Istanbul holiday spend

This is a somewhat luxurious holiday for me, as it doesn’t start with a Ryanair or Easyjet flight. I feel like a millionaire because I’m flying with KLM:) This is the plus side of avoiding what Mr Money Mustache describes as hedonic adaptation.

I had to transfer at Schiphol and booked a long stopover (seven hours) so that I could have time to go to the city centre (having never been to Amsterdam).

26 Feb 2016

• Return flight to Istanbul via Amsterdam – £107.39
• Hostel deposit for Istanbul – £4.02
• Hotel at airport for first night (late arrival) – £24

March 2016

• Turkish visa – £14.79

Thursday 14 April 2016

• Return train ticket to airport – £11.10
• Baggage storage at Schiphol – €7.00
• Return train from airport to city centre – €9.50
• Chips with oorlog sauce – €4.30
• Sweets – £2.85
• Dinner – €10.70
• Taxi – TRY25 = £6.22 (massively overcharged; the taxi driver switched off the meter but it should have been around TRY10 by distance. However, it was after 1am and I didn’t feel like complaining)
• Total £20.12 + €31.50

Friday 15 April 2016

• 2 tokens for public transport – TRY8
• Balance for hostel – TRY100 (a bargain; although I’d booked for a 6-bed dorm, I got my own room every night)
• Istanbul kart and credit – TRY20
• Lunch – TRY8
• Water – TRY1
• Ice cream – TRY2
• Total TRY139 = £28.89

Saturday 16 April 2016

• Museum pass – TRY85
• Topkapi palace TRY45 included in museum pass
• Topkapi harem TRY20 included in museum pass
• Chora museum TRY15 included in museum pass
• Metro top-up – TRY10
• Ice cream – TRY15
• Orange juice – TRY1
• Meal – TRY50
• Water – TRY1
• Water – TRY2
• Total TRY164 = £40.79

Sunday 17 April 2016

• Metro top-up – TRY10
• Tea and pastry – TRY8.50
• Bread roll – TRY3
• Baklava and tea – TRY20
• Museum of Islamic art TRY20 included in museum pass
• Total TRY41.50 = £10.32

Monday 18 April 2016

• Snack – TRY30
• Ice cream – TRY9
• Iced tea – TRY2.50
• Dinner – TRY16.50
• Total TRY58 = £14.43

Tuesday 19 April 2016

• Lunch: – TRY30
• Gifts – TRY35
• Aya Sofia TRY40 included with museum pass
• Istanbul archeological museums TRY20 included with museum pass
• Dinner – TRY41.50
• Total TRY106.50 = £26.50

Total £291.25 + €31.50 – relatively expensive for six days away, but I did get to visit two different countries. For travellers from Western Europe, Istanbul prices are generally lower than expected. I didn’t have access to a kitchen, but for someone cooking their own food, the price would have been reduced further. The metro and tram system is efficient, quick and reliable and even if it were not already my norm, I’d recommend travelling that way rather than by taxi in Istanbul wherever possible.