Arrival to the city
 Turkey demands an official entry visa from citizens of several countries. As elsewhere too, there are limits on the amount of alcoholic drinks and cigarettes that can be brought in: two boxes of cigarettes, 50 cigars, 200 grams of tobacco and 2.5 liters of alcoholic drinks are allowed.
Work hours and holidays
Banks are open weekdays from 8:30 AM until noon or 12:30 PM, depending on the bank, and from 1:30 PM until 5.00 PM. However, there are some banks which continue to serve during lunch breaks.
Museums are generally open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 AM until 5.00 PM or 5:30 PM and closed on Monday. Palaces are open the same hours but are closed on Thursday. For specific information on museums, please visit our museums section.
Shops and bazaars are normally open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 AM to 1.00 PM and from 2.00 PM to 7.00 PM, and closed all day on Sunday. But most stores in shopping malls and crowded streets are open seven days a week, including lunch breaks.
You can find restaurants or cafes open virtually at any time of the day or night.
Mail
Post offices are painted bright yellow and have PTT (Post, Telegraph, and Telephone) signs on the front. The central Post office is open Monday through Saturday from 8 AM to 9 PM, Sunday from 9 AM to 7PM. Smaller ones are open Monday through Friday between 8:30 AM and 5.00 PM
The money
The national monetary unit is the Turkish Lira.
Exchange rates are published daily.
The monetary unit is the Turkish lira (YTL), which comes in bank notes of 1, 5, 10, 50, and 100. Smaller denominations come in coins of 10, 25, 50 (Kuruş).
In Istanbul, traveler's checks are rarely accepted. ATMs can be found in even the smallest Turkish towns. Most accept international credit cards or bank cards (a strip of logos is usually displayed above the ATM). Almost all ATMs have a language key to enable you to read the instructions in English
VAT
The value-added tax, here called KDV, is 18%. Hotels typically combine it with a service charge of 10% to 15%, and restaurants usually add a 15% service charge.
Value-added tax is nearly always included in quoted prices. Certain shops are authorized to refund the tax (ask).
 Electricity
The electrical current in Turkey is 220 volts, 50 cycles alternating current (AC); wall outlets take Continental-type plugs, with two or three round prongs
Safety & security
The streets of Istanbul are considerably safer than their counterparts in the United States or Western Europe. Travelers should nevertheless take care of their valuables, as pickpockets, although not as common as in the U.S. or Europe, do operate in the major cities and tourist areas.
Health
No vaccination required. Many private and public hospitals are to be found. There are also several foreign-operated hospitals in Istanbul. International Hospital: 5747802 / Admiral Bristol: 2314050 / German Hospital: 2517100
Turkish time
Local time is GMT +2.
Telephone Code
+90. All provinces in Turkey have a three-digit phone code.
Istanbul: 212 / 216 Ankara: 312 Izmir: 232 Antalya: 242
Bursa: 224
Postal System and Phone Calls
Turkish post offices are open 08:00-24:00 Mon-Sat and 09:00-19:00 on Sun. Phone cards and tokens are easily available. Major cities are also served by GSM network.
Banks
Weekdays open between 08:00 – 12:00 and 13:00 – 17:00.
Closed Saturday, Sundays and public holidays. |
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