Istanbul new year

Hi i'm going to see my boyfriend in new year in istanbul and would like to know if anyone's been there before and what i should expect. It's my first time flying alone so i'm nervous about that and never been to istanbul airport before so worried about that too. My boyfriend has booked a hotel for us but I don't know where it is in istanbul and it's his first time there too so he can't tell me. Boyfriend thinks the weather should be okay but isn't sure how hot it will be, he just said it might be raining or could be sunny. I really would like your inputs please

Hello Martina

I take it that your boyfriend is not Turkish then, otherwise he would have knowledge of what the weather is like in Istanbul in the winter. You say it is your first time flying alone, how old are you?

It is very cold and snows on a regular basis. Dont bother taking your swimming costume unless the hotel has an indoor pool.

Ruby

Hi Martina,

You've obviously flown before, so flying on your own is going to be exactly the same as when you flew with friends/family! Why are you scared to fly alone? To keep yourself amused just take a book and your iPod, or even your laptop. It's not a very long flight, anyway.

The airport is like any other international airport.

If your boyfriend told you where the hotel is - as you don't know Istanbul - it's not going to be much use to you is it? It sounds like he doesn't even know where it is himself! Are you sure he's booked it? I'd check on that if I were you. I'm surprised he doesn't know what the weather is like in December/January - even though he hasn't been to Istanbiul he must have read about the city and seen it on the Turkish news etc!

Ruby's right - it does get very cold in the winter and I was once snowed in at the airport there - so you can imagine how heavy the snowfall can be sometimes. So take winter clothes and maybe a swimsuit if there's an indoor pool at the hotel, or if you want a Turkish bath.

Hope that helps.

Strawbs

How long you going for.......who you flying with.....hows your man getting there......

ruby wrote:Hello Martina

I take it that your boyfriend is not Turkish then, otherwise he would have knowledge of what the weather is like in Istanbul in the winter. You say it is your first time flying alone, how old are you?

It is very cold and snows on a regular basis. Dont bother taking your swimming costume unless the hotel has an indoor pool.

Ruby

Hi my boyfriend is turkish um that's why I'm on here. he's never been to istanbul because he lives in van which is like about 500 miles away maybe a thousand. i know he knows bodrum and marmaris because he works the resorts in the summer but hasn't ever been to istanbul as he's never needed to. i bet there's folk in england who have never been to london. i just wanted to know about the wetaher and airport and flying. i am 39.

Turkishheartdrop wrote:How long you going for.......who you flying with.....hows your man getting there......

one year come june. i'm flying on turkish airways my first time flyng alone so age doesn't come into it. my man's bussing it up.

Hi Martina,

I thought for a second you meant your man was 'buzzing' with excitement! Look, I don't mean to be funny or anything, but last time I looked at the calendar it said it was November - which means you've known this man for 5 months. Which also means it will be another 7 months to June 2012; so it kind of makes it premature to say you've been together 'a year in June'! Get my point?

Regarding Turkish Airlines - as you must know, they are a scheduled arline (like BA are) which means you get priority on certain things. You won't have so far to walk to the Gate in the airport, you'll be first to take-off if there's a delay etc (but so will other schedules - so you'll have to take your turn) you get more leg-room than a charter, and all the drinks and food are free. But some TA aircraft are quite dated (they can look very tatty inside) and the cabin crew are often quite surly. They don't like serving you drinks more than once (you have to call them back all the time - or get them yourself) and they actually serve Diet Coke out of a big bottle - rather than giving you a small can. I never even buy the bottles at home (it goes flat and is never as fizzy as the cans - or small glass bottles) and for some reason that Diet Coke thing annoys me!

Of course, I'm not saying I wouldn't fly TA because they serve Diet Coke out of a big bottle! lol But it's a little glimpse into their general 'This Is Turkey - Tough!' attitude.

Strawbs

I asked how long you was going for Martina.....not how long you been together.....LOL.....one year next june..

Hi Martina...as the others have said Istanbul is pretty cold December/January time!!! and walking in the streets or going from place to place can be absolutely freezing so take a very warm jacket, boots, scarf and gloves and a raincoat or umbrella. Which airport will you fly into? Probably Attaturk...find out if your hotel does airport transfers because the taxis are a total rip-off..or make sure you ask the taxi about the fare before you climb in! We always use an 'illegal' taxi in Istanbul.... an acquantance of my partners cousin who uses his own car and ferries people around. Try and find out which area you will be staying in....then we can give you an idea of what you should be paying in taxi fare. Also just make sure that the hotel ...(I know this sounds bizarre).....is 'happy' with accommodating an unmarried couple in the same room. Some of the Turkish owned boutique and smaller hotels in areas like the Sultanahmet (old city) are very picky about that!

Nicks

Hello Martina

The reason I asked if your guy was Turkish was because I assumed he would have known what the weather is like in Istanbul. I do know quite a bit about Van, its nearly 2 days travel on the bus from Marmaris (around 39 hours ), it was so sad that they suffered from that awful earthquake a couple of weeks ago. The weather in Van during the winter is extremely cold and they have a lot of snow.

Did you know that the area of Van has a special species of cat that has two different coloured eyes. Ask you boyfriend he will tell you.

Hyatum has made a valid point about the hotels in Turkey, some are more relaxed than others about accommodating couples who are not married.

Strawbs, I hate diet Coke in plastic bottles. I recall asking for a second alcoholic drink on Turkish Airlines and the steward looked at me as though I had said to him 'sen orospu cocuk'

Ruby

what hotel has he booked for you Davina?.....ask him the name of it and you will know where your staying LOL.....

OMG ....THD you kill me, I was thinking the same thing! LOL and wondering if this cat had 9 lives or maybe if it's one of those pussies from Van that Rubes was describing...maybe it will turn into an evil-eyed snow-leopard But we will still see the fangs..... as they say 'a leopard never changes it's spots' . Just wait for the next transformation Perhaps a sabre-toothed Tiger.

Nicks

ruby wrote:Hello Martina

The reason I asked if your guy was Turkish was because I assumed he would have known what the weather is like in Istanbul. I do know quite a bit about Van, its nearly 2 days travel on the bus from Marmaris (around 39 hours ), it was so sad that they suffered from that awful earthquake a couple of weeks ago. The weather in Van during the winter is extremely cold and they have a lot of snow.

Did you know that the area of Van has a special species of cat that has two different coloured eyes. Ask you boyfriend he will tell you.

Hyatum has made a valid point about the hotels in Turkey, some are more relaxed than others about accommodating couples who are not married.

Strawbs, I hate diet Coke in plastic bottles. I recall asking for a second alcoholic drink on Turkish Airlines and the steward looked at me as though I had said to him 'sen orospu cocuk'

Ruby

Hi Ruby

Really interesting about that cat...I am going to look it up now...WOW this is what Tom Broshihan's site says: 'A cat that's pure white, with a fondness for swimming, and one eye blue, the other amber...and has been bred there for hundreds of years' . I knew it was related to the snow leopard I also read that it is illegal to export them out of Turkey . I am sure Harry would love a feisty little white mistress......with webbed feet....and he could have a choice of which eye to look at??

I am never going to drink diet Coke on TA or anywhere else again I can already taste the fish in my mouth you wicked wench

Nicks

hyatum wrote:

ruby wrote:Hello Martina

The reason I asked if your guy was Turkish was because I assumed he would have known what the weather is like in Istanbul. I do know quite a bit about Van, its nearly 2 days travel on the bus from Marmaris (around 39 hours ), it was so sad that they suffered from that awful earthquake a couple of weeks ago. The weather in Van during the winter is extremely cold and they have a lot of snow.

Did you know that the area of Van has a special species of cat that has two different coloured eyes. Ask you boyfriend he will tell you.

Hyatum has made a valid point about the hotels in Turkey, some are more relaxed than others about accommodating couples who are not married.

Strawbs, I hate diet Coke in plastic bottles. I recall asking for a second alcoholic drink on Turkish Airlines and the steward looked at me as though I had said to him 'sen orospu cocuk'

Ruby

Hi Ruby

Really interesting about that cat...I am going to look it up now...WOW this is what Tom Broshihan's site says: 'A cat that's pure white, with a fondness for swimming, and one eye blue, the other amber...and has been bred there for hundreds of years' . I knew it was related to the snow leopard I also read that it is illegal to export them out of Turkey . I am sure Harry would love a feisty little white mistress......with webbed feet....and he could have a choice of which eye to look at??

I am never going to drink diet Coke on TA or anywhere else again I can already taste the fish in my mouth you wicked wench

Nicks

Hi Everyone

I can go one better than a Van cat with one blue eye and one amber eye, I saw a little Turkish girl about 7 years old with one blue eye and one brown eye, I was absolutely shocked, she reminded me of the Van cat, but she was such a beautiful child. Apparently, mum has blue eyes and dad has brown eyes. She was a stunner.

Yes Harry would love a feisty little mistress to hang around with, especially if she was Turkish and could take him swimming, he is very patriotic is my Harry, he even has a Boncuk cat collar

Rubes

Whats happened to the OP? Has she forgotten she is going to Istanbul, what hotel had your Turk booked or was it all a load of bullocks?

Rubes