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DL/KL/LX: ORD-IST $529 (UA match noted)

DL/KL/LX: ORD-IST $529 (UA match noted)

Old Sep 10, 2012, 3:13 pm
  #16  
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Thanks guys -- yeah, I actually thought this was a great deal -- not only for mileage reasons, but it's rare you can get such a good airfare over the week Christmas (Dec 24th-30th). I plan to spend 5 days there.

Does anyone have any suggestions for activities/itinerary? I was hoping to keep it under $700 each (for 2 people sharing rooms) for 6 days/5 nights of food/hotels/activities. Maybe it's not feasible, but certainly worth a try.
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Old Sep 10, 2012, 3:18 pm
  #17  
 
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Smile

Originally Posted by johndoe123
Thanks guys -- yeah, I actually thought this was a great deal -- not only for mileage reasons, but it's rare you can get such a good airfare over the week Christmas (Dec 24th-30th). I plan to spend 5 days there.

Does anyone have any suggestions for activities/itinerary? I was hoping to keep it under $700 each (for 2 people sharing rooms) for 6 days/5 nights of food/hotels/activities. Maybe it's not feasible, but certainly worth a try.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum...67-Turkey.html

And click on an Istanbul link in the city column if you want just the Istanbul forum.
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Old Sep 10, 2012, 5:08 pm
  #18  
 
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Originally Posted by johndoe123
Thanks guys -- yeah, I actually thought this was a great deal -- not only for mileage reasons, but it's rare you can get such a good airfare over the week Christmas (Dec 24th-30th). I plan to spend 5 days there.

Does anyone have any suggestions for activities/itinerary? I was hoping to keep it under $700 each (for 2 people sharing rooms) for 6 days/5 nights of food/hotels/activities. Maybe it's not feasible, but certainly worth a try.
Istanbul is fairly inexpensive compared to other European cities. You can eat quite cheaply and the sights are not expensive. Make sure you hit the Blue Mosque, Aya Sophia, Top Kapi, and Istiqlal Street (in the modern part of town).
Make sure you hit the "Simit Sarai" chain of local restaurants for a cheap lunch. Also smoke hoookah and go to a haman.
PM me if you need further tips. I stay at the Eklektik Galata guesthouse. You can find it online. It's off Istiqlal and very reasonable (100 euro for two people per night incl. a delicious breakfast).
Also, do NOT miss the fish sandwiches sold right off the Galata bridge from the side of the old town. Right when you get off the bridge if you are walking, on your right hand side (facing old town and spice bazaar) you will see a lot of Turkish people sitting down in a shack-like tent eating delicious pita with fish. Amazing. And filling at about 2TL a sandwich.
Have fun.
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Old Sep 10, 2012, 5:23 pm
  #19  
 
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Guess the $500-ish seats are already scooped. When I check Dec 24-30 ORD-IST I get the calendar telling me it'll be like $2,500. When I pick on the day though I get fares as low as $895. Weird.
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Old Sep 10, 2012, 6:13 pm
  #20  
 
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Originally Posted by qmiro
Istanbul is fairly inexpensive compared to other European cities. You can eat quite cheaply and the sights are not expensive...
I've just read that the TL is also falling - but it was against sterling. Is this true, material, a trend, or transient? And vs. the dollar? Thank you.
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Old Sep 10, 2012, 6:50 pm
  #21  
 
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My husband and I backpacked around Turkey for a month for our honeymoon and we loved it. Istanbul was wonderful. I could eat chicken doner every day...cheap and delicious!
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Old Sep 10, 2012, 8:46 pm
  #22  
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Originally Posted by ElPresidente
Guess the $500-ish seats are already scooped. When I check Dec 24-30 ORD-IST I get the calendar telling me it'll be like $2,500. When I pick on the day though I get fares as low as $895. Weird.
Those exact dates seem to be $800 now, but poke around in the weeks before/after as I still see some for $502. Try the matrix.itasoftware.com calendar view.

Unfortunately, the good dates I had over christmas do seem to be gone though.
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Old Sep 13, 2012, 2:06 pm
  #23  
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$590 on AF over Christmas.

$555 on TK in Oct and early 2013.
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Old Sep 14, 2012, 8:01 am
  #24  
 
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What's the weather like in IST around Xmas?
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Old Sep 14, 2012, 8:31 am
  #25  
 
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Cold

Last year I did an around the world trip using the Mistake Fare from Hong Kong to Istanbul in premium coach as a major component of the trip. Most of my time in Asia was spent in Thailand.

When I arrived in January in Istanbul for a three day stopover, the water in the fountain in front of my Holiday Inn was frozen. When I toured the Topkapi to see the relics from the life of the Prophet, I was freezing (the palace buildings are not heated. Neither is the Church of the Holy Wisdom.

The last day it snowed lightly.

Take warm cloths.
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Old Sep 14, 2012, 8:22 pm
  #26  
 
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Originally Posted by ges123
Booked Nov 7 - Nov 12 (needed over night on return in ATL). $507 each for hubby and me. Never been there before so very excited. Trying to choose between IST Hilton and DT Old City.
I am flying out on those dates as well.
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Old Sep 15, 2012, 11:37 am
  #27  
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Originally Posted by LegalEagle
The last day it snowed lightly.
You must've left the day I arrived as the snow followed me into town. It was cold but not horrible. Then again, I was coming from Stockholm so maybe my judgment was impaired.

It can get cold in the winter but that doesn't make it any less beautiful IMO.
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Old Sep 15, 2012, 12:23 pm
  #28  
 
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I finally jumped on this today for PIT-IST over Thanksgiving. We have a connection through ORD on the way out, and JFK on the way back. There's a nice discount on children's fares, so it was around $650 for the adults, and $570 for the children - not bad.

This trip will take my husband and son over the line for *G on UA, which is nice, and put me between PP and 1K. We love Turkey, and haven't been back for a few years, so this all works out very nicely.
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Old Sep 15, 2012, 1:25 pm
  #29  
 
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Dl/klm ord-ist $529

It can be very rainy in the winter. I went from Vancouver in December to Istanbul, and it was rainier and chillier in Istanbul. Beautiful, certainly, and definitely worth seeing.
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Old Sep 15, 2012, 6:55 pm
  #30  
 
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Originally Posted by mattsteg
I am flying out on those dates as well.
Awesome. We are starting out of HIB and connecting through MSP.
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