Deb's European Trip #2

Ever since my last trip to Europe (Deb's European Trip) I have wanted to go back and do a longer river cruise.  So now I am.  Back to Uniworld because they are kinder to those of us who travel single.  Their single premiums are less and for many departure dates it is waived.  They also allow singles to upgrade which is not always the case with other lines.  Plus my travel agent, Margie is the best

Pre Trip Prep/Planning:

I am repeating many things I did my last trip because they worked well.  I kind of missed the fun of doing all the research, but it is also nice to know what I want and/or need.

Flight:  Once again I'm flying British Airways on points.  They allow you to do a layover as part of the scheduled flight without an extra charge against your points.  So I'm flying into London where I'll stay a few days before continuing on to Istanbul, Turkey to connect with the cruise.  The beauty of it is I can book business class from Denver to London, then my status carries over to my flight to Turkey, so it is first class from London to Istanbul.  The downside of British Airways is they are based in England which means taxes are substantially more than if you were flying an US airlines. BUT so far, the service on British Airways has been so superior to US airlines, so I don't mind the extra cost.  It is still much less than flying economy on any airlines I've looked at, and with your own pod, great food and service it's well worth it.

Accomodations:  While in London I'm returning to the Castletown House in Kensington, London.  The owners are delightful. When I scheduled my stay, they made sure I had the same room I had last time, which was a lovely studio with everything a single traveler needs including a washing machine and free wifi.  The apartment is a short walk from a Tesco convenience store and a subway station.  They provide a nice assortment of teas and cookies which may not seem like much, but after a long day out and about, they are delightful to come back to.

In Istanbul the first night is on me.  I always arrive the night before a flight, train or cruise departure. So I am staying at the Advantgarde Hotel Taksim Square the first night - only $130 for the night compared to the cruises hotel at $500 per night.

Transportation:
London - Oyster Card:  You can purchase the Oyster Card online and have it shipped to your home.  It is re-loadable once you are in London and it caps daily expenditures so you can travel as much as you want around town and not break the bank.
Turkey - they have Uber in Istanbul.  Tripadvisor reviews recommend Uber or the hotel recommended taxi cab.  I have a five minute ride from my hotel to my final destination.  Not sure yet which I will use, but based on reviews, the concierge at my hotel does a nice job and will get me connected with the right transport for my long ride.