Dear Joel,

This summer I will be going to Tuscany, Italy, and Turkey. I would like some information concerning how safe the hostels are in Tuscany and information concerning the safety of Turkey.

Thanks,
Kelly

Hi Kelly,

Thanks for your question. I am not a big fan of hostel stays, and am not equipped to give advice about them, beyond pointing you toward Hosteling International: 733 15th Street, N.W., Ste. 840, Washington, D.C. 20005; Tel: 202/783-6161; Fax: 202/783-6171; e-mail: hiayhserv@hiays.org; www.hiayh.org. My preference, as I discuss in The Penny Pincher Passport to Luxury Travel, is to travel in luxury while paying discounted prices. For example, this winter I made two trips to Istanbul, Turkey. On both occasions I stayed at the wonderful five star Four Seasons hotel for $145 U.S. per night. The Four Seasons Istanbul is a charming converted political prison, transformed into a wonderful boutique hotel. It is located in the historical section of town and is in walking distance to the Blue Mosque, the Topkapa Place, the Spice Market, and the Grand Bizarre. I enjoyed the Four Seasons in Istanbul so much that I consider it to be one of the finest hotels that I have a perfect example of how to travel in luxury for less!

Regarding safety, while each country has its own, unique risks to be taken into consideration, I felt completely safe in Turkey and found the people of Turkey to be warm, gracious, and hospitable. I imagine youl find Turkey a very safe place to travel, but if you like more information, check out World Travel Watch (available on this Web site), or visit any of the following web sites: www.statedept.gov; www.lonelyplanet.com; www.washingtonpost.com (go to their world section and search for Turkey).

Enjoy your trip.
Joel