The Sublime Porte at the Topkapı Saray in İstanbul..

Some basic advice for visiting Turkey. About money, telephones, toilets and just a little about the sights of Istanbul.

Visiting Turkey

About Money

Some Do' es..

Do change your money at any bank or use your card - the rate you get is universal and can be about 10% over the rate you get in England and no commission to pay.
Do take clean English Money to exchange at banks or post offices
Do use your cash card to withdraw at the "Hole-in-the Wall" - may attract approx. £2 fee from your bank for each transaction.
Do exchange your money at the Post Office (PTT). The PTT pays top rates on exchange.
Do exchange your money at a bank - Turkish banks usually give a good rate of exchange.

Some Don'ts..

Do not take traveller's cheques, they attract a poor rate and are sometimes difficult to exchange.
Do not pay for goods or souvenirs with Sterling Currency OR Euros OR Credit/Debit cards in shops.
Do not exchange money at a Money Exchange Shop. The staff in money exchange shops - Döviz, Change, Cambio, Weschel - often short change you.
Do not exchange money at your hotel. Hotels, shops, bars and restaurants usually pay a poor reduced exchange rate.

Mobile Telephones

If you want to ring home or your friends in Turkey - then consider purchasing a Pay as You Go SIM Card in Turkey. A Mobile Telephone is known as a Cep Telefonu - Pocket Telephone and a Pay as You Go SIM Card is known as a Hazır Kart - Ready Card

The main server in Turkey is TurkCell - there is also MyCep and TelSim who are a little cheaper but do not have the same coverage as TurkCell at the time of writing. One can purchase a TurkCell SIM Card at many outlets in Turkey - the price can vary (as it always does) - but £6 is the cheapest which I have found (and purchased in Manavgat - Antalya). I have also been offered one at £12 in Girne - (Kyrenia in Northern Cyprus) and £10 in the tourist area of Alanya.

The Purchase of the SIM Card includes 100 free units use (about 25 min talk time within Turkey or 10 min talk time to England). Top up cards - hazır kartlar - ready cards - can be purchased at £4 for 100 units or £8 for 250 units.

The Rules of the Game in the Purchase of a SIM Card for TurkCell

All sales of Mobile Telephones have to be registered to the purchaser by the retailer in Turkey - this is to help prevent petty crime, so you need a Means of Identification. A passport is sufficient for the retailer to register your purchase.

You have to have a Mobile Telephone which is not locked - say to Orange Network - Ask the retailer to unlock it - cost about £4. Load your new Sim Card and ring 8090. Listen and follow the instructions to choose English as your communication language. Every SIM Card has a PIN number supplied. Do not forget it - you will need it every time you switch the telephone on

TurkCell SIM Cards have life of 90 days after the last Top Up If you are going back to Turkey regularly, leave it with a friend to Top Up before the 90 days elapse.

Dialling out

With a TurkCell SIM Card you can Dial Direct to almost any phone in the world. For England 0044 + city code(without leading zero) + number and for a mobile in England dial 0044 + mobile number (without leading zero)

Turn off your mobile (Lit: pocket) 'phone.
Do not smoke cigarettes. - No Smoking.

Hotels and Restaurants

Many Turkish restaurants and cafes do not have a printed menu, especially outside the tourist areas.

You can go to the kitchen and see what is being prepared that day to make your choice.

It is normal in tourist areas to leave a 10%-20% tip.

If You are Taken Short!

Toilets are signed:

Erkek (E) or Bay (B) for Gentlemen.

Kadın (K) or Bayan (Bn.) for Ladies.

Do pay at public toilets equivalent of 30 - 60 pence.

Places to visit in Istanbul

There are many other things to see and organized tours are available. You can also hire a taxi for the day (approx. £60 pounds plus driver's meals) - your hotel will probably fix this for you.

Some Sights of Istanbul

Topkapı Sarayi - the Topkapi Palace - Ensure you see the Harem Apartments, this is only done with a guide. And also see the hourly parade of the Old Ottoman Military Band - Mehter Bandosu -in the gardens.

Taksım Meydanı - Taksim Square - the Piccadilly of Istanbul, look for İstiklal Caddesi off Taksim Square, the Oxford Street of Istanbul.

Bosphorous Cruise - to the Black Sea leaves Sundays only at 9.00am returning at 3.00pm (including a stop for lunch) - depends on weather in winter of course.

Kapalı Çarşı - The Covered Bazaar - not open Sundays - You can buy anything here.

Other Sites - You cannot go wrong if you buy a good guide book. Istanbul is not suitable for a tourist visit in winter as the weather can be cold and snowy, so do not take a cheap trip between from November to February - this is why they are cheap!

İyi tatiller dilerim - Have a good holiday!