Michelin NEOS Guide Turkey, 1e (NEOS Guide)

Rating:
Summary: Michelin NEOS Guide Turkey, 1e (NEOS Guide)
Review: After perusing several guides to Turkey, I purchased this one b/c the old dependables (Lonely Planet/Rough Guide) were a bit whiny and I wanted a change. After getting to Turkey last October, I wished I had taken a Lonely Planet/Rough Guide, or even Let's Go. The Neos is particularly bad when it comes to travel logistics, especially if you're planning to "rough it" and take public transport. Luckily, every other independent traveller had a copy of one of the above to help us make our way through Turkey. My friend and I traveled with 2 other guidebooks. Surprisingly, the Cadogan was much better for historical information/background than the Michelin one. Hands down, the guidebooks by the French publisher Routard are the BEST! Their city guide for Istanbul was wonderful. Don't buy the NEOS if you plan to travel around with a backpack. I left mine in Turkey, it wasn't worth the weight home.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed with NEOS Guide
Review: After perusing several guides to Turkey, I purchased this one b/c the old dependables (Lonely Planet/Rough Guide) were a bit whiny and I wanted a change. After getting to Turkey last October, I wished I had taken a Lonely Planet/Rough Guide, or even Let's Go. The Neos is particularly bad when it comes to travel logistics, especially if you're planning to "rough it" and take public transport. Luckily, every other independent traveller had a copy of one of the above to help us make our way through Turkey. My friend and I traveled with 2 other guidebooks. Surprisingly, the Cadogan was much better for historical information/background than the Michelin one. Hands down, the guidebooks by the French publisher Routard are the BEST! Their city guide for Istanbul was wonderful. Don't buy the NEOS if you plan to travel around with a backpack. I left mine in Turkey, it wasn't worth the weight home.

Rating:
Summary: It's a turkey
Review: I'm a great fan of Michelin guide books and of Turkey. So I bought this one anticipating the usual thorough coverage of sites, restaurants, & hotels. I generally agree with their ratings of the sites they include, & like their descriptions. But whatever happened to eastern & southeastern Turkey? Yes, the Kurds have made some of these areas inhospitable, but Urfa, Gaziantep, Diyarbakir, Lake Van, among others, aren't even mentioned!

Then there's the coverage of hotels & restaurants. This is a fine book for backpackers, but what about the fine hotels & cuisine in Turkey? Not a mention of the Ciragan Palace in Istanbul, the Kismet in Kusadasi, the Dedeman in Nevsehir and Antalya, etc. If you want to travel upscale, try Frommers or the Blue Guide.

Rating:
Summary: It's a turkey
Review: I'm a great fan of Michelin guide books and of Turkey. So I bought this one anticipating the usual thorough coverage of sites, restaurants, & hotels. I generally agree with their ratings of the sites they include, & like their descriptions. But whatever happened to eastern & southeastern Turkey? Yes, the Kurds have made some of these areas inhospitable, but Urfa, Gaziantep, Diyarbakir, Lake Van, among others, aren't even mentioned!

Then there's the coverage of hotels & restaurants. This is a fine book for backpackers, but what about the fine hotels & cuisine in Turkey? Not a mention of the Ciragan Palace in Istanbul, the Kismet in Kusadasi, the Dedeman in Nevsehir and Antalya, etc. If you want to travel upscale, try Frommers or the Blue Guide.

Rating:
Summary: Michelin NEOS Guide Turkey
Review: Just got back and found the book to be wonderful. Its description of the sites visited, its rankings and general information on Turkey history, culture and places was indespensable. Wouldn't go without it. It is on of the best I have seen.

Rating:
Summary: Without a doubt THE BEST guidebook for Turkey
Review: Our group of 8 brought 6 different guidebooks to Turkey, but only the NEOS guide was carried with us every where we went! The book gives great background information on architecture, culture, and geography; excellent descriptions of all of the sights; good insights into what must be seen in a country with so much to offer; and, as any Michelin guide does, great restaurant recommendations! All of this in a well-organized format! The authors clearly understand what travelers need to know to make the most of their trip through Turkey. The suggested itineraries in each section of the book helped us decide among the many great points of interest to explore, from Istanbul to Cappodocia to the Mediterranean and Aegean! Turkey is a great country for travel and the NEOS guide is a must have if you want to do it right.

Rating:
Summary: Without a doubt THE BEST guidebook for Turkey
Review: Our group of 8 brought 6 different guidebooks to Turkey, but only the NEOS guide was carried with us every where we went! The book gives great background information on architecture, culture, and geography; excellent descriptions of all of the sights; good insights into what must be seen in a country with so much to offer; and, as any Michelin guide does, great restaurant recommendations! All of this in a well-organized format! The authors clearly understand what travelers need to know to make the most of their trip through Turkey. The suggested itineraries in each section of the book helped us decide among the many great points of interest to explore, from Istanbul to Cappodocia to the Mediterranean and Aegean! Turkey is a great country for travel and the NEOS guide is a must have if you want to do it right.

Rating:
Summary: Michelin NEOS Guide Turkey, 1e (NEOS Guide)
Review: We had 4 guidebooks with us in Turkey - this was by far the most useful. It dovetailed very well with Lonely Planet. Detailed descriptions of museums and antiquities were outstanding, restaurant suggestions and hotel recommendations almost always very good. If you can only take one guidebook, grab this.