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Need recommendations (Istanbul, Rome, Barcelona)
03-03-2014, 01:09 PM
Going on a trip. Can someone please recommend good places to stay and eat. All site seeing solo on the back end of trip.
Istanbul Sunday April 27 to Tuesday 29th
Rome Tue 29th night to Fri May 2nd morning
Barcelona Fri May afternoon to Sunday morning May 4th
May 4th morning flying to to states
1) Is Istanbul even worth it ? If so is it ok if I just stay near airport? I really only have all day Monday so I can just take the metro, sign up for a bus tour and get all the site seeing in one day. Nice dinner at night and cross it off
2) Rome: Any suggestions on where to stay and eat? 2 1/2 days should be plenty I am hoping. Or am I really wrong and need more? Just major sites
3) Barcelona is still a maybe. I cant find much siteseeing but than again need a filler for 1 1/2 day until flight sunday morning so I hope thats good enough. Again Id like to stay near the airport since I only get one full day to site see.
Suggestions are welcome. Havnt booked anything yet.
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Need recommendations (Istanbul, Rome, Barcelona)
03-03-2014, 01:22 PM
All three are worth visiting but you need a little more time I think. Cut one city maybe ... say Rome.
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Need recommendations (Istanbul, Rome, Barcelona)
03-03-2014, 01:22 PM
Is Istanbul worth it? Hell yes. Incredible city with an almost unmatched history. One night though...there is no way you can do it justice. Just hit the highlights...Hagia Sofia, etc. Get a Turkish massage if you can...it's awesome.
Honestly, I would say none of your stays are really enough, even for tourist stuff. When you rush through things hitting the sights you don't really experience the city...it's just another checkbox...you're there physically but not really mentally.
You can't find sightseeing in Barcelona, one of the most architecturally beautiful cities in the entire world??
If I were you I'd cut one of those cities out, if possible, and focus on two...or hell even one.
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Need recommendations (Istanbul, Rome, Barcelona)
03-03-2014, 02:31 PM
All three are absolutely worth it but you're doing yourself a disservice by allotting so little time. Even if you spend all your time running from must-see sight to must-see sight you'll still only scratch the surface at best. Rome and Istanbul are two of the true epicenters of European history, the sheer mass of historical interest in each one is enormous.
Istanbul: if you only have 1 day, the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and Blue Mosque are all in the same area so concentrate on that part of the city to maximize your time. However, the Hagia Sophia is closed to visitors on Mondays so it'd be a real shame if that was the only day you could be there (believe me, the interior is 100x more impressive than the exterior). Istanbul is worth 3 full days at least, though, so with just 1 you're going to miss out on a lot.
Rome: 2 1/2 days is not plenty, not even close. You can feasibly see the big sights (Coliseum, Forum Romanum, Pantheon, Vatican City) if you plan it right but there's tons more to see after that. 2 1/2 days is better than nothing of course but it's barely the appetizer of what the city has to offer. Also, the airport doesn't have particularly speedy connections to the city so don't plan on zipping back and forth with ease...Italian public transportation earns its reputation for tardiness.
Barcelona is also short-changed by 1 1/2 days...it doesn't have the history of Rome or Istanbul but it does have a unique early 20th century architecture and famous nightlife. Like others have said, I'd choose one or two of these cities to focus your time on, you'll have more time to enjoy your trip and take it all in rather than dashing from plane to train to bus and back again. Ask yourself what interests you most and then go with it, they're all fantastic and fun cities so you can't really go wrong.
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Need recommendations (Istanbul, Rome, Barcelona)
03-03-2014, 02:47 PM
Thanks for all the feedback so far. I am now leaning towards just cutting Barcelona and doing Istanbul and Rome 3 days each.
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Need recommendations (Istanbul, Rome, Barcelona)
03-03-2014, 02:47 PM
OP - What are your goals for this overall trip?
If you're looking for a history trip, you're going to need a hell of a lot more time. Istanbul is one of the most epic cities on the planet. Truly mind blowing history.
Rome is another beast. Heart of historical western civilization. So much to see.
If game is your focus, Barcelona is the best (not for the locals - they're not easy - but there's so many chicks there from all over any time of year). That might even be my favorite all-around city in the world. It has just about everything. Not the history of Istanbul or Rome but still very strong history, art, and culture.
Then you have near-perfect weather, beaches, and cuisine.
The nightlife is raging nearly every night.
Those are all great cities, but clearly not enough time. You could use all that time for any one of those cities.
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Need recommendations (Istanbul, Rome, Barcelona)
03-03-2014, 03:42 PM
Thanks Player G, had no idea. That definitely changes things. When does the crowd arrive for that? I am now thinking
Rome April 27-Wed 30th
Istanbul Wed night-Saturday night
flight out Sunday morning back to states from Istanbul
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Need recommendations (Istanbul, Rome, Barcelona)
03-03-2014, 07:41 PM
Not so sure how that event works... anyway if you fly out on the 30th I think you should be out of the "turbolent area"