Istanbul in three days

💡Haggling isn't a fight, it's the conversation

In the bazaar you ask, you accept the tea they offer with no obligation, and you counter at a third of the asking price. If you don't agree, thank them and walk: half the time they call you back before the corner.

💡Buy an Istanbulkart the moment you arrive

It works on trams, metro, buses and the ferries, and one card covers several people: tap, and tap again. Without it every journey costs twice as much.

💡In mosques: shoes off, shoulders covered, hair covered for women

You leave your shoes in a bag at the entrance and there are scarves lent at the door. You don't go in during prayers, which happen five times a day and last twenty minutes. Entry costs nothing.

💡Taxis only on the meter, or through the app

It's the city's classic problem: with no meter they charge whatever they like, especially from the airport. Ask for the meter as you get in, or use the official taxi app and pay through it.

💡Turkish breakfast is a full meal

Cheeses, olives, eggs, tomato, bread and endless tea, served until mid-morning. It costs little, it's shared and it saves you lunch. Look for the word kahvaltı.