safe or hotel deposit. Have a copy of your passport with you.