CLIMATE
To check the current weather conditions in Turkey and Istanbul, please click on www.accuweather.com
CURRENCY, CREDIT CARDS & ATMS
All major credit cards and debit cards are accepted at most hotels, restaurants and stores for all kinds of purchases. It is advisable, however, to carry some cash with you in case you take trips away from the city center or travel to smaller towns or villages. Visitors may withdraw money in Turkish Lira as well as Euro and U.S. Dollar with their debit cards from the ATMs in Turkey. The majority of ATMs offer English language or other language options for the convenience of foreigners.
The Turkish currency is the Turkish Lira (TL). Cash may be exchanged in banks and exchange offices during office hours. The official exchange rate is listed daily at the banks and exchange offices.
To check the current official exchange rates, please click on www.tcmb.gov.tr
DRIVING
Foreigners may drive in Turkey provided that they keep their passport, international driver's license and the vehicle license with them all the time. Turkey drives on the right side of the road and the advanced highway network allows easy access to different corners of the land.
ELECTRICITY
Turkey operates on 220 volts, 50 Hz, with round-prong European-style plugs that fit into recessed wall sockets /points. Four- and five-star hotels often provide North American-style 120 volts, 60 Hz flush-mounted sockets (points) for North American flat-prong plugs. Check your appliances before leaving home to see what you'll need to plug in when you travel in Turkey. Many appliances with their own power adapters (such as laptop computers and digital cameras)—can be plugged into either 110-120-volt or 220-240-volt sockets/points and will adapt to the voltage automatically, (but you will need a plug adaptor that can fit into the recessed wall socket/point)
LANGUAGE
English is the most spoken foreign language everywhere in Turkey. You should have no problem meeting people who can speak English and help you get around in all the big cities, shopping malls, restaurants and holiday resorts.
MOBILE PHONE
Many international GSM operators provide coverage in Turkey in addition to local GSM operators such as Turkcell, Turk Telekom and Vodafone. You may ask your GSM operator to activate the international roaming function of your mobile phone before travelling to Turkey or just obtain a new SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card from local operators in Turkey.
OPENING HOURS
All of the museums in Turkey are closed on Monday and are open to visitation from 9:00 to 17.00 on the other days.
Pharmacies are open across the country every day from 09.00 – 19.00 except for Sunday. One pharmacy, however, is open 24/7 in each neighborhood by the time the others are closed.
In Turkey, shopping centers are open every day offering a variety of trademarks and services from usually from 10.00 am until 22.00 pm.
In Turkey, banks are in service of their customers from 09.00 to 17.00 on weekdays but are closed on weekends.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Taxis are plentiful, operate day & night, take up to four persons, when compared to the US or Europe fairly cheap, and they can be easily hailed on the street or found at taxi ranks. They are bright yellow and have a sign on the roof with the word "taksi" on it. You will not have a great experience taking one of them, the best you can hope for is an acceptable experience: the cab takes you where you want to go by the shortest route, and you pay the correct fare as shown on the meter.
Metro, Tram and Funicular are undoubtedly the most efficient and cheap way to get from a to b in Istanbul. Istanbul has 2 metro lines, 5 tramlines and 2 funiculars. Buses tend to be very crowded throughout the day, which makes your chances in finding a seat very slim. And to make things worse, most buses don’t have (properly working) air-conditioning systems, so in summer you’ll most likely start sweating (and smelling) just like the person next to you. So, it is beter to make use of Istanbul’s excellent tram, metro and funicular system, For details www.iett.gov.tr
Istanbul Kart is an electronic card which you can top up and use for public transportation. It is very economical and makes things very easy since if you have an Istanbul Kart, you don't have to wait in lines to buy tokens every time. It is also much cheaper (2,30 TRY First Ride, 1,15 TRY Transfer in two hours) than buying a token for 4 TRY everytime you need to use a public transportation vehicle. Moreover, in public buses, it is not possible to pay cash so you'd need a card in case you take a bus to an attraction in Istanbul or to your hotel.
You can purchase Istanbul Kart at some subway or bus stations, IETT ticket offices or some kiosks nearby the stations. You can top it up at any subway-ferry station and at some kiosks close to bus stops.
Airport to City Center Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport is in Pendik-Kurtköy, Istanbul. It is 40 km.s to Kadıköy and 50 km.s to Taksim. Havataş is the Airport Shuttle Service and it is the best alternative for transportation to/ from airports of Istanbul. The shuttles leave every half an hour, starting at 4:00 am and finishes at 1:00 am. Ticket fare is 14 TRY. Easy and economical.You may take E11 & E3 bus lines to arrive central areas of the city. E11: Sabiha Gökçen - Kadıköy (Asian side)E3: Sabiha Gökçen - 4. Levent (European side) Taxi Even though taking a cab is a costly option, it is the easiest way for sure. Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport is approximately 48.5 km.s from Taksim and it costs around 37€/ 50$ by cab. Recall that Istanbul is a big city and traffic is always an important factor to keep in mind while calculating your arrival time and cost. Atatürk International Airport is 15.5 miles/ 25 km.s from Taksim and takes approximately 30 minutes by cab. However Istanbul is a big city and traffic is always an important factor to keep in mind. The cost should be around 50 TRY however it may also be affected by the traffic jam. It’s always a beter idea to take the Subway. Istanbul's 3rd most used line is M1A Yenikapı - Atatürk Airport line is a good option for going to the city center from the airport. The line can be used from 6:00 am until 00:00. On this line, you need to change train at the Otogar Station and leave the train at Taksim Station where most of the hotels are. There is also a third option. Havataş is the Airport Shuttle Service and it is the best alternative for transportation to/ from airports of Istanbul. The shuttles leave every half an hour, starting at 4:00 am and finishes at 1:00 am. Ticket fare is 9 TRY. Easy and economical.
TOURIST GUIDES
In Turkey, tour guides must are have a valid license issued by the Ministry of Tourism. Obtaining the license requires training and passing a set of exams. Licenses allow guides to have fast tracks and therefore they must be renewed on an annual basis. Being a tour guide in Istanbul without the required license is strictly forbidden and illegal. Licenses are often reviewed at control points in front of museums or archeological sites. You should make sure that your guide has a license.
TOURIST SCAMS
Istanbul, just like every world city, has to cope with its typical tourist scams. Although most Turks are unbelievably honest and would go the extra mile to help you rather than rip you off, in a city with well over 18 million inhabitants, you’ll always find a few people with different intentions. Most of these rip-offs occur in Istanbul’s very touristic, crowded and/or busy places, e.g. Sultanhamet Square, Istiklal Caddesi, Cumhurriyet Caddesi, Taksim Square and its surrounding streets. Therefore, you are less likely to come across scams in residential areas such as Cihangir. Their preferred targets are tourists travelling alone or in very small groups. If you suspect a scam coming up and don’t accept their invitation right from the start, they will never get rude or insult you, and just move on. Anybody wandering around in Sultanahmet and the Grand Bazaar is a target for unlicensed guides fluent in several languages, who will ask if you are lost and need some help in locating some of the sightseeing spots and/or Grand Bazaar shops. When people offer to guide you around, be aware. Instead, if you’re really lost, you take the initiative by asking someone.
TURKISH VISA
While some countries don’t need a visa to enter Turkey there are some countries might need a stamp or sticker visa on your arrival. Your passport needs to be valid at least for 3 months to be issued for your visa.
For more information about visa www.mfa.gov.tr