TRAVEL INFORMATION

Getting to Turkey

Most major airlines travel to Turkey: British Airways, Turkish Airlines, Monarch, Easy Jet, Lufthansea, Air Berlin, Airtours, American Airlines, Air China, Air France, Continental Airlines and KLM. These are just a few of the airlines that service Turkey.
Turkeys main international airports are: Istanbul Ataturk International Airport, Antalya International Airport, Izmir Adnan Menderes International Airport, ATM Dalaman Airport and  Esenboða International Airport.
Turkish Airlines (THY) provides a large network of domestic flights from the international airports of Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Trabzon, Dalaman and Antalya to all of the major Turkish cities.
Transport to and from the airport is plentiful, with regular buses, trains and a good taxi service you can easily reach your final destination.

Entry Requirements 

Visas are required for the citizens of the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom and United States of America.
These can be obtained at the port of entry and last for 90 days, payment for the visa is taken in cash only by the visa distributer.
All passports must be valid for at least the period of stay. All travellers to Turkey are required to hold documents for onward or return travel and sufficient funds for the period of their stay.
Entry may be refused to those of unkept appearance.

Note: Passport and visa requirements are liable to change at short notice. Travellers are advised to check their entry requirements with their embassy or consulate before travelling.

Language

The official language of Turkey is Turkish. Other languages spoken are Arabic, Kurdish and Laz.

Health

Always check with your doctor before travelling which vaccinations you will need.
There is a risk of malaria in the south-eastern part of the country, but not in the main tourist areas in the west and south-west of the country, although mosquitoes can still be an irritation in summer. Insect repellant is recommended to help avoid being bitten.
Turkey practices safe sanitation standards, and tap water is suitable for bathing and regular tasks such as brushing teeth. However, as is customary in most Mediterranean countries, the majority of locals and visitors drink bottled water. We recommend that visitors follow local custom and drink bottled water, which is routinely served with any meal.
Sunscreen is always advisable as the sun is strong.

When in the sea take care not to touch anything, just look. Be careful not to stand on a Sea Urchin, if you do and the spines are protruding from your skin, remove them with care. If the spine is beneath the skin do not try to remove as they will eventually dissolve. Soak with vinegar or some form of antiseptic to stop infection.

Safety

Street crime figures are relatively low in Turkey.  Common street crimes include pick pocketing, purse snatching, and mugging.
It is advisable not to travel alone, especially at night.
Visitors should take common-sense precautions against petty crime.
Avoid carrying large amounts of cash and use safety deposit facilities if available. Passports should be left in a safe place; it is advisable to carry a good quality photocopy for proof of I.D.
Do not leave valuables unattended on the beach or in cars. 
Always lock up boats when going ashore. 
Organised crime can be a problem in Turkey at the present time, with criminal groups being currently active in casinos, nightclubs, prostitution and elsewhere. The Turkish Police are using increasingly aggressive tactics both in the investigation and arrest of suspects, while the Turkish Judiciary are reflecting this tough stance themselves upon prosecution and sentencing.
In other cases, tourists are invited to visit clubs or bars, and then presented with inflated bills (often exceeding $1000) and coerced to pay them by credit card.
Do remember, however, that street crime is a problem in every large city in the world. Relatively few visitors are victims of crimes and those who practice good urban safety precautions are least likely to be bothered by crime.

Taxes and Service Charges

Departure tax - US$50 is levied only on Turkish nationals, not resident overseas departing from Turkey.
Hotel Tax - 18%, usually included in the price.
Porters or luggage handlers expect a small tip of around a dollar.
Tour guides or helpers at archaeological sites may or may not be allowed to accept tips.
Although a tip may be initially refused through politeness, you should offer the money a second and third time. After three refusals, you can safely assume they really don't want the money.

Restrictions

The laws against insulting, defaming or making light of Atatürk, the Turkish flag, the Turkish people, the Turkish Republic etc are taken seriously. Be warned that even if such remarks were never made, Turks have been known in the heat of a quarrel to claim that they were, which is enough to get the foreigner carted off to jail. Be careful who you talk to and never get into an argument.  Most of the locals are very friendly and helpful and will not cause you any problems at all.

Driving in cities should be avoided - traffic is terrible, parking difficult and road safety is not very good.Dolmuşes (shared taxis) are a good option for short trips.

Religious customs should be respected; particularly during the month of Ramadan when eating, drinking and smoking during daylight hours should be discreet as it is forbidden by the Muslim culture.
Dress modestly when visiting mosques or religious shrines.
Do not take photographs of or near military and official institutions and always ask permission when taking photographs of people.

Currency

The Turkish Lira (YTL) comes in notes of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100.
The Kuruş (YKr) comes in coins of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 and one New Turkish Lira. One hundred New Kuruş equals one New Turkish Lira.

Banking opening hours: 8:30 am - 12:00 pm; 1:30 pm-5:00 pm (Closed Saturday and Sundays, open daily in tourist areas)

There are ATM machines throughout Turkey, particularly in larger cities and tourist centers. Credit cards are accepted by hotels and most merchants.
Currency can be changed at exchange offices, post offices, banks and foreign currency is also accepted in some shops.  Check the exchange rate before committing to changing money, places that don't charge a commission fee usually offers a poor rate of exchange.

Time Zone

Turkey’s time zone is GMT + 2 hours. Turkey does have daylight saving time that starts the last Sunday in March and ends the last Sunday in October.

Electricity

220 volt A.C. electricity system, 50HZ. The standard electrical plug is the European plug with two circular metal pins.

Communication

International dialing code:  00 +(90)
The cheapest way to make domestic calls is from a public phone using a phone card which can be purchased from the post office or local shops.
If you use a Kontrol Telephone at a shop, expect to pay 3 to 4 times the normal rate. This is not the phone to use for International calls.
Long distance international call will cost you at least one 100 unit phone card. This may allow you to talk for 2 to 4 minutes. The card is around $4.
Mobile phones can be switched to the Turkcell network when travelling to Turkey.
Internet access is available in most major hotels and internet cafes.