| |
|
 |
ENTRY VISA AND PASSPORT INFORMATION FOR TURKEY |
|
Visa requirements for Turkey vary depending upon your nationality. Turkish Visas for Americans, Australians, Canadian and U.K. citizens may be obtained upon entry to Turkey.
As a guideline, you can visit the
Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs website to see if you require a visa. However, as regulations change frequently, we recommend that you check with your nearest Turkish Embassy or Consulate for the latest information on visa and passport requirements for entering Turkey. Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months after your arrival date in Turkey.
|
|
 |
HEALTH AND INSURANCE |
|
It is important to have adequate health,
travel and accident insurance while touring.
No vaccinations are currently required for
Turkey. It is best to bring your own
medication along in its original
prescription bottle but if you need
something while in Turkey you will find
Turkish Pharmacies to be well-stocked and
very helpful.
|
|
 |
TIME DIFFERENCE |
|
Turkish standard time is two hours ahead of
Greenwich Mean Time, one hour ahead of
Central European time and seven hours ahead
of U.S. Eastern Standard time. There is one
time zone in Turkey.
|
|
 |
WEATHER |
|
In the south and west the weather follows
normal Mediterranean climate patterns with
warm, mostly dry summers and mild winters.
In the high plateau of Central Anatolia the
summers are also hot and dry, but winters
can be very cold, with varying precipitation
(nights are mostly cool). In the north,
especially the Black Sea region, rain is
frequent, and in the mountains of the east
is an alpine climate. The southeast, on the
other hand, has a near desert climate. For a
chart of average temperatures by month for
regions around Turkey
click
here.
|
|
 |
CURRENCY INFORMATION FOR TURKEY |
|
There is no limit to the amount of foreign
currency that may be brought into Turkey and
no need to declare it, but as you leave
Turkey, it is wise to spend or exchange your
Turkish Lira for foreign currency. Currency
and Exchange: The currency unit in Turkey is
the Turkish Lira (TL or TRY). Traveler's
checks are not widely accepted and will
generally get a less favorable rate of
exchange than cash. The best place to
exchange cash is around the "Doviz" offices
near the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, but may
also be done at exchange offices or P.T.T.
(Post) offices in other areas. There are
bank machines (ATMs) almost everywhere in
Turkey now and cash advance offices in
tourist areas where you can use a credit or
debit card (Visa, MasterCard etc). Before
leaving home check with your bank regarding
fees and daily limits on your transactions.
Larger shops generally accept US dollars,
Euro, GBP, traveler's checks and credit
cards, but small shops will accept only cash
and you will need Turkish lira for local
convenience stores or grocers. American
Express is not widely accepted and personal
checks nearly impossible to cash. A credit
card is necessary to rent a vehicle.
Currency
Converter
|
|
 |
OPENING HOURS |
|
Banks are open from 8.30 until 12.00 and
13.30 until 17.00 (Monday-Friday). Some
banks are open during lunch hours. Post
Offices in the large cities are open
Monday-Saturday 8.00 to midnight and Sunday
9.00 to 19.00. Smaller post offices are open
Monday to Saturday from 8.30 to 17.00. Shop
hours are generally from 9.00 to 21.00
Monday to Saturday, but mostly every day and
later in tourist areas. The Grand Bazaar is
closed on Sunday and holidays. The Spice
Market however is now open 7 days a week (at
least in summer).
|
|
 |
TIPPING |
|
In a restaurant tip around 10%. For porters
you should pay around 1 EURO per bag. Round
up the bill for taxis. On group tours it is
customary to pay around 5 EURO per person
per day to the guide and about half of the
amount to the minibus driver (up to your
discretion). For private tours the amount
should be higher if you like the service.
Although prices are quoted here in Euros it
is best to tip in the equivalent of Turkish
Liras.
|
|
 |
TELEPHONE |
|
We recommend using a long distance calling
card or buying a telephone card from a local
kiosk or post office. For international
calls dial the country code preceded by two
zeros (i.e. 001 for the U.S. and Canada,
0044 for England etc). When calling from
abroad remember that the country code of
Turkey is 90. You may have to dial a prefix.
For intercity calls within Turkey, you must
first dial a 0, then the city code. When
making a local call (inside a city or area)
omit the city code. Istanbul has two city
codes: 212 (European Side), 216 (Asian
Side). If you have your laptop with you –
consider installing Skype. Most of the
hotels have wi-fi and it is easy and very
cheap to call home.
|
|
 |
TRANSPORTATION AND TRAVEL IN TURKEY |
|
Turkey’s infrastructure is now undergoing a
major overhaul and great improvement has
already been achieved in the past decade…
|
|
 |
TRAINS |
|
Train lines are now undergoing a major
upgrade for high-speed train lines but the
Istanbul – Kocaeli route has been disrupted
so the Istanbul – Ankara route is not
usable. Train travel in Turkey should be
looking good in 2014 but for now train
travel is still limited and slower than one
would expect.
|
|
 |
BUSES |
|
As far as overland travel the bus system is
excellent with long-distances luxury
overnight coaches between major cities that
even include techno-buses where you can go
online or watch a movie while traveling in
total comfort. The overnight buses stop
approximately every 3-4 hrs where you can
get a snack, drink or complete meal and
visit clean toilet facilities (for a small
fee). Where the bus makes a stop is normally
a complex including a restaurant,
lavatories, gift shop and more but make sure
to ask how long the stop is (minimum 15
minutes – maximum 30 minutes) and make a
note where your bus is as many buses may be
lined up outside the establishment. All
coaches have heating and A/C and serve water
and a snack. Do not be afraid to ask your
steward/ess for information on your next
stop. For major cities there are also
courtesy buses to different parts of the
city available free of charge. On shorter
routes midi or mini-buses may be used.
|
|
 |
CAR RENTAL |
|
Car rental is also an option with GPS
available in some areas that can be
programmed for your language. You do not
need an international driving license and
there is no age-limit for car rental. Car
rental in Turkey is an excellent way to
visit many areas of Turkey but it does not
make sense to rent a car in Istanbul for
example as parking is expensive or difficult
to find and public transportation is very
cheap and very good. Taxis in Istanbul are
also reasonably priced but in some tourist
areas such as Marmaris for example the
tariff is higher. Make sure that the taxi
meter is working properly. In Istanbul there
is no longer a higher rate for night
driving. In most parts of western Turkey
roads are safe and in good repair, but be
careful of night driving, and especially at
sunset where farm machinery may be entering
the road.
|
|
 |
TAXIS AND AIRPORT TRANSFERS |
|
Not all taxis or taxi drivers are of high
quality and there are still instances of
overcharging tourists although they are
rarer than before. Taxis are yellow and you
will see the license plate number displayed
both on the sides and on the roof of the
taxi – taxis and all public transportation
are now strictly non-smoking. We still
recommend a transfer upon arrival in
Istanbul just to make sure you have no
hassle on your first day in the country and
get quickly and safely to your destination.
|
|
 |
METRO/SUBWAY/TRAMWAY/FERRIES |
|
Metro/Subways are not widespread in Turkey
but Ankara and Istanbul have good systems.
You can actually take the Metro from
Istanbul Ataturk Airport into the historical
district of Sultanahmet, but because of the
long duration of the transit and the fact
that you must change to the tramway hauling
your luggage a distance a transfer or taxi
is preferred. In Istanbul using metro,
tramway and funicular can get you to a lot
of places but there are also ferries from
Europe to Asia or Princes Islands. The
myriad of transportation possibilities in
Istanbul is endless.
|
|
 |
FLIGHTS |
|
Domestic flights in Turkey can really help
when you have limited time and the earlier
they are purchased the cheaper they are.
Turkish airlines is the best and even serves
a sandwich and drink on routes as short as
one hour, but there is fierce competition
and taking other airlines like Onur,
Atlasjet, Sunexpress, Pegasus etc is not a
bad experience either. With direct flights
you can really get around Turkey. It is
important to note that there are now two
airports in Istanbul: Istanbul Ataturk
Airport and Sabiha Gokcen Airport. Although
Sabiha Gokcen is farther from the historical
center it can be considered for your
international flight as prices from the U.K.
and other European countries can be must
cheaper into this airport. It takes
approximately 30 minutes to reach the
historical center from IST (Ataturk Airport)
and about 1 hr from SAW ( Sabiha Gokcen).
Although Turkish Airline offers a shuttle
service from both airports it unfortunately
does not take you all the way to the
historical center.
|
|
 |
CLOTHING |
|
Turkey is a modern country and dress is in
general casual and comfortable. In Istanbul
and other large cities including beachside
resorts and major tourist centers you may
dress as you like except when visiting
mosques. Keep in mind that neither
shorts/short skirts nor bare shoulders are
allowed in the mosques, and that a head
covering for women is greatly appreciated.
You will be required to remove your shoes
upon entering a mosque. We do recommend
dressing more conservatively if you are
visiting the central, eastern or Black Sea
area. Bring a visor/hat or covering to avoid
sunburn and plenty of sunscreen, also a
daypack with a jacket or sweater and extra
drinking water. Wear layered clothing, which
is easily washable and sensible shoes with
good soles.
|
|
 |
LAUNDRY |
|
Most hotels have dry cleaning or laundry
services, however you will need a minimum of
2 nights stay in order to get your laundry
done.
|
|
 |
TOILETS |
|
Have small change when visiting a public
toilet, as you will pay when exiting. Bring
your own paper. There are two kinds of
toilets in Turkey. One is the toilet you are
used to at home, available in all hotels and
almost everywhere, and the other is a squat
toilet. Make sure that your pockets are
empty before using the latter. BAY = Men
/ BAYAN = Women
|
|
 |
ELECTRICITY |
|
Electrical appliances manufactured in the
U.S. and various countries require the use
of a standard two-prong adapter (continental
style). A converter is also needed if the
appliance doesn't have dual voltage (220 V)
but note that converters do not generally
work well for appliances like hair dryers.
Hair dryers are available in nearly all
hotels except for the very basic ones and if
there is not one in the room request it and
you shall find.
|
|
 |
FOOD AND COST OF DINING |
|
Turkish cuisine is considered one of the
finest in the world and mostly you will
normally encounter fresh meats and
vegetables in a clean atmosphere even in
simple establishments. You will experience a
wide variety of regional culinary dishes on
a typical tour. Although water is
chlorinated in most cities we highly
recommend drinking bottled water only. Many
people inquire about the cost of dining in
restaurants around Turkey and a general rule
of thumb is that you will pay between 5 – 10
Euros for a lunch and normally 10 – 15 Euros
for a dinner excluding the drinks. This is
in normal local restaurants. Red meat, fish
and alcoholic beverages are expensive in
Turkey and a fish or steak dinner will tend
to be more in the range of 15 – 20 Euros or
more. Beer and Wine by glass prices are
approximately 3 Euros and hard liquor is
more expensive.
|
|
 |
RAMADAN |
|
Ramadan, or
Ramadan as it's known in Turkey, does not affect tourist sights or businesses at all.
Life goes on as usual but most people will be fasting from sun up to sun down.
The breaking of the fast can be a festive
time with families and friends celebrating
the end of a day of fasting with a bountiful
meal. The historic area of Sultanahmet in
Istanbul has a Ramadan festival |
 |
|
every year with stands selling food |
Blue Mosque
at Ramadan |
|
from different
regions around Turkey, traditional sweets
and drinks, and various handicrafts (open in
the evening). There are also carnival
rides and games for children of all ages.
Ramadan is a great time to visit Turkey. |
Ramadan starts on the 20th of July and ends
on the
18th of August 2012. If you are staying in a hotel, the hotel will still provide a breakfast for the guests, but depending on how conservative they are, they may want to make it very early.
You can find restaurants serving food
throughout the day in larger cities and
around major tourist areas. People who are
traveling during Ramadan are not required to
fast, so you can also find open restaurants where buses stop,
at bus stations, etc. If you are in an
area where restaurants are closed, look for
a bakery (firin) where they will be baking
bread goods for the evening meal. In general before sun sets, the restaurants fill up with people, who eat ravenously as soon as they are able to. You will always be able to buy food from shops at any time, and if you eat during daylight hours do so discreetly.
Ramadan ends with a three-day holiday, with
most museums and businesses being closed
until at least noon on the first day of the
holiday. |
| |