Getting there can be really cheap if you book flights in advance – her return ticket booked in June with Pegasus Airlines cost just 140YTL which is cheaper than the current return bus fare. 

Compare a one hour flight to 14+ hours on the bus, and it’s no contest as far as we’re concerned. 

Pegasus use Istanbul’s second airport on the Asian side of the Bosphorus, but there is a Havaş bus waiting for every flight and it’s 10YTL for the journey to Taksim – Istanbul’s main square – which takes about an hour. 

A taxi from there to a hotel in Sultan Ahmet (the main tourist area) will work out around 15YTL at day time rates.

Winter is a great time to visit Istanbul as the historical sites are less crowded.  Although, as in all famous old cities globally, there are tourists all year round in Istanbul.

But the mega cruise ships with thousands of eager sightseers tend to be thin on the ground from November – March, which means the historic Sultan Ahmet district is much less crowded.

Beware that January and February are cold months and snow often falls on the city in February. 

But Istanbul is a great city to explore on foot and what better time to do that than during the winter months.

So watch this space for more articles on places to go in Istanbul.  And if you do visit the city let us know about your favourite places.