Do you yearn to feel at home during your vacation? Renting a flat or an apartment is an excellent way feeling more like a local. Istanbul is dotted with apartments that are available for renting. Some serviced apartments even go so far as providing the conveniences usually expected in a hotel. For apartments, you have the option of renting out a studio unit or a 1, 2, 3-bedroom apartment. The 2-3 bedroom apartment is perfect if you are going to Istanbul with a group of friends. Fancy doing a barbecue on the garden? Want to invite friends over? Would you like to cook a traditional Turkish meal? These are what you can enjoy if you are staying at an apartment.
These apartments can be rented out for a few days, a week, and so on. These are invariably furnished apartments. The apartments are clustered in the areas of Sultanahmet, Taksim and Kadikoy. But you can also find apartments near the business areas (such as Levent and Besiktas), as well as areas near the airports (Ataturk International Airport and Sabiha Gokcen Airport). You can also rent apartments (more like restored Ottoman homes) at the Princes’ Islands.
Examples of apartments for rent:
Apricot Apartments (Amiral Tafdil Sokak, near Sultanahmet)
Aslan Apartments (Sultanahment – Cemberlitas)
Aysel Apartments (near Istiklal Caddesi)
Belkis Apartments (Cihangir, Beyoglu)
Bereket Apartments (Beyoglu)
Brot Galata View (Beyoglu)
Didem Seaview Garden and Seaview Balcony (Kabatas/Gumussuyu, Beyoglu)
Diva Bosphorus (Serencebey, Besiktas)
Garden Flat (Faikpasa)
Glorya Apartments (Beyoglu)
Istanbul Holiday Apartments (Sisli)
Istiklal Flat (Faikpasa)
Kadir Apartments (Firuzaga, Cihangir, Beyoglu)
Pera Place (Pera, Beyoglu)
Sari Konak (Mimar Mehmet Aga Caddesi, Sultanahmet)
Sultanahmet Suites (Kadirga, Sultanahmet)
Taksim Apartments (Topcu Caddesi, Taksim)
Witt Istanbul Suites (Cihangir, near Taksim Square)
Websites you can explore include:
www.apartments.com.tr
www.flatsinistanbul.com/fii/search .html
www.istanbulholidayapartments.com
One other option is for you to share a flat with someone. With flatshares, you get to share a two or three bedroom apartment with others while still maintaining your privacy. The bedrooms are either single or double accommodations. The flats are equipped with all the conveniences of home – a washing machine, bed linen, utensils and materials for cooking, as well as refrigerators. Electricity and water bills are included in the fees. Flatshares usually have a minimum rental period, usually one week.
You can log into websites that cater to this specific purpose. Here, you can post an ad or explore the websites for apartments that are open to flatsharing. It’s a great way not just to save on accommodation expenses but also to get to make new friends. Here are just some of the flatsharing links:
http://www.homestayistanbul.com/flatshare.html
http://www.clickflatshare.com/Istanbul/
http://istanbul.ixpat.com (click housing – direct)