Istanbul, also known as Costantinople!

This time unfortunately i can not help you with hostel tips! I have been twice to Istanbul and both times I stayed with my turkish friends!
 If you are staying in Greece you can either take the bus or train or just an airplane! The first time I went to Istanbul (2006) I went by bus from athens, roundtrip more or less 100euros, the bad thing is that it will take ages to get there, around 22 hours each time, the nice thing is that you will have the opportunity to see beautiful landscape throughout the trip. The second time (2010) I took a plane, much better in just 45 minutes you are there! You can check prices in http://el.aegeanair.com or in http://www.olympicair.com, greek airlines with good deals!
When arriving to Ataturk airport Istanbul (IST) you can get a taxi or bus to get down town, the Havas airport bus (10 Turkish lira) will leave you in Taksim square but if you need to go to Sultanahmed you can take the metro or another option is the taxi, for 10 to 12 euros you can be downtown!
Well what to see in this beautiful city? You can start your tour in Sultanahmed  and have a look to one of the most beautiful buildings in the city, Agia Sofia and right infront the Blue Mosque and the Basilica cistern. Another must is the Topkapi palace, the house of the sultans! If you like bargain you have to go to the Grand bazar and try your best there!If you walk a little further down you will find the Egyptian spice market with food, spices, coffee, tea, snacks and some touristy stuff! Another place you must visit is the modern square Taksim, where you will find shops, restaurants, bars and coffe shops where you can enjoy a nice evening! This is the place to be during the night, lots of people everywhere and so many places to eat and have a drink later. Another thing you can do is to take a ferry boat and cross to the Asian part or just take a look of the beautiful Bosphorus from the european side!
If you are tired of sightseeing you can always relax drinking a nice apple tea and smoking nargile, just like a real turkish. If you feel hungry you must try the delicious Manti, consist of a spiced meat misture, usually lamb or ground beef, in a dough wrapper, either boiled or steamed, served with a thick sour cream and some spices.



Istanbul is a magical city surrounded by lights and life and every corner is a special place to be!

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