Izmir or Istanbul?

Neither city swims off its own waterfront, but Izmir's beaches repay the trip out better. The Cesme peninsula, about an hour west, has the shallow sandy water of Ilica and clearer, wilder coves at Altinkum and Ciftlikkoy. Gumuldur and Ozdere to the south have long sandy strips.

Istanbul's nearest real beaches are on the Black Sea at Kilyos and Sile. They are sandy but known for undertow, so you stay where the lifeguards are. The pebbly coves of the Princes' Islands make a pleasant half day. The basic difference is calm Aegean water against a rougher open sea.

Istanbul puts the whole country on the table: Black Sea anchovies, south-eastern kebabs, Ottoman palace dishes and street food from simit to kokoreç. Kadikoy's market streets are for daytime grazing, and the meyhanes of Beyoglu and Kumkapi are for the evening. A week is not long enough to run out of things to try.

Izmir is narrower but has its own character. It is built on Aegean olive oil, wild greens and herbs, with boyoz and gevrek for breakfast and the kumru sandwich at lunch. Kemeraltı's lanes are the place to graze, and Urla's vineyards add local wine. Istanbul is for range; Izmir is for one regional cuisine eaten where it comes from.

This is the widest gap between the two cities. On Istanbul's historic peninsula, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi, the Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern are a short walk apart. Beyond them come Süleymaniye, the Chora mosaics, the Theodosian land walls and the palaces along the Bosphorus, enough for a full week.

Izmir lost much of its old fabric in the fire of 1922, so its sights are few: the Roman Agora, Kadifekale above the gulf, the Clock Tower on Konak Square and the hans of Kemeraltı. They fill a day or two. The great ancient sites of the region are outside the city, not in it.

Istanbul goes out bigger and later, and you can choose your scene. Beyoglu has rooftop bars and late meyhanes off Istiklal, Karakoy and Cihangir have polished wine and cocktail bars, and Kadikoy and Moda have young, cheaper bar streets. In summer the Bosphorus clubs at Ortakoy run until dawn.

Izmir's evenings are looser and spent outdoors. They start with drinks on the Kordon at sunset and move into the packed back lanes of Alsancak. Its own club scene is modest, and the big summer nights happen an hour away in Alaçatı and Çeşme.

Izmir has more real countryside within reach. Flamingos gather on the Gediz Delta wetlands, Karaburun has cliffs and olive groves, and there is forest hiking on Spil Mountain and on Bozdağ, which rises above 2,000m. The summer winds at Alaçatı draw windsurfers and kitesurfers.

Istanbul's outdoors is gentler and more urban: the wooded Bosphorus seen from a ferry or the shore path at Bebek, tulips in Emirgan in April, Belgrad Forest trails and cycling on the Princes' Islands. There are no mountains nearby and the city takes a long time to leave, so it suits strollers more than hikers.

Izmir is by far the better base. Ephesus is about an hour away by train to Selçuk. Pergamon and Sardis are around two hours, and Priene, Miletus and Didyma make a full day to the south. Şirince, Alaçatı and Foça are lighter outings, and a hire car or a tour opens up most of the region.

From Istanbul the best escapes are by water: the Princes' Islands, or the upper Bosphorus to Anadolu Kavagi. Bursa is the best town outing. Edirne and Iznik make long days, and Troy and Gallipoli need a night away.

Both cities are openly fond of children, so the difference is in the kind of day you have. Istanbul has more set attractions, such as the Rahmi M. Koç Museum, Miniaturk, big aquariums and a theme park. But its crowds, steep cobbles and long transfers tire small children and defeat pushchairs.

Izmir has fewer big draws, mainly the wildlife park at Sasalı and Kültürpark, but the flat Kordon is easy going for scooters, and Ilica's shallow sand suits toddlers. Its July and August heat pushes sightseeing into the morning.

Both cities run metro, trams, rail and ferries on a single card, and in both the ferry is the nicest way to travel. Istanbul's network is larger, with the Marmaray tunnel and the funiculars, but its centre is hilly and the T1 tram is packed at rush hour.

Izmir's centre, from Konak to Alsancak, is a flat seafront walk, and İZBAN runs the length of the gulf. Its weak point lies outside the city: the Cesme peninsula and the southern ruins are far easier with a car, which in Istanbul you would never need.

Istanbul has far more to shop for. The Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar are only the start. Add the craft streets between them, designer labels in Nisantasi, antiques in Cukurcuma and Kadikoy's flea markets, and the range runs from kilims to couture.

Izmir's Kemeraltı is a working bazaar with fewer souvenir sellers, good for copperware, fabrics and olive oil soap, and Alsancak has boutiques. Luxury shopping is thin. It suits someone taking home Aegean herbs, olive oil and wine rather than someone planning days around shopping.

Izmir is a little easier on the wallet. Mid-range hotels are reasonably priced, and street breakfasts, lokanta meals and the bay ferries cost little. Bills rise mainly at seafood restaurants and on the Cesme peninsula in summer.

Istanbul can be just as cheap if you eat in lokantas and travel by ferry. But Sultanahmet, Galata and the Bosphorus shore push hotel prices towards Southern European levels, and the fees at the big monuments add up quickly on a sightseeing-heavy stay.

Istanbul gives a visitor who doesn't speak Turkish more to see. There is opera and ballet at the Ataturk Cultural Centre, touring stars in modern concert halls, summer festivals in historic courtyards, Sema ceremonies in old dervish lodges and fasil music at meyhane tables. Beyoglu and Kadikoy add small rock, folk and jazz venues.

Izmir has its own state opera at the Elhamra and a symphony orchestra, but outside summer the programme is mostly local. Its highlight is the International Izmir Festival, which holds concerts in the ancient theatre at Ephesus.

For a classic hammam, Istanbul is the place. Sinan's Cemberlitas, Haseki Hürrem and Kilic Ali Pasa baths still work under their star-pierced domes, and a scrub on the heated stone is one of the high points of a stay. Outside the baths the city is loud, so calm comes in pockets, such as tea in Kandilli or a slow ferry.

Izmir's strength is hot springs rather than marble halls. There are the thermal pools at Balçova, the ancient Baths of Agamemnon, and the springs at Ilıca by the shore. The city's slower pace is restful in itself, though its spas are mostly in hotels.