I hired Byzas tours to bring me to both Ephesus and Cappadocia from Istanbul because I only had eight days in Istanbul and did not want to waste any time organising it all.

I found them to be affordable and flexible. I got to do what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it, but all I had to think about was being in my hotel lobby at a certain time. The guides were educated and interesting to talk to.

Some websites suggest doing things yourself, but there is so much history in Turkey that only a guide can put it in perspective (unless you plan on carrying a library with you).

Also, I compared Byzas' prices to the cost of doing it all myself separately, and it barely cost any more ... it might have been the same with all the things I didn't have to worry about such as highway tolls.

www.toursistanbul.com/day-trips.htm

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My wife and I did this a few years back. We set out and watched the sunset over the Golden Horn. The ferries themselves are of a shabbily romantic variety, with all walks of Istanbul life crowded aboard.

One word of warning, however: make sure your ferry is returning to Istanbul! With slowly dawning panic, we became aware that our poor grasp of Turkish and ferry routemaps had put us on a one-way trip to the Black Sea.

Once we had realised this, we were halfway down the Bosphorus (having ogled many a fortress along the way) and more than a little worried. Fortunately, it was an all-stopper and we disembarked at an unnamable little town past the glassworks with a lively looking square.

We found a local store where they told us where to find a bus heading back to Taksim Square. Very kindly, they gave us a pair of bus tickets to get back.

Unfortunately, when we caught the bus, it turned out we needed three each! No worries, a collection was taken up and the passengers on the bus made up our deficit! It was amazing to be rescued and no one would accept any payment in exchange for their tickets. We sat sheepishly and grinned like idiots for the whole hour and a half journey back to the city.

It was dark, very late and we were very tired when we got back, but we had had quite an adventure. We will never forget the kindness of the Turkish people!

Eminonu Ferry Terminal by the Galata Bridge

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