TRAVEL TIPS 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. 
 

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.
 

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.
 

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.
 

There is no limit to the amount of foreign currency that may be brought into Turkey, 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 New Turkish Lira (YTL or TRY). Traveler's checks are not widely accepted and will generally get a less favorable rate of exchange than cash. American Express traveler's checks should be cashed at Akbank. The best place to exchange cash is around the "Doviz" offices near the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, but may also be done at P.T.T. (Post) offices in other areas. There are bank machines almost everywhere in Turkey now and cash advance offices in tourist areas where you can use a credit or debit card (Visa, MasterCard etc). Larger shops generally accept US dollars, Euro, 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 almost impossible to cash. A credit card is necessary to rent a vehicle. 

Currency Converter
 

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.
 

In a restaurant tip around 10%. For porters you should pay around 1 EURO per bag. Round up the bill for taxis. On large 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 small group or private tours the amount should be higher.
 

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).
 

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.
 

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.
 

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
 

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). Hair dryers are available at all 5 star hotels and most 4 star hotels.
 

Taxis are yellow. Fare is shown on the meter according to distance. It is best to go by the meter: showing "Gunduz" during the day until around midnight, and "Gece" after midnight to early morning (fare increases 50%). Most taxi drivers do not speak English.
 

Turkish cuisine is considered one of the finest in the world and mostly you will encounter fresh meats and vegetable in a clean atmosphere. You will experience a wide variety of regtional culinary dishes on a typical tour. Although water is chlorinated in larger cities we highly recommend drinking bottled water only. During the month of Ramadan meals will be served as usual.

Ramadan starts on the 1st of September and ends on the 30th of September 2008. 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 four-day holiday, with most museums and businesses being closed until at least noon on the first day of the holiday.