required for entry to mosques and churches. While ladies do not need to wear headscarves, men and women should not wear shorts or sleeveless shirts.

In terms of crime, Istanbul is one of the safest cities in Europe, but attend your handbags and wallets, ensure you receive change in full from vendors and make sure that taxi meters are turned on.

Ask your guide to recommend one of Istanbul's many first-rate restaurants.

ATM cash machines are numerous and credit cards, travelers' checks and foreign currency widely accepted.

A small fee is generally required at the entrance to toilets, so keep some small change handy - in Turkish Lira, of course.

Visitors to Istanbul are extremely unlikely to suffer "traveler's tummy", but we suggest you stick to bottled water.