tc fly girl,

When I was in Istanbul I stayed here at the Sokullu Pasa (Best Western). Single room is only $40 for your season. Hotel is quaint and the staff was very nice. It is a short walk to the major tourist attractions around the Blue Mosque (a bit uphill tho but short).

I received FREE transportation from the airport to the hotel and return. I stayed there on 2 seperate occasions. The driver doesn't really speak any English but was very nice. The front desk speaks English very well.

The reason I went with this hotel was that it was cheap(est), had the free transportation which took a load off my mind as it is a bit of a drive from the airport to the tourist/downtown area and I enjoyed the idea of staying in a historic building.

I see no specific mention of the transporation for now (been 2 years since I was there) but it is mentioned in the specials and I'm sure you can explain your situation and they will negotiate your ride for you. You should insist on it and I'm sure they will accommodate instead of lose you.

Finally I used my Russian to say 'Ya ne ponimayu chto ti skazhesh' and thinking I was Russian (thus assuming I had little to no money/US Dollars) I was left alone. Otherwise the carpet sellers can really disrupt an attempt to enjoy the city.

Give us a report on your run and let us know if you have any other questions.