Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19407 in Books
• Published on: 2009-03-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 388 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781598802153
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
You can count on a Rick Steves guidebook to tell you what you really need to know when traveling in Istanbul. Rick Steves- Istanbul is a -tour guide in your pocket- to one of the world-s grandest cities. Walking in the footsteps of Byzantine emperors and Ottoman sultans, you-ll explore the city where Europe meets Asia. With this up-to-date advice, you-ll make the most out of your time and money, and have your pick of good-value hotels and restaurants. Self-guided walking tours lead you through historic mosques, ancient mosaic-speckled churches, bustling bazaars, and artifact-packed museums. You-ll find out where the locals go for sea-food and for the tastiest Turkish delight candies. In this Rick Steves guide, Lale Surmen Aran and Tankut Aran team up to guide you through the European - and Asian - city of Istanbul.

About the Author
Rick Steves is on a mission: to help make European travel accessible and meaningful for Americans. Rick has spent 100 days every year since 1973 exploring Europe. He's researched and written 24 travel guidebooks and hosts the public television series Rick Steves' Europe, now in its seventh season. He also organizes and leads tours of Europe and offers an information-packed website (www.ricksteves.com). Rick lives in Edmonds, WA, just north of Seattle, with his family. Lale and Tankut Aran - an Istanbul-based couple who have been married for 11 years - lead tours for Turkish and American groups to wherever they can (including Best of Turkey tours for Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door). They have a passion for unusual travel destinations, and always enjoy learning about the past, present, and future of the peoples of the world. With each trip, they say they become new souls, enriched and enlightened, taking one step forward. In addition to traveling, tour guiding, and guidebook researching, they run an Istanbul-based "Back Door"-style travel agency, SRM Travel (www.srmtravel.com).

Customer Reviews

Excellent city guide
This useful guidebook is compact in size, concise in descriptions, and colorful in discoveries. Husband-and-wife authors Lale and Tankut Aran love Istanbul with such passion, enthusiastically guiding readers through the back doors, back streets, and back stories of their beloved city. They single out Turks you can track down for a chat; don't miss their picks of several Grand Bazaar shopkeepers who happily share their stories and, of course, their wares.

I especially like the self-guided walking tours; museum must-sees; and money-saving transportation tips. Although I've been to Turkey six times, this little guidebook helped me rediscover Istanbul with fresh eyes and a renewed sense of appreciation for this complex, appealing country.

Fair book - no hidden gems
We went to a few of the restaurants Rick suggests in this book. In all the restaurants I seemed to notice that everyone had a copy of Lonely Planet, or Rough Guide on their table.

I'm not saying I don't recommend the book, however the book does seem to advertise itself in a way to lend you to believe that it was written by a local guy that is going to recommend lots of "hidden gems" or "locals' favorite little spots" - this is not the case.

Best travel book ever
I've bought the Rick Steves phrase books (which are the best, by the way) but this was my first of his guide books and, I have to say, I'm hooked. I absolutely love his list of the top sights. Not only does he rank order them from the must-see to the could-probably-miss, but he includes a very brief description of the site, the days and hours it's open (great for planning!), and the page number you can go to for more in-depth information. I put a post-it note on this page and was constantly referring back to it. There's really great information on each site you visit and my friends started out our first day in Istanbul making fun of me for always referring back to the book for the fun facts he includes. By the end of the first day there they were coming up to me asking what Rick Steves had to say about where we were at :) I love that he includes lots of budget and mid-range options. Europe isn't cheap and Rick Steves helped me stay within my budget. After using this book, I've now purchased Rick Steves Rome, Paris, and London books as well. I know they're going to be worth every penny!