Turkey is historical, vibrant, and is insanely beautiful. This country that’s twice the size of California offers an exhaustive selection of places to visit and travel experiences to its visitors.
While in Turkey, you can find pretty much every kind of landscape (and even more) if you know where to go. You can enjoy thermal springs with crystal clear waters, relax on the inviting beaches, see the ruins of ancient empires, float on a hot air balloon over unique formations, party on a yacht like a millionaire, enjoy delicious culinary and even go skiing.
Travel Tips for Turkey
Turkey Weather and When to Visit
No, Turkey isn’t just a summer destination like many places in Europe. Depending on what you want to do, you can visit Turkey during every season. Istanbul and the Sea of Marmara region gets very warmer in summer and it can sometimes rain too. This area gets colder than many other parts of Turkey during winter and it can snow too (but not often).
Most of the coastal of Turkey have a typical warm Mediterranean weather (think of Italy, Greece, etc.) with warm and dry summers and mild winters. The middle part of the country (like Central Anatolia) gets warmer summer days but chilly nights and mornings.
During spring, summer and winter, not only you can enjoy many breathtakingly beautiful beaches, but also you can do lounging, parasailing, paragliding, and even canoeing in the ancient lands of Turkey. And starting from Winter, here is a winter wonderland. Over the years, Turkey became a hot spot for ski lovers with its excellent ski resorts, splendid hotels, and amazing nature.
Visa for Turkey
Some nationalities do not need a visa to enter Turkey, that includes some European countries a few Asian countries and also a few South American countries. They can enter visa free for 90 days.
Many other nationalities can enter with an eVisa and some with a conditional eVisa. Passport holders of Australia, UK, USA need to apply for an Electronic Visa (e-Visa). Indian travelers can get a conditional e-Visa if they already have an active visa from US, UK, Ireland or the Schengen countries.
As the name suggests, the e-Visa Application System allows travelers to apply their e-Visas online. You just have to fill the online form and pay the visa fee, and within 3 minutes, you will receive your visa! Just don’t forget to apply for your visa between three months to 48 hours before your travel date.
Is it safe to travel to Turkey?
The answer to this question is yes, but just like anywhere in the world, you should be cautious about your surroundings. Thankfully, Turkey’s name is coming clean after several terror attacks that happened in the past, and today, it is declared as safe from many governments.
Just be careful around the crowds, and if you are too anxious, try not to visit Turkey around religious and public holidays. Keep in mind that the coasts are safe, and big cities like Istanbul are always surrounded by policemen. Unless you are visiting the cities close to the Syrian border, I don’t think you have anything to worry about.
In any case, you should make it a point to read the travel advisory before you plan your trip and once again before you visit.
Currency in Turkey and managing Money
The local currency in Turkey is Turkish Lira. Although most places would prefer cash, you can also pay with VISA and Mastercard.
Try to carry a smaller amount of money for smaller purchases. Turkey has banknotes for 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 lira. So carrying two 50 liras instead of one 100 lira might be better. Haggling is also very common in local shops. You might get up to 50% off from bigger purchases.
Scams in Istanbul
Istanbul is one of the most visited cities in Turkey due to its historic beauty. And just like every other tourist city, here also has typical tourist scams. Although the Turkish people are very helpful, it is always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to scams. The most known ones are taxi scams, pickpockets, and paying more because you are a tourist.
Taxis usually take a longer road to get you to your final destination to make you pay more money. To prevent that you can use public transportation, or if you have to use a taxi, you can ask the reception of your hotel or hostel to call a cab for you.
To avoid pickpockets, you have to be careful about your belongings. If you are around a crowd, keep your bag in front of you or somewhere you can see it.
And last but not least, sellers might charge you more money because they think that you don’t know the actual price of their products or services. To prevent that, do your research! Thanks to the internet, you are one click away from knowing all the best and the worst shops all around the World.
Overall Istanbul is a majestic city, but keep in mind that Turkey offers more incredible cities. So, if you have enough time, try to spend less time in Istanbul, and explore other cities in Turkey.