Budget but beautiful: a picturesque city with delicious food was named the most affordable for vacation

Vacations are not cheap. You have to save money for a long time to afford a long trip, flights, a decent hotel, and a week-long vacation. Experts say that there is one popular city where you can have a quality but budget-friendly vacation.

Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and Europe, has been recognized as an ideal destination for a budget vacation. This is according to Compare the Market experts, who have researched the 30 most visited cities in the world to reveal the best available options for fall vacations.

The study took into account such factors as the average price of food, public transportation tickets, Airbnb rates, and even the number of Instagram posts showing the best picturesque cities.

Istanbul offers the third most economical Airbnb rates with an average cost of about 80 euros per night. Here, tourists can enjoy a local delicious meal for an average of only 8 euros, which is the cheapest option among tourist destinations. There are 132,369,288 posts on Instagram with the "#istanbul" tag, which also ranks third in this category.

It is an important seaport and a major industrial and cultural center of Turkey. Istanbul is located on the Bosphorus coast and was once the center of the great Byzantine Empire (then called Constantinople).

When representatives of the Ottoman dynasty began to unite the scattered Turkish principalities of Asia Minor under their rule and gradually conquer Byzantine cities, the city was under siege. On May 29, 1453, the millennial Constantinople was surrounded by the troops of the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. The Turks renamed the city in their own way, and since then it has been called Istanbul (Turkish: İstanbul).

Istanbul, located on two continents but considered a European city, boasts a long history and many impressive sights. The hilly terrain creates incredible panoramas of the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Golden Horn Bay.

Among the attractions is the Hagia Sophia mosque, which perfectly combines Muslim and Christian cultures with its stunning architecture and works of art housed under a magnificent dome.

A must-see is the famous Grand Bazaar market, founded by the Ottomans shortly after the city was conquered in 1453.

The Blue Mosque is considered one of the greatest masterpieces of Islamic and world architecture. It is located on the shores of the Marmara Sea in the historic center of Istanbul in the Sultanahmet district, opposite Hagia Sophia.

Another way to truly appreciate the city's architectural splendor is to take a cruise along the Bosphorus, the narrow waterway that separates the European and Asian halves of Istanbul.

Turkish cuisine is world-famous, so it's worth sampling the local delicacies during your visit to Istanbul – and there's plenty to choose from. For example, borek is a pastry with meat, cheese, or vegetables, usually served for breakfast, and lamacun is a traditional street food similar to pizza with tomatoes and spicy minced beef or lamb.

Istanbul is a major transportation artery. There are three international airports in the city: Istanbul Airport is 35 kilometers from the city center. Atatürk International Airport is built in the European part of the city, 24 kilometers west of the center.

Sabiha Gokcen International Airport is located in the Kurtköy district near Istanbul Park, about 20 km east of the Asian neighborhoods and 45 km east of the center.

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