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| Istanbul (Lonely Planet City Guide) | 
 enlarge | Author: Virginia Maxwell
Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications
Category: Book
List Price: £12.99
Buy New: £6.49
You Save: £6.50 (50%)
New (46) from £5.50
Avg. Customer Rating:  6 reviews
Sales Rank: 10209
Media: Paperback
Edition: 5th Revised edition
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 284
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5 x 0.6
ISBN: 1740599160
Dewey Decimal Number: 915
EAN: 9781740599160
ASIN: 1740599160
Publication Date: April 1, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1 more reviews...
 You have to be rich to use this book October 20, 2008
We just spent 5 days in Istanbul and were tearing our hair out by the end, with the assistance of this book. Many of the places which were recommended as cheap places to eat were incredibly expensive and not very good, we felt that the author must be on commission for some places. All of the prices in the book were wrong - for the attractions most had doubled in cost.. this book came out in April and we went in October.
We felt that this book was for people with a much larger income than we have (and are prepared to be ripped off) - we are not backpackers but do like to get close to the city, either the city has nothing to offer or the author is just not our kind of person.. We found most places we really liked by accident,, some of the addresses are wrong in the book and the map has at least one street incorrectly labeled.
There was no warning about the masses of hawkers - shoe shine etc and the fact that all the restaurants have people outside pressurizing you to go in. We would have found advice on this helpful before we went.
Particular note - the tea place in Gulhane park is extremely expensive - 3 for a nescafe, and in the area around Nevizade Sokak, which was highly recommended in the front of the book, we were charged 55 for a below average meal..
Disappointing August 26, 2008
Until now we have always rated Lonely Planet guide books highly. However this one on Istanbul is very disappointing and misleading. Although the description of places and buildings is good, the layout is very irritating as you frequently have to change sections to find all the details you want. It is out of date as regards the times places are open and the entry prices charged. The index is far too complicated. Come on Lonley Planet you can do much better than this!
 Confusing July 28, 2008
I wouldn't recommend this guide, it has a lot of information but is confusingly put together. At first glance it might seem logical to have separate sections for everything but I found I was constantly trying to get all the information about a particular area and being asked to skip between areas of the book.
This was worsened by the maps. They were all inaccurate( without exception) a lot of the street names were not recorded and directions to shops/ bars /restaurants were difficult to understand. The pull out map was not a help.
This is a shame because in my backpacking days the classic lonely planet guides were excellent if only they had kept the same design; with accurate local maps, area guide that let you know what to do area by area.
Why have I given it two stars? Well its redeeming features were great information on the main attractions, a bit like having your own guide, ie in The Topkapi and Aya Sofya and many other places. ALSO very impressive good restaurant recommendations.
In all a real shame this book was not better put together, it has a lot of information but was very difficult to use. I suggest you spend your money elsewhere
 Favourite guide to a favourite city February 11, 2007
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
I love Istanbul, having lived there in the early 1990s. In 2005 I made my first return visit since then, and although I feel confident I know the city well, much has changed. This guide contained information which locals I stayed with weren't aware of, particularly public transport info.
My main criticism of LP books is that the maps are pretty useless, and this is once again the case. You really need to get a separate map f you are going to venture beyond the really well trodden path. (There are a couple of bookshops on Istiklal Cadessi that sell good maps).
I found the tone of the book suited me - it is enthusiastic about an amazing city, and the author certainly knows the place well. I don;t usually follow guide book suggestions for places to eat, preferring to discover those on my own. I am gald I allowed Maxwell to lead me to a couple of cafes and bars, however, as they were excellent.
(By the way, I was a woman travelling on my own and found I was notlead to anywhere I felt threatened or was taken advantage of)
I recommend this book for both the novice and experienced traveller to the city (which I don't with all LP City Guides - some, like Paris, I think reather too basic for the experienced visitor to that city).
Comprehensive but one or two faults.. January 20, 2007
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
This book is an excellent and pretty definitive travel guide for getting to grips with Istanbul. I had previously always relied on Rough Guides, but in this case only the Lonely Planet Guide was available. Having relied on this book for the best part of a week, I will consider switching alleigance for future expeditions!
All the standard features are there - historical contexts, practical information etc - but I particularly appreciated the sections detailing e.g. the types of restaurant you'll come across. I enjoyed the style of these chapters, and appreciated more of an insight into Turkish life than the somewhat drier and concise Rough Guide information.
One major issue I would like to highlight though, is that the author of this book clearly has friends living in Istanbul, and no doubt reviewed some of the restaurants and experiences with a Turkish speaker on-hand. Not that language itself was a problem, but I regularly had the distinct feeling that I was being taken advantage of because of my lack of local knowledge. I doubt that an Istanbulla would have been overcharged or given sub-standard food, particularly in the more authentic restaurants, and at times the reviews differed considerably from the reality.
Local insight has definitely enhanced this book, but it has also perhaps given an overly positive spin on things and is not therefore, a true representation of experiencing the city as a tourist. Still, a lot of very useful and interesting information, particularly for sight-seeing, and more than worth the money.
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