Travel to Middle East

The Rough Guide to Turkey 6 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)

Format: Paperback
Author: Marc S. Dubin
ReleaseDate: 15 February, 2007
Publisher: Rough Guides
Rating:

The best guide book possible
I recommend it to anyone who is interested in Turkey, not only to those who will be visiting. The Rough Guide to Turkey is extremely comprehensive and fun.

Comprehensive, opinionated, and sensible

I was impressed with this book. I used this book for a driving trip along the western and southern coasts, beginning in Istanbul, remaining west of Ankara, and concluding in Antalya. I found its lodging and restaurant recommendations quite useful and reliable, though they are not as low-budget as, say, Let's Go. However, Turkey is so inexpensive that even the budget-conscious need not stay or eat at the cheapest places. I like the fact that lodging recommendations are located on clear maps with numbers keyed to the text--this simple thing is often absent in guides to Turkey, and what a pain when you're constantly in new places! Nightlife is covered, as is the nearest post office and local travel agency for that last-minute flight back to Istanbul that you were sure you wouldn't need because you would be driving back yourself.

Contemporary, historical, and archaelogical information is surprisingly detailed and plentiful. When the authors do not like something, they can be stinging. While some might find this approach annoying (it is very English), I buy a travel book for its opinions, so long as these opinions are based on real knowledge.

In sum, if you were to take only one travel book to Turkey, and if you wanted to cover major parts of the country, this Rough Guide would be ideal. Add a Blue Guide Turkey, a couple of really good atlases, and perhaps a book devoted to Istanbul, and you should be set.

First steps to Turkey
We escort small groups to Turkey, and the Rough Guide is consistently the best single reference for general and historical information. This is the best single guidebook we've found for Turkey. Combined with the Blue Guide to Turkey, it's easy to plan your trip. As usual with the Rough Guides, it has a lot of information for many types of travelers without sacrificing cultural and historical details. Well organized, with good maps (much better than the Lonely Planet series).

Related products:
click image or link for details on these Middle East travel books.

	Turkey (Eyewitness Travel Guides)
	Frommer's Turkey (Frommer's Complete)
	Istanbul (Eyewitness Travel Guides)
	Lonely Planet Turkey
	Lonely Planet Istanbul