Turkey Travel Essentials: Everything you need to know before getting there 🛫📝
🆘 Emergency Numbers
Generical emergency: 112
Police: 155
Ambulance: 112
Coast Gard: 158
Fire department: 110
🛂 VISA Requirements & Arrival
Do you need a VISA to enter Turkey? Check it in the link below before you book your flight.
⛅ Weather
Turkey is quite a big country so temperatures can change depending on which city you will be in. I would recommend checking each city's temperature before you pack so that you can dress accordingly.
💵 Currency and Payment Methods
Currency: Turkish lira - TRY - ₺
Before this trip I asked myself three questions: is cash really so needed? Is it better to pay in LIRA or Euro? Is it really so cheap?
Yes, Cash is needed. Cash machines are fairly everywhere, but some places really don't like it and if you are paying a small amount their fee will be higher than the profit, so if you want to be nice, it is better to pay with cash.
You must pay in LIRA! Prices are much cheaper in this way, in Euro it is always more expensive! I would recommend getting an international card such as Revolut, Monzo or Wise.
Unfortunately, it is not so cheap as you may think. In the last years Turkey became quiote popular and so its price for tourists went up! You can still find some cheap prices but then you will get normal places, not one of those you see on IG. To me it is worthy to go to more locals and less touristy.
Also, strangely enough, I thought that Goreme would be the most expensive city on my trip, but actually, it was the best quality-price!
📱 Internet and SIM Cards
I recommend you check what your plan includes and what your sim company offers before checking other options, if you come from Europe some company includes Turkey in their roaming-free area.
If you don't have it included, you have so many option nowadays. Whatever option you choose, always remember to make sure it is compatible with your phone model.
ESim
eSims are very popular as you don't need to physically switch your sims and it is so easy to just activate/deactivate. A con is that you don't have access to phone calls, but if you don't need them I find it the best choice.
I used Airalo in the past for overseas trips and for this trip too. It was very easy to buy and activate it from the app. Remember to check if your device is compatible and to make sure you have Wifi available when installing it.
Pocket Wifi
Another option is Pocket Wifi.
This is very convenient if you have multiple devices and you will not need to check if it is compatible with your devices.
Physical Sims
If you prefer having calls available or a more traditional option, you can get a sim at the airport or in some store. Here is an article if you'd like to know more.
🚈 Transportation
Airlines
There two major airlines in Turkey: Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines.
I've used Pegasus from and back to London and for an internal flight. I must say I was a bit worried after seeing some videos on social saying it was the worst. But I must say, you are getting what you are paying for!
I see Pegasus like the Ryanair of Turkey - the flights are cheaper, you get just the backpack included and no meals/drinks. For people like me, this is a great deal!
I also flew with Turkish Airlines for an internal flight and I must say, it met my expectations. It was an hour's flight and they gave us a big savoury snack and free soft drinks. The airplane was one of those you usually get on long hauls and the service was amazing.
Buses
We used Flixbus to get from Goreme to Antalya, which took around 10 hours.
I'm not going to lie, I was a bit worried while on the bus, as I could see the driver being fast in a mountain area where the street is small and full of curves. But we made it alive, so it must mean he knew what he was doing.
Also, we stopped at a gas station with a food place and a big souvenir shop, the food was so good and cheap!
Metro and trams
We used the metro in Istanbul and the tram in Antalya, and I must say that you 100% should do too!
This transportation is so cheap, like it's unbelievable! In Istanbul we spent £6.60 using the metro 4 times to go or come back from the airports, plus some journeys around the city. While in Antalya we paid for £0.50 to get from the Old City to the airport in a 30 minute journey with AC, when the taxi were asking for £50-60!
Taxis and apps
I've used the app BiTaski to get taxi as the drivers are more aware of reviews and don't want to ruin their score, so it will be less luckily to get scammed.
I would recommend to try your best to use the tram and metro, as taxis can become quite expensive if they get stuck in traffic, especially in Istanbul being such a big city.
🔌 Sockets Voltage and Types
Power plug sockets: Type C & F
Standard voltage: 220V
Frequency: 50 Hz
Check your electronics before hands, usually cameras, phones, powerbanks, tablet and similar all have "100-240V" and "50-60Hz" market which mean they are safe to use over there as well.
Things that require more energy like laptop chargers and hair dryers usually are not suitable and you must buy a converter rather than a simple adaptor.
If you need a simple adaptor, I strongly recommend this one (I have no commission on it, I just genuinely like it!). Me and my partner used it in Japan, the UK and Spain and with all its ports, it was enough for all our appliances.
📌 Personal tips
Wherever you come from, you will always get some cultural shocks while travelling. The question is which ones you will get in Turkey?
Well, it depends on where you come from. From my personal experience, here are the ones I noticed.
The prayers from the Mosques
If this is your first time coming to a Muslim country, then you will be surprised to hear the prayers multiple times a day. They can be quite loud, especially if you are near a Mosque. It is super interesting and it really feels like you are in another world, but the first time it can be surprising.
Touristy prices and bargains
Pushy on selling
They are so pushy about selling you something. I noticed this in any poor country and I completely understand why. But it still feels a bit much, especially when you enter the shop, and they hand you the tea or other things and I felt so bad to say no, or to not buy from them. Regardless, I only bought what felt right for me and tried to politely refuse every time I could see it was not for me.
Human rights
Part of Turkey is on the European continent, so I researched how it is not part of the EU. Well, because of human rights. After being there, I can totally see why. I saw MANY underage kids working, even younger than 14 years old, and also saw a man grabbing and shouting as his partner in front of everyone, with the kind of look that no one wants to get in their life, and everyone was okay with this.
When travelling, remember to always be open to other cultures, without judgment even when their way of living is very different from yours.
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