A–Z Travel Tips
A
Accommodation
The Turkish coast has abundant accommodation, largely falling into two categories: hotels (oteller), extending to massive self-contained complexes, or guest houses (pansiyonlar) which can mean simple, rock-bottom accommodation or characterful, comfortable bed-and-breakfast-type lodgings. In Bozcaada, Ayvalık, Eski Foça, Alaçatı and Antalya, many delightfully restored Ottoman mansions operate as small boutique hotels, but elsewhere beware – the Turkish designation butik is much (ab)used to justify charging over the odds at any establishment with a bit of stone cladding outside, and cast-iron bed-frames inside. There are also villas and apartments with pools available; other villas enjoy quiet, rural, locations, but may not have pools. Exclusive Escapes (tel: +44 (0)20-8605 3500, www.exclusiveescapes.co.uk) is a UK-based package operator working with some of the finest hotels and villas along the coast between Datça and Kaş. A good directory of boutique hotels can be found at www.thesmallhotels.com.
All hotels are officially rated on a scale equivalent to a one-to-five-star system, though some restoration or boutique projects fall in the özel (special) category. Technically, rating is based on amenities offered (pool, restaurant, lifts, etc.) but does not reflect charm or ambience. Breakfast – ‘traditional’ Turkish in simpler places, buffet-style with ‘western’ options in multi-starred establishments – is usually included in quoted rates. Many establishments have single/twin beds only; if you want a double bed, request a fransiz yatak (‘French’ bed), not always available. Many hotels use solar panels, so if travelling out of season check if they have year-round hot water and central heating. Advance reservations are highly advisable at peak season, and weekends in any month.
Many foreign-owned holiday homes are available for rent: try www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.ownersdirect.co.uk and www.holiday-rentals.co.uk.
I have a reservation. Reservasyonim var.
I’d like a single/double room. Tek/çift yataklı bir oda istiyorum.
With shower Duşlu
What is the price per night? Bir gecelik oda ücreti ne kadar?
Can I see the room? Bakabılırmıyım?
Airports (havaalanlari; see also Getting There)
Air travellers are spoiled for choice, with five airports scattered along the coast. İzmir and Antalya have year-round scheduled services (both full price and low-cost) from a variety of European cities, plus there are no-frills flights to Bodrum and Dalaman on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts respectively. In summer, charter flights provide additional services to all of the above. The small Gazipaşa airport near Alanya also serves low-cost airlines.
B
Bicycle and scooter hire
Bicycle-hire outlets prove scarce, and given often challenging road conditions, cycling isn’t especially recommended. A better bet are off-road mountain-biking expeditions provided by adventure outfitters. Scooter outlets are somewhat more common, but again strictly at your own risk. Show your driver’s licence, make sure the rates include insurance and insist on being provided with a helmet.
Budgeting for Your Trip
While Turkey is still good value, the country is not ultra-cheap. Accommodation is reasonably priced, although notably more expensive in İzmir, Bodrum and Antalya than elsewhere. Prices start at around US$70/£44 a night for a double room in a good pansiyon, ranging up to US$400/£250 a night for a luxury 5-star hotel. Car hire prices vary sharply; petrol is expensive at over $1.7/£1.09 per litre, yet local transport remains affordable; online specials for domestic air tickets can often nearly match bus fares.
You can eat inexpensively by patronising unlicensed backstreet kebab shops and roadside gözleme stalls, but otherwise meals tend to cost what they do in most of the European Mediterranean. Generally, two people can dine extremely well for about $60/£36 and have a pleasant, simple meal for about $35/£22 (with beer, not wine) and a light snack for under $20/£13. Seafood is considerably more expensive than meat, reaching pan-Mediterranean prices in major resorts. Beer is on the cheap side, but wine and rakı are dear. Coffee is much more expensive than tea, especially if it’s cappuccino or espresso.
C
Camping (kamping)
Camping is possible at a handful of designated sites along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, and ‘free lance’ along the Lycian Way and St Paul Trail. The most pleasant formal sites, especially if you have a caravan or camper-van, are those run by the Ministry of Forestry – look for yellow lettering on brown wooden signs.
Car hire (OTO kıralama)
To hire a car, you must be over 21 and have had a licence for a year. You will also need a credit card for the damages deposit. The major companies all have outlets in Turkey and there are also many local hire-car agencies. Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman airport and (sometimes) İzmir airport are the least expensive places to pick up a car; İstanbul, Marmaris, Kuşadası, Çeşme and anywhere in the east are the most expensive. Booking online will often be much cheaper, especially for longer periods. Order child seats upon booking, and at pick-up check that you have a full set of spares (punctures are common). If you have an accident when driving in Turkey, notify the police immediately; insurance claims are invalid unless accompanied by an official accident report (kaza raporu).
The following UK/US-based websites may be useful:
Climate
There are several hundred kilometres difference in latitude between Çanakkale and the Mediterranean, and thousands of metres of difference in altitude between the coast and the mountains that soar vertically above them, all of which affects climate. Generally, though, the coast is cool and damp in winter, almost perfect in spring and autumn and bakingly hot in summer. The higher mountains get plenty of snow, with critical passes iced up.
Clothing
Although you do see plenty of Turkish women in the resorts wearing skimpy tops and short skirts, it is good manners to leave beachwear – and bare male torsos – on the beach and cover up when you go into town. Shorts are fine, but not too short; miniskirts should be respectable and t-shirts should ideally cover both shoulders and navels. General summer in-town apparel is lightweight trousers and short-sleeved button-down or polo shirts for men, trousers and blouses, skirts, or dresses for women. When visiting archaeological sites or hiking the backcountry, you need heavier-duty walking shoes or boots. A hat and sunglasses are essentials in summer. In the evening men rarely need formal wear – smart casual is enough for most restaurants.
In winter, bring light pullovers and something waterproof; inland and transiting İstanbul, you may need full-on winter gear.
Crime and Safety
The crime rate in Turkey is relatively low but you do need to watch out for pickpockets or purse-snatchers in crowded markets and bars, or in the metro/tram if transiting İstanbul. Most people are honest but some tradesmen consider foreigners fair game, e.g. quoting a price initially in Turkish lira and then, wrapping the goods, claiming it was in euro. Or there’s the occasional taxi driver who takes you for an unnecessary drive halfway round Turkey or uses sleight of hand to short-change you, or accuse you of not paying in full. Try to find out what an appropriate price is beforehand, and make sure you always have plenty of small change.
There are extremely harsh penalties for drug possession in Turkey, and the export of antiquities without a proper permit is illegal. And remember that while most Turks tolerate alcohol, and many do drink, devout Muslims do not. The sight of drunken tourists being sick in the gutters, throwing punches at fellow tourists and being carted off to hospital to have their stomachs pumped (all common occurrences in some resorts) is not one to endear them to their hosts. At the time of writing, tthere are some security risks due to the threat from terrorism, mainly along the border with Syria. Check with your local embassy before travelling.
D
Driving
Turkey’s roads are not for the faint of heart and you need to drive defensively at all times. While some major highways, including the country’s growing number of toll motorways, are well designed and well maintained, many roads are poorly paved, poorly marked and lit, erratically signposted and dangerously curvy and narrow, with few crash barriers on cliff roads. Turks drive fast and often recklessly – expect sudden stops, heedless pulling out of side roads, turns without signals, overtaking on all sides. In rural areas, you are likely to come upon flocks of sheep and goats in the road, as well as elderly and overloaded trucks, children playing football or donkey carts headed down the carriageway in the wrong direction. All of these pose an extra hazard at night, especially with the frequent presence of unlit vehicles. Traffic lights go straight from red to green; a flashing yellow arrow means you can turn right if the road is clear even if the main light is red.
You may drive on your national driver’s licence for up to three months, but an IDP is most useful for flashing at the many control points. If bringing a car into Turkey, you will need the logbook, proof of ownership, a Green Card and carnet. Check you are comprehensively insured. An official nationality sticker must be displayed at the rear of the vehicle, and the vehicle equipped with flares, a red breakdown-warning triangle, and a full set of spares (including bulbs).
Drive on the right, pass on the left and give way to the right, even on roundabouts. Speed limits are 120km/h (70mph) on motorways, 90km/h (55mph), or 80km (50mph) for big vans or caravans on rural roads; 50km/h (30mph) or 40km/h (25mp/h) if towing something in town. Drivers and all passengers must wear seat belts, and motorcyclists must wear helmets. Blood-alcohol limits are in line with European countries – 50mg alcohol per 100ml of blood – so just two beers will put you over the limit. Traffic control points and radar speed traps are common, particularly at the entrance to towns; foreigners, especially in rental vehicles, are likely to be waved through.
Petrol (benzin) and diesel (mazot) are readily available around larger towns and resorts, sometimes on a 24-hr basis; however, stations can be far apart in eastern Turkey. Petrol is available three grades: super, normal and lead-free fuel (kurşunsuz), the latter rarer in rural districts; so-called euro-diesel is more efficient than standard. In most of the country, you can pay for fuel by credit card.
Park Yapılmaz/Edilmez No Parking
Durmak Yasaktır No Stopping
Yol Yapimı Men Working (Road Works)
Dikkat Danger
Yavaş Slow Down
Tek Yön One-way
Giremez No Entry
Şehir Merkezi Town Centre
Some useful phrases:
Driving licence Şoförlük ruhsatiyesi
Petrol Benzin
Petrol station Benzin ıstasyonu
Oil Motor yaği
Tyre Lâstik
Brakes Frenler
It does not work. Calismiyor.
Fill the tank, please. Doldurum, lütfen.
I’ve had a breakdown. Arabam arızalandı.
There’s been an accident. Bir kaza oldu.
E
Electricity
220V/50Hz; continental-style two round-pin plugs.
Embassies and Consulates
Consulates (in İstanbul unless otherwise stated)
Australia: 2nd Floor, Suzer Plaza, Asker Ocağı Cad.15, Elmadağ, tel: 0212-393 8542; Canada: 209 Büyükdere Cad.Tekfen Tower, 16 kat. lev. 4 tel: 0212 385 9700; Ireland: Ali Riza Gürcan Caddesi, Meridyen İş Merkezi Kat 4, no, 417, tel: 0212-482 2434; UK: Mesrutiyet Cad. 34, Tepebaşı, Beyoğlu, tel: 0212-334 6400; in Antalya: Gürsu Mah. 324 Sok. 6, Konyaaltı, tel: 0242-228 2811; in Bodrum: Cafer Paşa Caddesi, İkinci Emsan Evleri 7, tel: 0252-313 0021; ; in İzmir: 1442 Sok. 49, Alsancak, tel: 0232-463 5151; and in Marmaris: Barbaros Caddesi 11, tel: 0252-412 6486; US: Kaplıcalar Mevkii 2, İstinye, tel: 0212-335 9000; in Izmir, 1387. Sok 1/8, Izmir, tel: 0232 464 6755; Girne Bulvari Güzelevler Mah.212, Yuregir, Adana, tel: 0322 346 6262.
Embassies in Ankara
Australia: Nenehatun Cad. 83, Gaziosmanpaşa, tel: 0312-459 9500; Canada: Cinnah Cad. 58, Çankaya, tel: 0312-409 2700; New Zealand: Kizkulesi sok.11, Gaziosmanpasa, tel: 0312-446 3333; UK: Şehit Ersan Cad. 46/A, Cankaya, tel: 0312-455 3344; US: Atatürk Bulv. 110, Kavaklıdere, tel: 0312-455 5555.
Emergency Numbers
170 Tourism information
155 Police, general (you will be directed to a specialised extension if necessary)
110 Urban fire department
112 Ambulance
Help! Imdat!
I am ill. Hastayım.
Call a doctor. Doktor cagirim.
Where is the hospital? Nerede hastane?
G
Gay and Lesbian Travellers
Although homosexual activity between consenting adults over age 18 is legal, Turks are generally intolerant of gay lifestyles; it is illegal to print and distribute material promoting homosexuality. Members of the same sex travel and socialise together, Turkish men often greet each other with a (cheek) kiss and make physical contact with one another, so gay couples should feel quite comfortable travelling together. However, sexually charged contact could result in violence, and attacks on gay or transgender individuals have increased in recent years. Bodrum, Alanya, Antalya and Marmaris are considered the most gay-friendly resorts.
Getting There (see also Airports)
By air. A few major international carriers (including BA and Aer Lingus) fly direct to İzmir. In summer, there are many additional direct flights (no-frills scheduled and charter) to Dalaman, Bodrum and Antalya. The national carrier, Turkish Airlines (THY, www.turkisharlines.com), provides direct services across the globe. From the UK, Thomas Cook and Thomson offer flight-only charter deals in season, and low-cost carriers such as easyJet (www.easyjet.com), Pegasus Air (www.flypgs.com), Anadolujet (www.anadolujet.com) and Jet2 (www.jet2.com) provide flights throughout the year.
By land. Travelling from other European cities to İstanbul by train is long (about 72 hours from London) and far more expensive than a flight, only really worth it if you plan to stop en route. Through tickets from the UK are no longer even sold; the best single website for planning is www.seat61.com. There are no trains along the coast, limited services from İstanbul to İzmir, and from there southeast to Selçuk and Denizli (for Pamukkale).
It takes up to four days to drive to Turkey from most of Western Europe. The most direct all-land route from the UK goes via Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria. Alternatively, drive to Italy and then to Greece or Turkey by ferry.
By sea. Ferries run from both Ancona and Brindisi in Italy to Çeşme, near İzmir – the last surviving long-haul sea-links. Marmara Lines connects Ancona with Çeşme from late May to mid-September only, while Mesline MedEuropean Seaways links Brindisi with Çeşme at roughly the same period; full information is available on www.cemar.it. There are also (often seasonal) services from the Greek islands opposite to various Turkish resort-ports; www.feribot.net is a useful information and booking resource.
Guides and Tours
There are thousands of tours and guides on offer, from full-blown package excursions, to day-trips sold by agencies in the resorts, to state-licensed archaeological/cultural guides, or small boys hanging around sights hoping for a tip.
H
Health and Medical Care
You don’t need any inoculations for Turkey and there are no serious health risks in the regions covered by this guide. The most common visitor problems are stomach upsets or sunburn and/or heat stroke. All are easily avoided – keep hands washed and eat only freshly cooked, hygienically stored food; wear a hat and sunblock and drink plenty of water. Tap water is heavily chlorinated and not exactly tasty; restaurants always offer inexpensive bottled water. Rural springs are labelled içilir, içibelir or içme suyu (all meaning ‘drinkable’) or içilmez (‘not drinkable’). Use insect repellent in the evenings; hotels and pansiyons usually supply mosquito nets or electric repellent pads when necessary.
Turkish pharmacies are well supplied, and pharmacists usually well trained and happy to provide advice. Pharmacies are open during normal business hours; in each town, one pharmacy stays open late and on Sundays – the rota is posted in all pharmacies.
Your hotel will be able to get you a doctor if necessary. The quality of medical care is generally good. Make sure you have travel insurance that will cover any medical treatment you may need; the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is not valid in Turkey. You may be asked to pay for treatment upfront, so keep receipts for reimbursement.
Where can I find a doctor/ dentist? Nereden bir doktor/ bir disci bulabilirim?
Where is the nearest pharmacy? En yakin eczane nerededir?
Sunburn Güneş yanğı
Fever Ateş
Stomach ache Karnağrısı
L
Language
English is widely spoken in resorts but even a few words of Turkish are greatly appreciated. The language uses a modified Roman alphabet and pronunciation is very predictable as long as you know what to do with the accents, and letters that vary from English values:
c like j in jam
ç like ch in chip
ğ almost silent, lengthening the preceding vowel
h always pronounced
ı like the sound between b and l in ‘probable’
j like s in pleasure
ö like ur in fur
ş like sh in shell
ü like ew in few
Some basic words and phrases:
Good morning Günaydın Goon-eye-DUHN
Please Lütfen LEWT-fen
Thank you Teşekkür ederim TEH-sheh-kur eh-dey-REEM
Bon appetite Afiyet olsun
Cheers! Şerefe!
You’re welcome Bir şey değil
Excuse me Özür dilerim Oh-ZEWR deel-air-eem
Where is…? Nerede…? Neh-re-de…?
I don’t understand Anlamıyorum Ahn-LAH-muh-yohr-um
I’d like… İstiyorum… EES-tee-yohr-ruhm
How much is that? Bu ne kadar? boo neh kaddar?
Tuvalet var mı? Is there a toilet here?
OK Tamam
Yes/No Evet/Hayır
Numbers:
one bir beer
two iki ee-KEE
three üç ooch
four dört duhrt
five beş besh
six altı ahl-TUH
seven yedi YED-dee
eight sekiz sek-KEEZ
nine dokuz doh-KOOZ
ten on ohn
hundred yüz yewz
Days of the week:
Monday Pazartesi Pah-ZAHR-teh-see
Tuesday Salı SAL-luh
Wednesday Çarşamba Char-shahm-BAH
Thursday Perşembe Pae-shem-BEH
Friday Cuma Joo-MAH
Saturday Cumartesi Joo-MAHR-teh-see
Sunday Pazar Pah-ZAHR
M
Maps
Good regional maps are hard to find. Consider buying one before you leave home; the best currently available is Reise Know-How’s 1:700,000-scale Western Turkey Mediterranean Coast and Cyprus, which covers the entire southern and western third of the country. Locally, Sabri Aydal’s reliable 1:250,000 products for Lycia and Pamphylia are available at better bookshops and museums. International Travel Maps have Istanbul and Western Turkey (1:11,000) and Turkey West (1:550,000) also.
Media
Some foreign-language newspapers are sold at a sharp markup from newsstands in larger resorts. The two local English-language dailies are the Hürriyet Daily News (www.hurriyetdailynews.com) and the superior Today’s Zaman (www.todayszaman.com). News in English is broadcast on CNN, BBC World and Al Jazeera; better hotels offer a satellite package including these, as well as the private Digitürk network’s English-language CNBC-e and E2 channels.
Money
The unit of currency is the Türk Lirası (TL, Turkish Lira); 1TL is broken into 100 kuruş, which exist in coins of 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 kuruş, plus 1 TL. Notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200TL.
Most travellers obtain cash either through the ubiquitous ATMs, or exchange sterling, euro or US$ bills at dedicated foreign-exchange booths (döviz burolar); these are open much longer hours than banks, and charge no commision, though usually offer a poorer rate. Credit/debit cards are useful for air ticket and petrol purchase; most brands are accepted. Payment in foreign currency is happily accepted for purchase of valuable souvenirs (e.g. carpets).
O
Opening times
In general, hours are: archaeological sites, 8.30am–6.30pm daily in summer (with many variations); government offices, 8.30am–12.30pm and 1.30–5.30pm, Mon–Fri (tourist offices are often open on weekends too); museums, 8.30/9am–5.30/6pm Tue–Sun (with many variations); restaurants, noon–2.30 or 3pm for lunch, 7 or 7.30pm–10.30 or 11pm for dinner; shops, 9am–7pm (much later in some resorts).
P
Police (polis)
Turkey has several different types of police. Municipal polis deal with petty crime, traffic, parking and other day-to-day matters; the national Jandarma, actually a branch of the army, handle serious crime and civil unrest and protect government figures; Trafik Polis monitor highways plus town streets; the Belediye Zabitası (market police) patrol market areas with an eye out for crooks; and the Turizm Polis, who should speak English, are found in busy tourist areas.
Where’s the nearest police station? En yakın karakol nerede?
Post Offices
Look for the PTT sign to find a post office. In the major cities and resorts, the central post office is open 8am–midnight; others are open 8.30am–12.30pm and 1.30–5.30pm. Express service is faster but much more expensive than the reliable but slow standard post; use courier companies for anything precious. Post offices also offer metered counter-telephone service.
Public holidays
Turkey observes the following official holidays:
1 January New Year’s Day
23 April National Independence and Children’s Day
19 May Atatürk’s Birthday, Youth and Sports Day
30 August Victory Day
29 October Republic Day (anniversary of the declaration of the Turkish Republic)
10 November Anniversary of Atatürk’s death
The most important Islamic holidays, which drift backward 11 days annually relative to the western calendar, are Şeker Bayramı (end of Ramadan) and Kurban Bayramı (Festival of the Sacrifice). Both are multi-day festivals, and the country effectively shuts down for the duration as everyone who can goes on holiday. Many restaurants close during Ramazan at midday, except in tourist resorts. Note that more conservative dress is expected during Ramazan.
R
Religion
Turkey is 99 percent Muslim. Religious sentiment has been on the rise in recent years – 62 percent of Turkish women now wear some sort of head covering. Non-Muslims are welcome to visit mosques, though often not during prayers. Visitors must remove their shoes (at larger mosques, an attendant will check them; elsewhere, there’s a rack inside the door on which to place them). Men and women should cover their legs and upper arms (no shorts, exposed knees or sleeveless tops) and women should cover their heads.
T
Telephones
Turkey’s mobile phone networks offer widespread coverage; they use the European operating system, so North Americans will need a tri-band phone. Foreign visitors should not roam on their home SIM for anything other than texting; since Turkish networks are not subject to EU roaming caps, making or receiving voice calls is extortionately expensive. Instead, purchase a local pay-as-you-go SIM card (they start from around 20TL) or, for somewhat dearer rates, an international roaming SIM card (www.gosim.com).
Because of the prevalence of mobile use, there are fewer public phones now. They are usually blue, and take phone cards (from post offices and newsstands) or credit cards. Instructions are available in several languages. For more quiet, go to a TT (Türk Telekom) premises. Local calls are quite cheap. To call internationally, dial 00, then the country code. Calling Turkey from abroad, its country code is 90; omit the initial zero of the 11-digit Turkish land or mobile number. Avoid phoning from your hotel room, as surcharges are horrendous.
Time Zones
Turkey is 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). It observes Daylight Savings Time as in Europe: 1 hour forward the last Sunday in March, reverting to standard time the last Sunday in October.
New York London Turkey Sydney Los Angeles
5am 10am noon 9pm 2am
Tipping
Tip bellhops about 2TL a bag, and leave about 1TL per day of stay for a hotel chambermaid. In many small hotels and pansiyons, front-desk staff double up as cleaners and breakfast waiters, so leave a generous tip upon departure. In taxis, simply round up the total. Tour guides and excursion-boat operators usually expect 15–25TL per day of friendly service. In non-fancy restaurants where no service charge or garsoniye (‘waiter charge’) is levied, 10 percent of the bill is fine; in fancier places, mandatory service charges can exceed 20 percent of the bill, but leave a bit extra if service has been good.
Toilets (tuvaletler)
Public toilets are increasingly kept clean and tidy by a full-time warden, who will charge users about 1TL. The most savoury loos are at archaeological sites and museums, cafés or restaurants, and petrol stations. Most offer a mix of Western-style and oriental squat toilets. All have little squirter-pipes aimed your nether parts, as local custom requires cleansing with running water. Carry a bit of toilet paper with you to blot yourself dry, and (usually) deposit this in a basket next to the basin, not in it. The gents’ toilet is designated bay(lar), the ladies’ bayan(lar).
Tourist Information
The official Turkish Tourism websites are www.goturkey.com, www.tourismturkey.org and www.gototurkey.co.uk.
Turkish Tourist Offices abroad
UK: 4th Floor, 29–30 St James’ Street, London SW1A 1HB, tel: 020-7839 7778. US: 821 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017, tel: 212-687-2194
Tourist offices in Turkey
There are minimally helpful offices in Alanya, Antalya, Ayvalık, Bodrum, Çanakkale, Çeşme, Dalaman Airport, Fethiye, İzmir, Kaş, Kuşadası, Marmaris and Selçuk.
Transport
It is perfectly possible to holiday along the Turkish coast without your own transport, using a combination of excursions, taxis, long-distance buses, and minibuses that cover set routes between the local villages.
Long-distance buses furnish the main links between cities and towns along the coast. Towns of any size has at least one otogar (bus station). As each bus company posts its own timetable, finding out who goes where when can be a laborious process.
Dolmuşes (shared taxi-vans) operate in the larger resorts, and serve as the main transport between smaller villages, and to remote beaches or ruins. They ply established routes, Stops are marked with a ‘D’ sign. Yellow taxis are everwhere; make sure the meter is running and visible, and that the driver understands where you want to go (write it down to avoid misunderstanding). For trips to remote sites, it is worth doing a flat-rate deal for the morning or day.
When is the next bus to…? Bir sonraki otobüs kaçta kalkıyor…?
A ticket to […] Bir bilet [….]’a
What time does it leave? Kaçta kalkiyor?
How long does it take? Ne kadar surebilir?
How much does it cost? Ne kadar?
V
Visas and Entry Requirements
Tourist visa requirements and costs vary according to your nationality. All travellers need a passport valid for at least six months. Visas for 90 days are usually granted on entry. Visitors can easily obtain their visa online using the electronic visa (e-visa) application system (www.evisa.gov.tr) and in the case of the US and UK the fee is £10/$US20.
Turkish regulations permit visitors to bring all personal effects, including one camera, one music system (e.g. iPod), one personal computer and one video player. Duty-free import limits for luxury consumables include 5 litres of wine or spirits, 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, and 200g of tobacco, 1.5kg coffee, 500g of tea and 1kg of chocolate. Exiting Turkey into the EU (particularly Greece), there is a duty-free limit for souvenir purchases. It is an offence to attempt to export ‘antiquities’, whose exact definition is vague but can include very old carpets. Reputable dealers will prepare a document for you stating that the purchased item is not an antiquity.
W
Websites and Internet Access
www.turkeytravelplanner.com American-orientated site with loads of practical tips and links to vetted service providers.
www.trekkinginturkey.com Information on major trekking areas.
www.turkeycentral.com Useful portal with good links.
www.mymerhaba.com Authoritative, with good events listings.
WiFi zones are easily come by in bars and restaurants, and even surprisingly modest pansiyons will have a signal (usually free), in common areas if not every room; luxury hotels may well charge for use.
Y
Youth Hostels
Pansiyons in Turkey are so widespread that hostels per se are restricted to backpacker meccas such as Kuşadası, Fethiye, Çanakkale and Köyceğiz. Along the Lycian coast, interesting adaptations of these – getting around a ban on ‘permanent’ buildings in protected areas – are the so-called ‘treehouse’ lodges, particularly at Olympos, near Ölüdeniz and elsewhere along the Lycian Way.