Best Time to Visit Istanbul

Fellow Blogger Sluggy over at Don't Read This It's Boring asked when would be the best time to visit Istanbul and I wanted to answer in a post.

Turkey gets all 4 seasons and Istanbul is to the Northwest of the country. The weather is similar to what you would see in Washington D.C. area every season. 

I would prefer to visit Istanbul between Mid-April and Mid-June and then, after Mid-September till the end of October. April showers are common so, it would be advisable to be prepared.

If you want to stop in Istanbul during a cruise, don't. It is impossible to see much during one day. I would recommend picking a cruise that ends in Istanbul and you can stay here for a few days before you hop on a plane to go back home. You need at least 3-4 days to take in the city. It is too big and the traffic is usually very congested.

Needless to say, I would love to meet all of my fellow bloggers who make the trip. I love showing people around and making sure they do not fall into any tourist traps.

There are many non-stop flights to major US destinations by Turkish Airlines. If you do not mind layovers, Istanbul is a big hub and the flight options are many. So, if you have a certain membership with any airline, I am sure you can find deals.

A direct flight to NYC from Istanbul is around 10 hours.

Istanbul has been a melting pot of civilizations and there are so many historical sites to see, great museums to visit, many beautiful sights to see. Istanbul ties together Asian and European Continents by Bosphorus channel between the Black Sea and Marmara Sea (an inner Turkish Sea). There are nice boat rides on the Bosphorus but even commuter boats are wonderful to see beautiful old palaces and mansions right on water.

The national currency TL is very weak against hard currencies such as USD, Euros and GBP so, it is the perfect time to visit these days. You get a bigger bang of your buck. That sucks for us but alas...

Here is a map of Turkey where you can see major cities. I live inIstanbul, SIS lives in Izmir and Uncle lives in Antalya. We also have a place in Ankara which is the Capital City of Turkey. You may notice that the country is actually two peninsulas. The bigger one is called Asia Minor but more commonly Anatolia which sits on the Asian Continent. The smaller is called Thrace and it sits on the European Continent. Our coastline is approximately 5,000 miles so there are plenty of beaches. The Mediterrenean Coast is the warmest and has a long beach season. 

The country is about the size of Texas in the US. It is bigger than any of the European Countries in terms of land and perhaps population too.

Sorry that this has turned into a Geography Lesson. Take care!