Rating: 
Summary: honey bee or wasp
Review: Disgrace, poor, lonely and isolate. How did you travel in Turkey? Was it a private investigation or a public inquiry? You might have fooled some people for some time. Be aware, you cannot fool all the people for all the time. No more try your chance for new flowers. You are a wasp, not a honey bee.
Rating: 
Summary: An indispensable companion
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: A great book, and an even better country!!!
Review: I brought my Lonely Planet book to Turkey with me. Although I was on an escorted tour, I found the book very helpful as I planned for my trip. I knew what to wear, what to eat, what to expect of the culture, etc. I also knew more about each place I was going to visit before I went there. I definitely recommend the book, and even more, I recommend the remarkable country of Turkey. I have nothing but positive memories of the magical place, and plan to return again and again. Of course, I'll still always bring the L.P. book with me!
Rating:
Summary: What do people really expect out of a tour book?
Review: I find it strange how most of the criticisms of this book (and other LP's) center around LP's alleged inability to capture Turkish culture as accurately as people would like. I've got a crazy idea for these critics -- YOU CAN'T EXPERIENCE CULTURE FROM A BOOK!!! This book, and most LPs, are good at doing one thing: orienting you. That means giving you the basic facts to get to a country, get situated (sleep and eat safely), and figure out where to travel (itinerary planning, and their maps are the best). The rest is up to the traveler. As such, I take LP's cultural experiences and observations with several grains of salt. In other words, I use it as a 'guide', not as a mandate. My wife and I just got back from 3 weeks in Turkey, and had a fantastic time. LP helped us plot our course before the trip and figure out places to stay along the way. Once in Turkey, we relied more on a friend of ours who owns a travel agency in Istanbul, but LP helped with some hotel recommendations and restaurants when we were too lazy to explore or had limited time in a place. In terms of social mores, we used our own judgement, with a little help from LP, and never had a single problem anywhere in the country. Yes, she covered up when we went to mosques (out of respect); on Istiklal Caddessi in Istanbul we could dress more Western and get away with it. These kinds of things are best learned from experience and from the people, not from a book. Put another way, the book can tell you absolutely what *not* to do; as for what to do...that's the fun of traveling, isn't it? All in all, even if we had had a horrendous experience in Turkey (not possible, in my opinion -- I am a Turkophile through and through), I wouldn't presume to blame LP. I have used them for India, all the countries in Europe, Morocco, and South Africa, and they have never steered me wrong -- they're great at helping you with your first steps in a new country; after that, the journey is up to you.
Rating:
Summary: The only guide for budget travelling!
Review: I just returned from travelling through Turkey with a Turkish friend who lives in Germany, and despite his familiarity with the country and cities, we both heavily relied upon the LP guide for information on lodging, historical sites, off-the-beaten-track towns, and other fun and interesting places to visit. It is a fabulous book, and the only one worth paying for to use for such a trip. All other travellers I encountered (who weren't on pre-planned tours or paying $200/night at the Hilton) were using the LP guide, whether from North America, Australia, or Europe. Great information, very comprehensive, aimed at budget travellers! Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: overall, good, solid practical information
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: overall, good, solid practical information
Review: 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. Plus, sometimes the "cute" writing style got on my nerves, but probably just because it was so useful that I was reading it too much.
Rating:
Summary: State the errors!!!
Review: I wish those who complain that the Turkey Survival Guide has wrong information would give some examples, especially trenchant ones. As for myself, I find Tom's book to be on the same excellent par of the dozen or more Lonely Planet guides I've used for my travels to almost 40 countries.
Rating: 
Summary: Updated Turkey travel info available online.
Review: I've posted updated information for readers of this guide on my website at www.infoexchange.com. An audio cassette is also available to learn Turkish pronunciation. Please let me know what you think
Rating:
Summary: the best guidebook around
Review: I've travelled through Turkey many times, and this guidebook is the best. It's especially strong at describing off-the-beaten-path villages and other places of historic and cultural interest. I can't wait for the next edition!
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