Venice versus Istanbul

[roothy123]

I am going on a cruise that starts in Venice and ends in Istanbul. I believe there's an overnight in Istanbul, but maybe not in Venice. I have never been to either city, and am wondering is people who have been to both feel strongly where to find any extra pre or post trip time I'm able to carve out. Should I concentrate on Venice, Istanbul, or split extra time in both? I am mostly interested in photography, and also not the kind of person who likes to just go down a list of the top viewed sights and tick them off. However, I am also not the kind of person who needs to read every detail about something or learn a lot about each place or city I visit. I like to do things independently if possible, using buses, taxis, trams, whatever. I'm not big on museums. I figure I can spend 4 extra days besides the ones on the cruise. I know that's not a lot, but that's all we want to spend, unless there is a really good reason why that's totally not feasible.

 

I realize this is the Italy forum, so the responses may be skewed toward Venice, but any feedback will likely be helpful!

 

Also, I'll search for hotels in both cities, but if anyone has a favorite, particularly in Venice, I'd be interested in hearing about it. I'm not really looking for cushy, just convenient, comfortable and affordable.

Edited September 9, 2014 by roothy123

[softail]

I am going on a cruise that starts in Venice and ends in Istanbul. I believe there's an overnight in Istanbul, but maybe not in Venice. I have never been to either city, and am wondering is people who have been to both feel strongly where to find any extra pre or post trip time I'm able to carve out. Should I concentrate on Venice, Istanbul, or split extra time in both? (I realize this is the Italy forum, so the responses may be skewed toward Venice, but any feedback will likely be helpful!)

 

Also, I'll search for hotels in both cities, but if anyone has a favorite in either city, I'd be interested in hearing about it. I'm not really looking for cushy, just convenient, comfortable and affordable.

 

Well ive been to Venice multiple times and was in Istanbul last October and overnighted. I would try and do a couple of days Pre Cruise in Venice and at least another day Post Cruise in Istanbul. Both are great cities and worth the extra time to explore.

[2pbears]

Well ive been to Venice multiple times and was in Istanbul last October and overnighted. I would try and do a couple of days Pre Cruise in Venice and at least another day Post Cruise in Istanbul. Both are great cities and worth the extra time to explore.

 

We have not been to Istanbul yet so I am not able to offer any comparison information but I will recommend Locando Orseolo in Venice. We stayed there three years ago and it was wonderful. The owners cater to your every need, remember you by name from the time you check in until the time you check out, prepare your breakfast to order and are helpful in every way when it comes to restaurant recommendations and reservations. We will be in Venice again next year and will stay again at Locando Orseolo. Oh, and if you are looking for a restaurant in Venice, Anima Bella is wonderful. It is run by a mother and daughter team and I wanted to bring them home with me to prepare our Christmas lasagna. It was the best! Not cheap, but good homemade Italian cuisine.

[John Bull]

Hi, Roothy.

Both are A-list.

Unless you want to visit Murano, IMHO Venice can be explored in a single day. It,s very much a tourist destination.

Since it.s your embarkation port you,ll want to build in leeway for flight delays.

Sorry, can,t suggest hotels, we over-nited aboard.

 

Istanbul is a favourite of mine. A living city, a great mix of friendly folk. Sights are reasonably walkable but a little more widespread. Been there on cruises and a city break, but have still only scratched the surface. Riding the ferries is great fun and very cheap, just walking the streets is great for people-watching.

Your money will go a very great deal further in Istanbul than in Venice.

Can,t reccommend a hotel, ours were ok but not ideally located. Hopefully cruise mom will chip in, she knows her stuff on hotels. But I would certainly say it should be in Sultanahmet, and an Otttoman house rather than some modern universal cloned chain.

 

JB :)

Aplos for typos etc, on a U S road-trip, and don,t get on well with an IPad

[texancruzer]

Here'a another Istanbul vote……. while I enjoyed visiting Venice (we overnighted and then spent another night at the Danielli) it didn't even come close to Istanbul for us.

 

I will say that the photo ops in both cities are about even with some amazing sites in Venice. But Istanbul is such a crossroads place that you will see a little of everything there…… don't miss the Basilica Cistern for some neat photos. And get down into the Grand Bazaar (past the tourist area) for some unusual shops/photo ops.

[Earl Rosebery]

Istanbul requires at least 1 day more than Venice. You can use the tram to get around most of the old city. The GrAnd Bazaar is worth a visit as is the route back down from Taksim square to the Golden Horn. You can skip the Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque in favour of just wandering.

 

We were very happy with Ca' Angeli in Venice. Conveniently located on the Grand Canal within an easy walk to Rialto, St. Mark's and Piazza Roma.

 

It's a good idea to read up on both cities in advance. They both can be confusing.

[Pet Nit Noy]

I am going on a cruise that starts in Venice and ends in Istanbul. I believe there's an overnight in Istanbul, but maybe not in Venice. I have never been to either city, and am wondering is people who have been to both feel strongly where to find any extra pre or post trip time I'm able to carve out. Should I concentrate on Venice, Istanbul, or split extra time in both? I am mostly interested in photography, and also not the kind of person who likes to just go down a list of the top viewed sights and tick them off. However, I am also not the kind of person who needs to read every detail about something or learn a lot about each place or city I visit. I like to do things independently if possible, using buses, taxis, trams, whatever. I'm not big on museums. I figure I can spend 4 extra days besides the ones on the cruise. I know that's not a lot, but that's all we want to spend, unless there is a really good reason why that's totally not feasible.

 

I realize this is the Italy forum, so the responses may be skewed toward Venice, but any feedback will likely be helpful!

 

Also, I'll search for hotels in both cities, but if anyone has a favorite, particularly in Venice, I'd be interested in hearing about it. I'm not really looking for cushy, just convenient, comfortable and affordable.

 

Both cities are a photographer's delight: great architectural possibilities and lovely vistas. Venice beats Istanbul because of the quality of its two dimensional art, typically in churches or in "schools" (e.g. the second floor of Scuola San Rocco). However, Istanbul is a real city with a huge resident population whereas Venice is more a tourist's delight. In Istanbul, you'll get scenes juxtaposing modern life with the historic structures.

 

The food in both cities is great so that's a toss-up.

 

If you're looking for the less touristy aspect of both cities, consider visiting the food markets: Rialto Market in Venice and the Spice Market, not the Grand Bazaar, in Istanbul.

 

Since you've said you want to visit the places that are more meaningful to you rather than going down the check list of standard places, you'll want to do some research. For example, I'd be sure to visit the Rustem Pasha mosque, one of the smaller and less visited mosques, because of the glorious tiles. Ditto for the Church of St. Savior in Chora because you'll be able to stand closer to the mosaics than is typical in most churches. At close range, I was able to see the way the mosaic artists laid out the tiny tiles to form the over-all image.

 

You may find the article "One Day in Venice" in Trip Advisor useful.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Guide-g187870-k23-Venice_Veneto.html

[Hlitner]

WOW! What a dilemma. We have traveled all over the world (about 100 countries) and you have chosen two of our favorite cities. In fact, both of these would make our personal Top 10 list! In your situation we would beg, borrow, steal, etc. to find a way to spend a few days in each city. Fly into Venice a couple of days early and stay in Istanbul for at least 2 or 3 nights. One key issue in Istanbul is the day of the week since Sunday, Mon, and Tues will find various closures (such as Topkapi being closed on Tuesday). So if you are in Istanbul on those days you need to develop your schedule to accommodate closures.

 

Regarding Istanbul, DD and her B/F just returned (last week) from a 10 day visit to Turkey...including 4 nights in Istanbul. We had urged them to take this trip for several years and they called it their best trip ever! In Istanbul they did spend the big bucks and stayed at the Four Seasons Bosphorus which DD simply described as one of the best hotels on earth (and they have stayed in great hotels around the globe).

 

Hank

Edited September 10, 2014 by Hlitner

[maryann ns]

I love both cities but would choose Istanbul first. One reason is that it is possibly more likely you could at some time to do a land trip to Italy and see Venice again. We have done that twice.

 

We got to Istanbul via a cruise and had an overnight. It was not nearly enough and a land trip to Turkey is on our list for the future.

 

We loved Turkey and found the people very friendly. We were in five cruise ports there and all were wonderful.

[CintiPam]

While both cities are great, Istanbul is my preference. Significant over many time periods, alive and not just an artifact, and worthy of a minimum of three days for a first-time visitor. We spent four days there in May after our first visit in 2008 for four days.

 

We also were in Venice recently and it simply is so jam-packed during the cruise season. We spent one day exploring Murano and Burano, which was great, but the main tourist areas were overflowing.

 

We stayed in the Sirkeci area for both Istanbul visits, the first time at the Sirkeci Mansion and most recently at the Neorion. Both are about a 10-minute walk from the major Sultanahamet sights and near some very good restaurants.

[syesmar]

I’ve been to both. This summer, I visited Istanbul for the first time (our ship arrived around 4pm and we were there until 5pm the following day). I have been to Venice 3 times (twice independently, once on a cruise this summer….we embarked from there and then returned for 2 days on our b2b). For me, the hands down winner is Venice. But as others have stated, it all comes down to preference.

 

They are completely different cities! Istanbul is the largest city I have ever been in. Yet, after initially settling in your environment, is easy to get around. There is much to see, but for me, I felt like the time I had there was adequate and if it were on the itinerary again it would not be a deciding factor in me choosing a cruise, one way or the other.

 

Venice is compact (although it could take you hours to walk around, if you so desired) and it is enchanting like no other place. There’s the other islands of Burano and Murano that are fun to visit. I always leave wishing for more time there! I personally would not be satisfied with only one day. In fact, I feel like there’s still so much there that I have yet to see. You will definitely take lots of pictures there! (I have visited in the winter and in the summer. It’s much more congested in the summer and was quite different than visiting in wintertime, but we loved it anyway! I also recommend strolling around in the evening after the crowds have dwindled). You are in for a treat on the sail away from Venice!

 

As others have said, do some research on what there is to see. It really all comes down to what you are interested in and which cultures and sites appeal to you.

 

Have a great cruise!

[evitacruiser]

Personal preference obviously, but it would be Venice all the way for me. We liked Istanbul for the scenery and location but the hassle from shopkeepers etc we could have done without. Venice is my passion though, it is an incredible city imo.

[stipmom]

If you have four days split the time between the two cities. If you don't have an overnight in Venice you will not have the time to see much of Venice

I will second staying at Locando Orseolo there

[roothy123]

Thank you for the information, and keep it coming! I'm learning a lot, and I DO have a long time to plan. We don't leave for another year, I'm afraid!

[Megan01]

I wasn't expecting to love Istanbul but we were there last October and I was absolutely enthralled with the city! We stayed at the Osmanhan hotel in the Sultanahmet, just a couple of blocks from the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace. This is a small boutique hotel with great rates, included breakfast and had a great roof top terrace and views! I'd highly recommend them for the friendly service, location and quality. Istanbul has a wonderful mix of the old and new and if you are looking to capture photographic moments, you will find lots of it there. It's become one of my most favorite cities for sure.

 

 

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