24 hour layover in Zurich, and Istanbul

[yellowsnow]

I got 24 hour layovers in Zurich and Istanbul.

Any tips on what to see in these two cities?

In Istanbul we are planning on going to the Grand Bazaar for sure, and probably the blue mosque.

Zurich, I have no clue what is interesting there.

Also have 24 hours in Hong Kong, but i have family here so they'll probably drag me around someplaces. But feel free to suggest your favorite place in HK!

[austic]

Blue Mosque was overrated I would check out Haga Sophia instead, much more interesting. to be honest the blue mosque is nice to take pics of from outside but inside is just a big room with prayer rugs and people praying. The architecture of haga sophia and the illusion of the floating dome is worth the trip in itself and it had both Muslim and Christian artwork making it fairly unique.

Topkapý Palace is right beside Haga Sophia and certainly worth a look, the treasury houses some amazing thrones, riches and the Spoonmakers Diamond.

[yellowsnow]

Yeah, I kind of thought the blue mosque would be overrated.

What about food? any areas you remember which had great local food?

[austic]

I think we just ended up taking a taxi to the main square and walked down the streets till we found a place where the menu looked good. Look for a place with an outdoor balcony on the 2nd floor and just enjoy watching the spectacle

The food was pretty good from what I remember but its been about 7 years since i was last in Turkey.

Advice on Istanbul, the cabbies is scam artists, the meter will say something like $7 but they will say $20 when you get to the destination. Make sure you find a cabbie that will turn the meter on and then pay that.

The night clubs on the water have crazy cover charges i think the one we went to was 50 euro each but it was the most amazing club i have ever been too. cant remember the name..

[Feruk]

Zurich basically... sucks. Go see the lake, maybe walk around city. There's also an observatory right in the city, but it's not open to the public. If you're not a smoker, you'll be in shock. EVERYONE there smokes. Best tip I can give you: get to the train station, get a ticket to Lucerne. I think it's about 2 hours each way, trains run often, and is way more beautiful than Zurich. Also, avoid the tap water! There's way more calcium in it than we're used to. I've never had problems with the tap water (including Mexico and South America), but the water there gave me the runs for 3 days. Unless you wanna be shitting like a mad dog with rabies that is.

[bspot]

Zurich is pretty damn boring. Bern or Luzerne would be my two choices for somewhere close. Bern should only be an hour by train.

No clue what you are talking about with the tap water... Switzerland is super-ultra clean and the water has been just fine the 3 times I've been there

[My_name_is_Rob]

Zurrich has a lot of older architecture if your interested in that kind of thing. could probably kill a couple hours in the older part of town, or as the others mentioned just hop on the train and head to Bern, or Lucerne. They have some pretty cool markets ussually. Or down the lake, Rapperswil is a pretty neat place, and has a castle you can check out. Its right off the lake so its pretty scenic. I have honestly never been bored in Zurrich, but I guess it all depends on who your with, and what you do.

[mac_82]

As others have said, Hagia Sophia>Blue Mosque. The palace is worth a trip, and the underground cistern and hippodrome are all in the same area. I would say check out the hagia and the underground cistern if you only have time for two things. Check out a Turkish Bath if you have time. Some are several hundred years old. And near the bazaar, if you are a football fan, most teams have there own small shops: Fenerbahce, Besiktas and Galatasaray. Nice Adidas jerseys and cheap! Actually if you have room I would pay for another Fenerbahçe jersey!

[ffmf]

For some guidance on food:
http://istanbuleats.com/

They also have food walks but that would take up most of your day and you wouldn't be able to see too many sites.

[Feruk]

Originally posted by bspot
No clue what you are talking about with the tap water... Switzerland is super-ultra clean and the water has been just fine the 3 times I've been there

Yeah I'm not saying it's polluted or undrinkable, as I'm told it's perfectly fine. Just it had a weird effect on me. My guess is the unusual calcium level? If you let the water run, shut it off, your sink will have white calcium residue. I've been on 4 continents and visited many countries and have never had an issue with tap water except Switzerland.