Turkey Tips please

balletshoes

markgparker wrote: »

Was told we have to give £10 note when we go through passport checks over there, is that true?

if you are British passport holders, yes. Its for a tourist visa (stamp in your passport).

maman

psstoverere wrote: »

Make sure you eat before you get to the airport or take sandwiches with you on return journey nearly had a heart attack when i saw the prices at the airport, also found it cheaper to wait till i was on plane before buying a drink...enjoy your holiday

That's a brilliant tip. I remember reading that Dalaman airport is one of the most expensive in the world.

I always get sandwiches made up at our hotel but lots of local cafes advertise a packed lunch for the airport too.

There was a long thread on the £10 visas a while ago. That's £10 per person including children. They're cheap compared with some countries and especially so compared with what we charge Turks to come here AFAIK. You can buy them on line now too but since they sorted out scanning passports (instead of one finger typing) it's speeded up things at the airport hugely.

Pollycat

markgparker wrote: »

Was told we have to give £10 note when we go through passport checks over there, is that true?

Make sure you have £10 each - rather than £20 for 2 people. I've read reports about people not being given change for a 320 for one person.

Backbiter wrote: »

Yes. It's been the case for several years.

It's been the case for many years.

louby40

We love Turkey and have been to Lara Beach, Torba, Bodrum, Side and Kusadasi.

ALL of those areas prefer Euro with Lira as second choice. Turkey is fabulous, with vastly different scenery depending where you go. The Turkish people are lovely, they want you to enjoy your time in their country, visit their bars and restaurants. You do get a bit of hassle when out and about but they're just trying to make a living. if you're not interested just keep walking and don't engage in conversation.

Yes you need a new £10 for each member of your party which lasts for 90 days I think. You can do it online now but it works out more expensive.

Louise

Pollycat

louby40 wrote: »

We love Turkey and have been to Lara Beach, Torba, Bodrum, Side and Kusadasi.

ALL of those areas prefer Euro with Lira as second choice.

We last went to Turgutreis on the Bodrum Peninsula in Sept 2012 and they might have 'preferred' euro to lira for their own financial benefit but everything was priced up in lira (shops/restaurants).

As it will cost you to convert £ to euro (unless you have a stash at home from a previous holiday), I wouldn't bother with this.
We just took sterling and changed it to lira as we needed it.

PompeyPete

Pollycat wrote: »

We last went to Turgutreis on the Bodrum Peninsula in Sept 2012 and they might have 'preferred' euro to lira for their own financial benefit but everything was priced up in lira (shops/restaurants).

Exactly Pollycat.

And what happens when you buy something in €uros? You get the change in Lira! So buy something that has a label of €5 with a €20 note and you get €15 worth of change in Lira [probably at a poor rate of exhange!]. What's the point of that? The point is, the shopkeepers like Brits to use €uro! And Brits being Brits we've all left our brains behind at the Airport, and do what the locals want us to do.

I love listening to 'bucket and spade' Brits on holiday.:beer:

claire16c

Oh dear my one tip was going to be don't go to Side.

In that case my tip is dont go into the town unless you want to spend your entire evening being hassled by the shop keepers and restaurant owners. We had to walk practically in the sea on the way into town as even the ones owning beach bars kept coming up to us & refusing to go away.

One even said 'excuse me can I hassle you?'

Would never go again but luckily out hotel was nice so no need to leave it & encounter that again!

Pollycat

A lot of people talk about 'hassle' - in Turkey, Egypt, Goa etc.

I've never found it a 'hassle'.
I find that a smile, and a polite 'no thank you' works for me.

How can someone 'refuse to go away' when you continue walking?

In Turgutreis, we used to double-six the restaurant owners by speaking to them first.

'Hello, how are you today?'.
By the time they'd said 'fine, how are you?' we were past and on to the next restaurant.

As they got to know us, a few used to say 'Is it my turn tonight?'

Never ever say anything to make prospective sellers (be it restaurant/bars, shops, beach sellers etc) think you are going to buy from them.
Don't say 'perhaps', 'tomorrow', 'maybe', 'later' or anything similar unless you really do intend to visit/buy at a later stage.

Trust me, they will not forget.

I find the taxi drivers in Goa hilarious.
You can get out of a taxi, pay the driver and someone will ask 'Taxi?'.
Or they stand in a line along the pavement and every one will ask you 'Taxi?'.
Just in case you have changed your mind in the nano-second since you said 'no' to the previous guy. :rotfl:

Just chill out.

ETA
we went to Side 23 years ago and loved it but I guess it will have changed beyond recognition now.

PompeyPete

claire16c wrote: »

Oh dear my one tip was going to be don't go to Side.

When were you last in Side?

PompeyPete

Pollycat wrote: »

Never ever say anything to make prospective sellers (be it restaurant/bars, shops, beach sellers etc) think you are going to buy from them.
Don't say 'perhaps', 'tomorrow', 'maybe', 'later' or anything similar unless you really do intend to visit/buy at a later stage.

They say... "Can I ask you a question?"
You reply..."Go on then, just one question mind".
Two hours later, laden down with bags you move on to the next shop.:)