Lonely Planet Turkey (Paperback)

~ Pat Yale (Author), Verity Campbell (Author), Richard Plunkett (Author) "The Mediterranean region was inhabited as early as 7500 BC, during the Palaeolithic era..." (more)
Key Phrases: useful daily services, iskender kebap, old otogar, Cumhuriyet Caddesi, Black Sea, Turkish Airlines (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you're going there chances are Lonely Planet has been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these guides are guaranteed to calm the nerves of first-time world travelers, while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the most jaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for nearly 30 years, and as a result has experience and know-how similar to an older sibling's "been there" advice. The original backpacker's bible, the LP series has recently widened its reach. While still giving insights for the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations and itineraries for those with less time than money.

This bestselling guide is the ticket to no-nonsense travel in Turkey. Far-reaching coverage of the sights--from the modern to the ancient--is complemented by a Turkish food guide, useful language section and glossary, and thorough accommodation coverage (from hostels to hotels). A section devoted to Turkish carpets explains everything from traditional patterns to making a good buy. --Kathryn True --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"...informative and thorough." -- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 16, 2005 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 648 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications; 8th edition (March 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1740593626
• ISBN-13: 978-1740593625
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #440,850 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #60 in

  Books > Travel > Asia > Turkey

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An indispensable companion, December 3, 1999

By	John Humphrey (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lonely Planet Turkey (6th ed) (Paperback)

Even for one who has travelled and worked in Turkey off and on for the past 29 years, this volume is an indispensable resource for both practical information and its brief but almost always interesting historical highlights. As an historian and archaeologist who has excavated in Turkey and has led a dozen university-sponsored study-tours through the country, I too have noticed some of the errors and omissions that have caused earlier reviewers distress; but such mistakes are few, are inevitable in a book with such a broad chronological and geographical scope, and are easily outweighed by Tom Brosnahan's obvious knowledge of and affection for the country's past and present. It's worth remembering that this volume does not claim to be an exhaustive historical guide to the country, but rather a handy and portable reference to all aspects of touring in Turkey. For me, it is second only to my wife as my favourite travelling companion in Anatolia.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars overall, good, solid practical information, November 17, 2001

By	Erica L. Andersen "melvin990" (NY, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Lonely Planet Turkey (Turkey, 7th ed) (Paperback)

I love Turkey. I stayed in a small village in Central Anatolia for a total of 12 weeks over 2 summers studying archaeology. The second summer, my husband and I travelled in Western Turkey for 2 weeks. Neither of us really knew what we were doing (or knew much Turkish). We depended on the Lonely Planet to find out how to get to the places we are going and where to stay and eat. I have read several guides, and the Lonely Planet has the best practical information, although I did notice some small inaccuracies.

I would suggest supplementing the Lonely Planet with another guide that has more archaeological and historical information, if you are interested in it. Also, you will need a book or the advice of a friend to help you narrow down what to see. The Lonely Planet can leave you overhwelmed.

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thorough, Very Useful, November 26, 2000

By	richard_t "richard_t" (Overseas) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lonely Planet Turkey (6th ed) (Paperback)

Just a very useful guide, with basically everything the visitor to Turkey will need, a useful historical overview, travel tips, tourist sites, and suggested itineraries. Turkey is a great travel destination, with so much to see and so many different regions that it is difficult for one travel guide to do it all justice. This guide does a pretty good job. Those wanting a bit more on Istanbul would do well to check out the Eyewitness Guide or John Freely's book, especially for more historical depth and more detailed coverage of restaurants and hotels. But this Lonely Planet guide crams in an impressive amount of useful information. The chapters on the Adriatic coast sites (Ephesus, Kusadasi, etc.) are brief but comprehensive. The only suggestions I would have for the next edition of this guide would be a better section on buying carpets - there are four pages here, but frankly they aren't that helpful, and most visitors to Turkey could use some do's and don'ts on the subject. Also, many of the country maps are too small-gauge to be useful, dark and difficult to read. The maps should be greatly expanded, both in size and number, and made brighter and easier to read. But overall, the Lonely Planet guide is thorough and will likely be more than enough for most travelers.