Details and highlights

Here are a few details and highlights of my weekend in Istanbul that may help you plan a trip of your own.

Flight: I flew from Gothenburg, Sweden on a direct Turkish Airlines flight. My travel companion flew on a direct Turksih flight from Manchester, England. I like Turkish  - the fares are very reasonable, their inflight service is good and they serve hot meals in economy, unlike other airlines that operate similar routes. I sometimes have to close my eyes to the seemingly half-hearted attention to safety procedures, but on the whole a good airline.

Transfer from airport to hotel: the airport is some way from the city center and, although there are public transport options, I prefer to spend some of my budget on easy, comfortable transfers. There is a limousine/ shuttle service desk situated in the arrivals hall as you exit baggage reclaim. A return trip to Sultanahmet cost €70, which I split with my friend. The return pick-up was punctual.

Hotel: I always look at lastminute.com as they have secret deals that more often than not meet my needs, or hotels.com. However, if you find a hotel that you like the look of check with their own reservations before going through a third-party as you may get a similar or better deal, and you are able to discuss any requirements you have directly with the hotel.

Istanbul has a wealth of hotels at different price levels. The main chain hotels (Hilton, Intercontinental, for example) are located near Taksim Square, which I found to be a very uninspiring part of the city. We stayed at the Armada Hotel in the Sultanahmet area. Located 5-10 minute walking distance from the mosques and Topkapi Palace, but on a quiet street, its rooms are in the process of being refurbished to a high standard, and offer sea or mosque views. The rooftop restaurant has a spectacular 360 degree view and a superb breakfast buffet.

Highlights: given a limited amount of time this was, unfortunately, a tick-box tourism experience and we covered the main sights. Musts are Hagia Sofia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, the Cisterns and the Grand Bazaar. The Spice Market (also known as the Egyptian Bazaar) is also worth a visit. We took the tram (tokens can be bought at the tram stops and cost 3 Turkish lira) to Taksim via the venacular and then walked back to Sultanahmet along the main shopping street, Istiklal Cad. 

Food and drink: there is no shortage of restaurants and cafés to suit all tastes and budgets. As you walk along the streets eager salesmen will try to entice you into their restaurants which can get a little tiring, but I did not find them in any way aggressive as some guide books suggest. If they sense you are not interested they will back-off. At some point you have to make a decision. We chose restaurant Antik Turquoise on our first night, and revisited on our last. The menu has really good Turkish food at reasonable prices, the service is excellent, and the restaurant has a great atmosphere. 

If you are just looking for a cup of tea or coffee, or maybe a nice glass of refreshing ayran, try Mesale Cafe in the Arasta Bazaar. This outdoor café is full of locals enjoying food, tea, water pipes and a game of backgammon. Also, in the evenings you will be entertained by live music and a whirling dervish.

We were in Istanbul at the end of January, which is very off season. The upside of this is that we faced no long quesues at the main attractions and no crowds in the bazaars, making it a very manageable experience. The downside, of course is that the weather is not at its best and it did get cold. However, if you are doing major sightseeing and walking it was perfect. Just pack accordingly.