-
Happy New Year, Nonrevs!!
After getting used to the idea of going to BCN (yippppeeee) for 48 hrs, the hubby swapped it to Istanbul (for me--more YIPPPEEE) plus being invited to go to ATH this month.
Am I a happy woman, or what???
Any tips/advice for either/both cities?? I've never been--so it's all new to me.
Much appreciation to all!
-
Deja vu, (double posts) Mrs 767er, you are excited. http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...DIR#>/wink.gif Randy (Chicago correspondent) visted Istanbul in 05, he's your man for info.
As I recall he had some beautiful photos, but I can't find them on the new board. Drop Randy a line in his correspondent's thread.
-
As a recent non-rev visitor to both Athens and Istanbul, I recommend both. But I put IST in first place. Much more to see and do for history buffs, plus the fun of taking a $1 ferry ride from Europe to Asia. You can get a good subway/tram ride from the airport right to Sultanahmed, one of the city's hearts, and the travelers center. Many hostels and cheap but good hotels are to be found there. Also there are the lovely Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia, one of the major historic buildings of the ancients. It has been in turn a shrine of early Christianity and Orthodoxy and then -- with the coming of the Turks -- a mosque. In the 20th century, Ataturk turned it into a museum to honor all of Turkey's historic influences. An amazing place indeed.
From Athens airport, you can take a bus or train to the heart of the city. To be frank, apart from the historic district of the Plaka and, of course, the buildings of the Acropolis, there's not a lot to see and do in Athens. The food is great, the people are warm; but so is it and are they in Istanbul. A couple of days in Athens is swell -- and then take a subway to Piraeus for a ferry out to one of the islands.
Good traveling.
-
Thanks for the Scoop! I'll be with crew so I won't need to bus it from the airport--good reference for later, tho.
I set up a Turkish bath for both of us and even printed out a "kupon" the website offers as a discount and gave it to hubby for a fun Christmas gift. Really looking forward to that on first afternoon. Thanks again for all the ideas. We'll be doing them in your order--IST this weekend and ATH next wk--too much fun!!!