Turkey: Plan your trip

Visa and entry requirements

All visitors to Turkey must hold a valid passport, which should be machine-readable, if possible, and have at least six months' validity remaining on both entering and exiting Turkey. 

Only Germans are exempt from needing a visa. These are usually given for 90 days and will be multiple entry and stamped in your passport. If you are on a cruise ship, you will be issued a day-return visa by the crew. Overstaying is not recommended even by one day: this can be costly. 

Some visas are obtained from the Turkish embassy or consulate in your country and others can be obtained at the border on landing in Turkey. They all require a fee. After you disembark, be sure to obtain a visa before you go through passport control and have the correct fee handy. They don’t offer change or accept credit cards. 

The criteria for tourist visas and entry is complicated and governed by nationality. Log on to www.konsolosluk.gov.tr for information, e-applications and Turkish Foreign Office links with English-language options. 

Vaccinations and Insurance

There are no specific vaccinations formally required. But keeping tetanus, polio and other jabs up to date is a good idea. Tuberculosis is found in pockets. It is not necessary to return home if you are bitten by a dog; some do carry rabies but serum is readily available. If you are allergic to bee stings or snake venom, bring your own suction pack. This could be life-saving.  

It is imperative to have a travel insurance policy that includes medical insurance and, if possible, repatriation. This should be a priority. 

Embassies and consulates

UK: Rutland Lodge, Rutland Gardens, Knightsbridge, London SW7 1BW, United Kingdom; tel: 020-7591 6900; www.turkishconsulate.org.uk

USA: 2525 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, DC District of Columbia 20008, USA; tel: 202-612 6700; www.washington.emb.mfa.gov.tr

Canada: 197 Wurtemburg Street, Ott-a-wa, ON K1N 8L9, Canada; tel: 888-566 7656; http://ottava.be.mfa.gov.tr

Australia: 60 Mugga Way, Red Hill, Canberra, ACT 2603, Australia;
tel: 2-6295 0227; http://canberra.emb.mfa.gov.tr

New Zealand: 15–17 Murphy Street, Level 8, Thorndon, Wellington, New Zealand; tel: 4-472 129 092; http://wellington.emb.mfa.gov.tr

Ireland: 11 Clyde Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, Ireland; tel: 1-668 5240; email: turkconsec@eircom.net

South Africa: 1067 Church Street, Hatfield, 0028, Pretoria, South Africa; tel: 12-342 6053; www.turkishembassy.co.za

Transport

Getting to Turkey

No matter which way you are thinking of getting to Turkey, by air, sea, coach or your own car, don’t leave home until you have checked out the country’s best and most comprehensive transport site www.neredennereye.com. This means ‘from where to where’ and will be one of the most valuable and up-to-date travel tools you will encounter. 

By Air

The flight time to Istanbul from London is about 4 hours; from New York about 9 hours. The national carrier, Turkish Airlines (www.turkishairlines.com), has three flights per week direct between Toronto and Istanbul. Most international airlines have scheduled direct or connecting flights to Istanbul’s Atatürk International Airport from major European and Asian cities. Some budget carriers, like Easy Jet and Pegasus, have flights between London and Istanbul’s second airport on the Asian side, Sabiha Gökçen. Onur Air also flies between German destinations and Antalya and Istanbul. 

If they don’t begin and end their tour in Istanbul, many charter flights bring holiday-makers and group tours direct to Izmir, Bodrum-Milas, Antalya and Dalaman. To reach the eastern cities such as Adana, Trabzon or Antakya involves a connection through Istanbul. 

Turkish Airlines has kept the gloves on in protecting their domestic routes, but these are slowly opening up to smaller operators like Pegasus, and also providing some more east-west routes rather than having to fly first to Ankara or Istanbul. 

Travel To and From the Airport

Whichever airport you fly in to, the easiest option to get from the airport to town is by taxi, of which there is never a shortage. Many taxi drivers will not know the city but can get you to main hubs or to major hotels. Ask them to telephone your hotel if you think they are drifting around clocking up time; the fare is registered on the meter by km and time. Hotels can arrange transfers, but this can be much more expensive, although they may also do it for free, so it pays to check. 

All the major cities use the Havas shuttle-bus service between the airport and city-centre drop-off points. These have regular schedules, don’t cost more than 10TL and are comfortable and safe. In Istanbul, the service operates every 30 minutes between 5.30am and 1am. However, if you are going to Istanbul, the easiest way into town is on the Metro, which departs from right inside the airport international terminal.

When leaving Turkey, allow plenty of time for checking in, especially in the high season. Long queues can build up both for the security checks and for passport formalities.

By Sea

With flying the main travel mode of choice, sea travel has diminished in Turkey. For a nation surrounded by water, it seems odd that this form of transport is not developed and that this is not the best way for visitors to come to Turkey, but old routes such as the Antalya to Brindisi ferry line were uneconomical and passengers were sparse. Those carrying cars were even fewer. Unless you are on a cruise ship that calls in briefly to the deep-water port in Kusadasi or the floating fortresses which increasingly dominate the Istanbul skyline, the only international ferry service still operating is from çesme to Ancona between May and October. They sail on Saturdays and Thursdays and the journey takes two to three days. You can take your car. The best up-to-date information on ferry travel can be seen at www.ferries-turkey.com.

By Rail

The Istanbul Express travels into Istanbul from Munich, Vienna and Athens, with connecting services in Belgrade and Sofia. There are also weekly departures for Istanbul from Budapest, Bucharest and Moscow. Inter-rail tickets are valid in Turkey, but Eurail passes are not. In the UK, for information on fares contact Rail Europe: tel: 0870-837 1371; https://en.oui.sncf. In the USA, contact Rail Europe: tel: 1877-257 2887; www.raileurope.com.

Trains from Europe arrive at Sirkeci Station in Eminönü, on the European side of Istanbul. If you want to proceed anywhere else in Turkey by train, you need to cross the Bosphorus to Haydarpasa Station on the Asian side of the city. Train schedules and booking online can be found on www.tcdd.gov.tr or www.neredennereye.com. 

By Bus or Coach

Bus services operate from major European cities, especially from Germany, Austria and Greece. They arrive at the Esenler Coach Station, Bayrampasa, in western Istanbul; tel: 0212-658 0505. Varan and some other Turkish coach operators travel to Athens daily. There are free bus services that get you into the centre of Istanbul, and an overground light rail system that goes to Aksaray before linking up with the Metro. 

By Car

Many visitors arrive by car through Bulgaria or Greece. At the point of entry you will need to show the car’s registration documents and your driving licence. It is no longer necessary to have the car stamped in your passport but it is recorded digitally on entry that you entered with a vehicle. Normally, you cannot keep the car in Turkey for any longer than six months. 

In addition to a valid local or international driving licence, you will need the car, caravan or motorcycle’s proof of ownership, such as a sales invoice. A Green Insurance Card is also necessary from your insurance company. This should also be valid for the Asian side of Turkey. To be on the safe side, bring as many documents as you can in case you need to show them at police road checks or demonstrate that you have not stolen the vehicle. 

Getting around Turkey

By Air

Turkish Airlines services the bulk of cities and locales throughout the country with a good network of scheduled flights. Their supremacy is being challenged by a number of smaller airlines which has helped to bring prices down somewhat. But planes are heavily booked and you are advised to book in advance if possible. Early-morning and evening flights between Ankara and Istanbul fill up quickly. But there are often cancellations and no-shows and it is usually possible to get a last-minute booking or wait for the next flight, which, on heavily travelled routes in and out of Ankara or Istanbul, may be a matter of an hour or so. Note that, even if you have checked baggage, you must identify it on the tarmac before you board and before it will be loaded onto the plane, particularly at smaller regional airports. 

It is easy to book through any local travel agent but it is far easier and quicker to book online. The booking can often be confirmed on your mobile phone and the ticket picked up and paid for just before you collect your boarding card. 

You can fly direct to the following cities from Istanbul: Adana, Ankara, Antalya, Bodrum, Bursa, Dalaman, Denizli, Diyarbakir, Erzurum, Hatay, Gaziantep, Izmir, Kayseri, Konya, Malatya, Samsun, Trabzon and Van. For many of the Anatolian destinations, it is necessary to fly via Ankara. 

Ferries

Ferry transport is not the way to make progress in getting around Turkey. Only in Istanbul is the service well developed for commuters and for getting to and from the Princes Islands and several destinations on the Aegean. See details of routes and schedules at www.ido.com.tr.

Trains

Turkey has an extensive rail network with over 9,000km (5,600 miles) of track. Some of the top tourist attractions (Esphesus, to name one) can be reached by rail. Travelling by train is leisurely and pleasant, but far slower than intercity buses. However, if you book a berth on an overnight sleeper train, an excellent meal will be served in quite a formal style. 

After a few false starts, Turkey is investing seriously in high-speed commuter rail services between Ankara, Istanbul and Eskisehir. Due to the lateral mountain ranges, there is no rail link to the coastal lowlands. Only Adana, Tarsus and Mersin are served by Turkish Railways from the hinterland. Rail cards or concessions are so far unavailable to non-Turks, but rail travel is extremely cheap in any case. See the Turkish State Railways website for details: www.tcdd.gov.tr. Services and schedules are more easily located in English on www.neredennereye.com/rail.

Intercity Coaches

Turkey is wonderfully served by luxurious bus companies on many routes. It is fairly economical but based on price-fixing formulas, so bargaining isn’t acceptable. Most of the long-haul bus routes leave and travel through the night. Note that buses are fully booked at religious or holiday times. When the annual military conscription intake begins, gridlock occurs and it is safer and more peaceful to travel on another day.

The major bus companies on main routes in Turkey are Pamukkale (tel: 444 3535; www.pamukkale.com.tr), Varan (tel: 444 8999), Ulusoy (tel: 444 1888; www.ulusoy.com.tr), Kâmil Koç (tel: 444 0562; www.kamilkoc.com.tr) and Metro (tel: 444 3455; www.metroturizm.com.tr). When booking, put the local area code in front of the country-wide (444) telephone number to book at the nearest local office of each company. All the companies above process online bookings and accept credit-card payments but tickets can only be collected by the purchaser and ID must be shown, making it impractical for visitors or tourists. Turks pay on their mobile phones. Some coaches have closed-circuit entertainment, on-board Wi-fi and even hostesses. 

Driving and Fuel

Don’t let alarming road tales put you off driving in Turkey. Just take your time and be calm and cautious. Turks drive on the right, but, when making a left turn, often veer hard right beforehand. Worse, vehicles entering from the right often take for granted they have priority, despite the law. It is better to be chivalrous than authoritative. If you are alert and drive as if all other drivers are raw recruits, you will be fine. Flooding, unlit vehicles and animals crossing the road are the hazards to be most aware of. 

Seat belts are compulsory, as is carrying a warning triangle. Turkey has a ‘zero tolerance’ policy in force for drinking and driving. One drink puts you over the limit. Monetary penalties are severe and foreigners have their licences taken away and sent back to their home country’s licensing authority. Talking on your mobile phone or texting whilst driving are also punishable offences. You will be vulnerable to punishment as a foreigner. If you break down, somebody will always stop to help, call a tow truck, or a local garage, who may be his friend or relative. 

Turkey sells only unleaded petrol and there are very few areas that don’t have an abundance of filling stations. Garages fill the tank for you and wash the windscreen into the bargain. Turkey has the most expensive petrol of any European country, approximately 3TL per litre, about £4 per gallon, or US$6. 

Any foreigner with a valid licence can hire a car, although the Turkish driving age is 18. Credit-card payments are accepted universally but ask for a discount if you pay cash. If anything goes wrong, a credit-card payment helps with compensation. 

Car hire is expensive (US$50–60 per day inclusive of VAT) but it helps if you book a fly-drive package. If you are more flexible, it is always cheaper to hire locally from non-brand names. Ask around or from a local tourist office, or see the Places chapters’ city fact files.

Local taxi drivers are an excellent option for a day’s outing to see local sites without the hassle of driving yourself. Agree the price beforehand, expect to profer a tip and to include your driver if you stop for a meal. 

Accessibility

Turkey has little in the way of conveniences for physically challenged people, except some adapted hotel rooms, making this a difficult country in which to be a disabled tourist. Every mode of transport and most museums and shopping districts are unaware of disabled needs. The good news is that compliance laws are finally in place under newly enacted ‘Barrier Free Istanbul’ legislation, to be phased in over the next seven years.

Health and safety

Health and medical care

It is not necessary to worry too much about diseases and unhealthy dangers in Turkey. In most cities and built-up areas, the standard of medical care is, at worst, adequate and, at best, very good. Doctors who have expat patients and are remote from big-city facilities today have defibrillators and sophisticated surgeries unimagined only a few years ago. Many towns have tourism doctors who speak several languages, including English. Turkey has many private hospitals and some procedures that outshine Western counterparts. Many nationalities come to Turkey for medical tourism, particularly eye surgery, with a holiday thrown in too. You have to pay up front (credit cards are accepted everywhere) but, if you have a reciprocal health plan (Britain’s National Health Service has reciprocal protocol in place with at least 10 Turkish hospitals), keep receipts and doctors’ invoices to present on your return. Insurance is something you should arrange before you leave. For the vast majority of people, the worst that may happen, barring emergencies, is food poisoning, which is unpleasant but can happen anywhere. 

For minor ailments, your first stop should be a pharmacy. There is always one open on a rota basis and the duty one is written up prominently in other pharmacies’ windows, or displayed on a digital ‘town crier’ screen. If unsure of a diagnosis, the pharmacist will refer you to a doctor. All the brand-name pharmaceuticals are found in Turkey: generic drugs are vastly cheaper and just as effective. Doctors have prominent signs in any town, and even small enclaves may have a state hospital. Except opiates, all drugs and medications are available over the counter at a reasonable price; many foreigners even stock up on their paying medications.

Sunstroke, snake or scorpion bites or encounters with a sea urchin (deniz kestane) are dangers that should be avoided where possible. A sandfly bite is particularly dangerous and needs to be disinfected immediately. Mosquitoes are the most annoying pests and still found in many areas despite eradication programmes. If you have serious allergies, a suction kit to extract venom is essential for insect stings or bites. 

It is best not to drink tap water in hotels. Some hotels put up a sign that says ‘Içilmez’. This means non-potable. You may see locals drinking from public fountains, but it is better to ask if the water is from a reliable source and tested, if only because your stomach will not be used to the Turkish water. If you are not sure or want to play it safe, bottled water is available everywhere. 

The best thing you can do to avoid food poisoning is to see your meal cooked freshly; get up from the table and go and look at the starters and the kitchen. If many locals are at a place, this is a positive sign. Note though that hygiene is very important for Muslims, especially in food preparation. Most places will be scrupulously clean. Use wet wipes for hands; they are available everywhere and given in restaurants (kolonyali mendili). Try to avoid street food: mussels and almonds on wheels are almost guaranteed to disrupt. Anything with mayonnaise that has been ripening all day is best bypassed. 

Crime and safety

Turkey overall has an enviably low crime record. Foreigners and tourists are regarded as guests, so are very well treated. But in big cities, there are the obvious temptations when foreigners appear prosperous or well off. Pickpocketing or bag snatching are increasing in Istanbul. Keep money safe, not in outer pockets. Keep your bag secure and never leave it looped over the back of a chair in public places. Big cities have tourist police and these are polite and try to be helpful. Some may speak other languages but, in general, Turkish police are there to protect the state and, unless you have committed a criminal offence, may seem uninterested. Indeed, Turkish people call the police only in the most desperate emergencies. 

Like other countries, Turkey has strict laws in place for possession of, or dealing in, narcotics. Even if you see or know Turks doing this, as a foreigner you could take the rap. The same goes for gay travellers. Homosexuality is scarcely new to Turkey and is legal, while Istanbul has a thriving gay community and quarter. But it is one of the anomalies of Turkish life that it is fine for locals but not so OK for visitors; harassment and even physical abuse are a risk. Be discreet and avoid overt displays of affection. 

Ominous warnings are given about terrorist activities, but rarely are foreign tourists involved. The British Foreign Office and US Department of State issue travel advice that highlights incidents or no-go areas (UK: https://www.gov.uk/browse/abroad; US: https://travel.state.gov) and provide consular assistance details. 

Much of Turkey is in an earthquake zone. Many hotels now include leaflets and instructions on what to do in the unlikely event of this happening. In particular, don’t shelter in wardrobes! 

Money and budgeting

Currency

The currency is the Turkish lira. Notes come in units of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 lira denominations. A feature of the notes is that each denomination is a different size to prevent forgery. The lira is divided into 100 kurus and metal coins are in 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 kurus and one-lira divisions.

Unlimited foreign currency can be brought into Turkey and US$5,000 can be taken out in cash. Other amounts need to be brought in via a bank. 

If you change money from a foreign currency into Turkish lira in Turkey or at the airport on arrival, you will find a much better exchange rate than outside the country. Banks give poor rates and you can always find a somewhat better rate at a change office, or döviz. Additionally, the Turkish Post Office, PTT, has change facilities. The rate is often good but they charge a commission on top, where others do not. 

Cash and cards

Both state and private banks are ubiquitous all over Turkey. They all have ATMs for withdrawal of cash 24/7. Most will dispense a maximum of 900TL daily on one card. Expect to pay a premium for withdrawing money abroad or not from your own bank. Most ATMs dispense money in TL but increasingly offer other currency choices like the euro or the US dollar. ATMs are all multilingual. 

Traveller’s cheques, like faxes, are limping on their last legs. It is as safe to use your debit or credit card at ATMs. At bazaars, most traders will drool over hard cash. If you also don’t want a receipt, you will have the upper hand in bargaining on anything that does not have state-controlled prices. Diner’s Club is less acceptable in Turkey and is rarely seen or used, but other credit cards are accepted everywhere for almost every service.  

Credit-card fraud is on the rise, as everywhere. Take care when plugging into an ATM and take note of people who crowd you or look too closely as you enter your PIN. Keep all credit cards safe and be sure to keep numbers with you on where to call if your card is lost or stolen. 

Tipping

It is customary to tip anyone who does you a small service, such as porters, a doorman or concierge who calls you a taxi or books a theatre ticket. If you want something special or important, expect to tip more. If someone has brought your bags up to the room for you, just a few lira will be welcome. Turks have become used to tips and many now expect them. 

At restaurants it is customary to leave a 10 to 15 percent tip. Waiters will always remember you if you give it direct to them in cash. Don’t feel obligated to leave any tip for restaurants who add it to the bill, itemised as servis. The word for tip in Turkish is bahsis. 

Taxi fares are usually rounded up without the concept of giving a tip. If a taxi driver has unloaded your bags or found your hotel without driving all around the city, tip a few lira. However, if a taxi driver is rude and haughty, don’t feel obligated to augment the meter charge. 

Budgeting for your trip

Food may seem cheaper, but adding on alcohol can make a meal expensive. Hotels tend to charge standard European prices (upwards of €100 for a room). However, an all-inclusive package holiday that includes meals and transfers can make Turkey seem very economical, with the price of an hotel in a 5-star resort being as low as US$60 to US$100 (£40 to £65) per night. 

Budget package holidays from the UK to Turkey are advertised extensively in all newspapers in the travel section, in magazines and on the internet. It is possible to find bargain flights and it pays to shop around. From the USA, travel agents or tour operators offer all-inclusive group packages to Turkey. Expect to pay anything above US$4,000 (£2,660) for a 10-day tour including flight, hotels and meals, but exclusive of alcohol. Read the small print carefully. 

For a budget, backpacker-style holiday you will need to set aside £400/US$600) per person per week. A standard family holiday for four will cost around £1,200 /US$1,800) per week. A high-class, no-expense-spared break could cost anything up to £10,000/US$15,100 per person, more on a luxury yacht. 

What to read

The Fall of Constantinople, 1453 by Steven Runciman. Still the definitive account of the event, by the late great British medieval historian.

Ataturk: The Rebirth of a Nation by Lord Kinross. Still probably the best overview of the man and his times.

A History of Ottoman Architecture by Godfrey Goodwin. Comprehensive and definitive, covering every kind of building all over Turkey.

Istanbul, Tales of the City selected by John Miller. Pocket-sized eclectic collection of prose and poetry, including pieces by Simone de Beauvoir, Disraeli and Gore Vidal.

Birds Without Wings by Louis de Bernieres. Set in and around a fictionalised version of Kaya, near Fethiye, and the World War I Gallipoli battlefields, this humane historical novel chronicles contemporary events that were to rip mixed Muslim and Christian communities apart.