***Official ISTANBUL travel thread - buses being provided ( updated ) ***

[AT15]

just chilling in the just bar now for the last time of the trip. Been a great time away thank you to all the fans who made it great. My first European away game will never be forgotten 🇱🇻

[IanV]

Hope everyone managed to make the Edinburgh connection at FRA and I didn’t delay the bus between gates too much. Having stupidly left my iPad at security - and the mad dash back added a bit of stress only to find out my Dublin connection is delayed. 

Great trips though - and already looking forward to Europe next year. 
 

Note for future. My box of Turkish Delight for the wife seemed to get a lot of attention in Frankfurt (both security guy and a policewoman) so German security must have me pegged for a drug smuggler.

[Doctor FinnBarr]

In the Kraft bar tonight, bouncing, if anyone knows China his top has been off. 

[mack515151]

For awareness if flying via Amsterdam today.

Just seen this from KLM....

No bad news re my flights yet.

[Shaggy2]

8 hours ago, FinnBarr Saunders said:

In the Kraft bar tonight, bouncing, if anyone knows China his top has been off. 

😂 Still Game, eh? 

[Shaggy2]

Anyone else come home from great away atmospheres (mainly Euro trips but sometimes ER, in the case of Olly Lee) and find themselves unable to get one particular song out their head for days? A pleasant form of Tinnitus. 
 

We’ve got Lawrence Shankland - Riga

Sha la la…Heart of Midlothian - Florence 

and now 

Tobeee Siiibbick from Istanbul. 
 

[Jack Torrance]

On 03/11/2022 at 21:32, Tom Hardy’s Dug said:

What you doing for lube before you get home buddy? I’m concerned about this.

😄Hotel had free stuff

[Jack Torrance]

7 hours ago, Shaggy2 said:

Anyone else come home from great away atmospheres (mainly Euro trips but sometimes ER, in the case of Olly Lee) and find themselves unable to get one particular song out their head for days? A pleasant form of Tinnitus. 
 

We’ve got Lawrence Shankland - Riga

Sha la la…Heart of Midlothian - Florence 

and now 

Tobeee Siiibbick from Istanbul. 
 

'Oh what a night' is the one that's been stuck in my head for days 😄

[Craig Gordons Gloves]

That was a fantastic trip! Left the hotel at 4.30 on Friday morning and 20 hours later was walking into my house. 
Can’t get the Toby Sibbick song, the Lawrence Shankland song and the Thursday night song out my head and I’ve no complaints about that at all. 

[1953]

2 hours ago, Jack Torrance said:

'Oh what a night' is the one that's been stuck in my head for days 😄

It's hardly been out of my head since I got back from Florence 3 weeks ago.

[Doctor FinnBarr]

I'm up at 4 in the morning for my transfer, can someone report the pub across the road for noise? 

[Sherbet]

6 hours ago, 1953 said:

It's hardly been out of my head since I got back from Florence 3 weeks ago.

Thursday night is brilliant    first heard it in st gallen

[will-i-am-a-jambo]

On 04/11/2022 at 21:43, FinnBarr Saunders said:

In the Kraft bar tonight, bouncing, if anyone knows China his top has been off. 

China managed to create a bomb scare at Budapest airport today by forgetting to pick his bags up from the baggage reclaim. Was kept back for 20mins after passport control to let the sniffer dogs do their thing. Surprised they didn't start howling after smelling his under crackers tbh!

[Shaggy2]

4 hours ago, will-i-am-a-jambo said:

China managed to create a bomb scare at Budapest airport today by forgetting to pick his bags up from the baggage reclaim. Was kept back for 20mins after passport control to let the sniffer dogs do their thing. Surprised they didn't start howling after smelling his under crackers tbh!

😂 what a guy ♥️

[Basil Hayden]

11.5 hour flight back to Newark today. Very well worth it.

 

Fine trip

 

The buses were a huge bonus

 

 

[Italian Lambretta]

Rumour has the big Just Bar flag has found it’s way back to Bonnyrigg ✈️😜

[SecN]

1 minute ago, Italian Lambretta said:

Rumour has the big Just Bar flag has found it’s way back to Bonnyrigg ✈️😜

Brilliant. Show photies?  😄

[Midloth_Iain]

20 minutes ago, Italian Lambretta said:

Rumour has the big Just Bar flag has found it’s way back to Bonnyrigg ✈️😜

Hope Section N are receptive to it making an appearance there too .....  😊

 

Well done sorting the bus mate !

[Midloth_Iain]

On 03/11/2022 at 19:58, Heartsmad1874 said:

Just seen a picture on twitter of Istanbul fans with a couple of Hearts flags upside down. Hope those fans are alright.

 

😂

 

The flags were given as gifts after the game. My mate's one was damaged when he tried to take it off the fence in the ground and he couldnt be arsed taking it home so when a young IB fan asked if he could have it on the walk back to the bus, he obliged.

 

If he had known it would end up on a hooligans site as a 'trophy' he obviously wouldnt have.

 

Fake hooligans  🤣🤪

[Kiss my badge]

On 29/08/2022 at 10:32, Kiss my badge said:

 

 

would be nice to maybe swing by the Ataturk stadium on the way for a few photos if that's not complicating things to much.

As it turned out that did happen. 

[pablo]

2 minutes ago, Midloth_Iain said:

 

😂

 

The flags were given as gifts after the game. My mate's one was damaged when he tried to take it off the fence in the ground and he couldnt be arsed taking it home so when a young IB fan asked if he could have it on the walk back to the bus, he obliged.

 

If he had known it would end up on a hooligans site as a 'trophy' he obviously wouldnt have.

 

Fake hooligans  🤣🤪

 

I was going to say....

 

having walked through their fans, there's absolutely no way they were taking anything off of anyone lol

[Doctor FinnBarr]

Left our hotel at 5.30am to wait for our transfer taxi. Street was like a warzone with battles going on everywhere, bottles getting lobbed and no police to be seen. No one involved appeared to be wearing football colours so no idea what was going on. 

[Midloth_Iain]

Just now, FinnBarr Saunders said:

Left our hotel at 5.30am to wait for our transfer taxi. Street was like a warzone with battles going on everywhere, bottles getting lobbed and no police to be seen. No one involved appeared to be wearing football colours so no idea what was going on. 

 

Aftermath of last nights derby ? Which part of the city ?

[Doctor FinnBarr]

Just now, Midloth_Iain said:

 

Aftermath of last nights derby ? Which part of the city ?

5 minutes away from Taksim Square. 

[Rudolf]

2 minutes ago, FinnBarr Saunders said:

5 minutes away from Taksim Square. 

That’s a Galatasaray area so battles after the derby I’d assume

[Doctor FinnBarr]

1 minute ago, Rudolf said:

That’s a Galatasaray area so battles after the derby I’d assume

That was my first thought but I mentioned before there was no colours on show and everyone was wearing them when we went to bed about 11.

[SMJ_1874]

6 minutes ago, Midloth_Iain said:

 

😂

 

The flags were given as gifts after the game. My mate's one was damaged when he tried to take it off the fence in the ground and he couldnt be arsed taking it home so when a young IB fan asked if he could have it on the walk back to the bus, he obliged.

 

If he had known it would end up on a hooligans site as a 'trophy' he obviously wouldnt have.

 

Fake hooligans  🤣🤪

Can concur with this. Getting on the JKB bus back to the Just Bar, there were a few IB fans asking for souvenirs, scarves and flags etc. I also had my flag on the fence and i had it rolled up under my arm on the walk back. The IB bairns were begging and pleading for the flag and when I said no they asked for my scarf instead. Wee scallywags and the oldest would be approx 16. Still if it gives them something to brag about how they ‘took our colours’  at school then let them feed their egos.
 

Speaking to a few Fenerbache, Galatasary and Besiktas waiters along the way and they don’t even consider IB a derby game. When I asked they just merely laughed them off as an insignificant club. Just about the same  size of fan base as Livingston and just as insignificant. Would hate to have faced the Ultras from other 3 teams mentioned though. 

[Italian Lambretta]

These guys worked their arses off to make our time there one of the most enjoyable European trips.

Thanks Sultanahmet👏👏

[Kiss my badge]

Thanks again to you Italian Lambretta for arranging the coach and to all the Hearts fans i met over there. As a side note it turns out I spent my time over there with an undiagnosed broken ankle but that wasn't going to stop me. Just got back from the local A+E and need to spend the next 6-8 weeks in an aircast boot.  Well worth it. 

Edited November 6, 2022 by Kiss my badge

[scw98heartsfc]

56 minutes ago, Kiss my badge said:

As it turned out that did happen. 

Best wrong turn ever, and what stadium.... (toilet break) 

[SecN]

2 minutes ago, scw98heartsfc said:

Best wrong turn ever, and what stadium.... (toilet break) 

 

[AT15]

11 hours ago, Midloth_Iain said:

 

😂

 

The flags were given as gifts after the game. My mate's one was damaged when he tried to take it off the fence in the ground and he couldnt be arsed taking it home so when a young IB fan asked if he could have it on the walk back to the bus, he obliged.

 

If he had known it would end up on a hooligans site as a 'trophy' he obviously wouldnt have.

 

Fake hooligans  🤣🤪

Got my flag chored and ripped off the wall of stadium

[Chuck Berry]

On 04/11/2022 at 07:07, SMJ_1874 said:

Big thanks and shout out to @Italian Lambrettafor a superbly organised bus there and back. The piss stop was most welcome on the way there and the even breaching security protocols to get us an escort back to the bus which was parked on the other side was great. Quick exit and back before the official club buses. We’ll done IL and good to see so many fellow arseholes on board 👏🏻👏🏻

 

Second that, great organisation and a lovely surprise visit to the Olympic Stadium for a pish stop on the way.

[Chuck Berry]

11 hours ago, Italian Lambretta said:

These guys worked their arses off to make our time there one of the most enjoyable European trips.

Thanks Sultanahmet👏👏

 

Was in next door last night (Shadow Bar), only a handful of Jambos still around. Them and Just Bar were great hosts.

[Elljay]

On 04/11/2022 at 16:01, mack515151 said:

Anyone flying on Sunday beware of Istanbul Marathon. My hotel boss suggests will be chaos. Think it is in the morning. He suggests an extra hour or more to get to airport. No idea if that is too cautious or not.

Almost ruined my last day’s sightseeing- had to walk the long way round to Aya Sophia, then across to Galatia for a guided tour (one to one as nobody else had booked😉, but Mehmet was more than happy to indulge my love of old buildings in Pera) arrived back knackered and just got up in time for a 06:00 taxi to the airport. Fantastic week overall.

 

PS - did anyone else get ripped off arriving by the “Want to share a taxi sir” scam? At least the return driver was honest!

[jkbam]

19 hours ago, Chuck Berry said:

 

Second that, great organisation and a lovely surprise visit to the Olympic Stadium for a pish stop on the way.

Third this also, very well organised, cheers IL!  Yeah not sure I could have made it without the stop!

[mack515151]

2 hours ago, Elljay said:

Almost ruined my last day’s sightseeing- had to walk the long way round to Aya Sophia, then across to Galatia for a guided tour (one to one as nobody else had booked😉, but Mehmet was more than happy to indulge my love of old buildings in Pera) arrived back knackered and just got up in time for a 06:00 taxi to the airport. Fantastic week overall.

 

PS - did anyone else get ripped off arriving by the “Want to share a taxi sir” scam? At least the return driver was honest!

At least things were not closed due to the marathon just sounds a bit of a pain. Sounds like you got the 5* personal tour.

 

I wasn't scammed by taxis but I eventually confirmed to myself that my local helper at the Tram ticket machine did scam me. I was sure he would when he introduced himself. Not out of much maybe 7 quid equivalent. Including the small tip I gave him for being helpful 🤣

 

Still not sure how he got any money back but I never had as much credit on my tram pass as I expected and the extra must have gone somewhere.

 

Although as I had failed to navigated the machine twice before, 7 quid to finally get a card feels fine to me.

 

I reloaded it easy enough a couple of times without 'assistance'.

[JAMBOBAR]

On 21/10/2022 at 15:48, JAMBOBAR said:

biletwise selling also

Got in no probs best atmosphere pity no away fans

[mack515151]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-63615076

 

I knew city was a terrorism risk before going but had been a few years since last incident. Sad another bomb has gone off. 

[PTBCAL]

10 minutes ago, mack515151 said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-63615076

 

I knew city was a terrorism risk before going but had been a few years since last incident. Sad another bomb has gone off. 

It’s where the buses dropped us after the game I think? 
 

The police presence in Istanbul is incredible 

 

They are everywhere 

[Italian Lambretta]

10 minutes ago, mack515151 said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-63615076

 

I knew city was a terrorism risk before going but had been a few years since last incident. Sad another bomb has gone off. 

Theres a lot of footage on twitter just before the blast and the poor souls standing next to the bag unaware whats about to happen.

Its heart breaking such lovely people who treated us so well while there.

[McCrae]

1 hour ago, Italian Lambretta said:

Theres a lot of footage on twitter just before the blast and the poor souls standing next to the bag unaware whats about to happen.

Its heart breaking such lovely people who treated us so well while there.

This is just so awful to read. It is such a shame that these people are going through this.

It really does make you think how lucky we were that this didn’t happen during our trip.

[Tom Hardy’s Dug]

Timing eh? Awful for those involved

[Jack Torrance]

Very sad. We walked along there on the day before the game. Beautiful city, lovely people.  Shame there's horrible *******s around.

[PapaShango]

Not far from where the buses left from. Horrendous to see that. 

[Doctor FinnBarr]

2 hours ago, PapaShango said:

Not far from where the buses left from. Horrendous to see that. 

 

Our hotel was no more than a 2 minute walk from the blast scene. Scarey stuff.

[Mikey1874]

They've got the woman who left the bomb seen clearly on CCTV.