Turkey Tips please

erana69

Going to Istanbul next week for a work trip and my question is do I still need to pay £10 although I have to buy an online visa?

maman

erana69 wrote: »

Going to Istanbul next week for a work trip and my question is do I still need to pay £10 although I have to buy an online visa?

If you have obtained a visa online you won't need to buy another one. Earlier in the year when online booking was very new the airports seemed puzzled buy the online ones but I think they've got it sorted now. Presumably your employer has paid for your visa but for future reference, paying £10 at the airport is a cheaper method.

I'm with pollycat on the so-called 'hassle'. A polite smile and a good evening/wave and keep walking is enough. We sometimes say, 'not tonight we have a reservation' and will look at the menu for future reference. Another tip is to look at menus in the morning or late afternoon when they know you won't be having dinner so are happy to tell you all about the dishes and not expect you to stay.

I've never found the 'hassle' anything but good natured.

Mr_Wang

Pollycat wrote: »

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.

In the countries you mentioned - Except India, say the following:

Ma fish faruce (sp) - 'There is no money'

Or La faruce - No money

Or generally

La Shukran - No thank you

PompeyPete

Mr_Wang wrote: »

In the countries you mentioned - Except India, say the following:

Ma fish faruce (sp) - 'There is no money'

Or La faruce - No money

Or generally

La Shukran - No thank you

Mafi Mushkila...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBk2_-LQ2Es

Where've you been Mr Wang?

Mr_Wang

PompeyPete wrote: »

Mafi Mushkila...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBk2_-LQ2Es

Where've you been Mr Wang?

Taking a break

http://thesummerholidayofalifetime.blogspot.co.uk/

Hope you're well

PompeyPete

Your blog gets more impressive.
Only one word for it... "Awesome!"

claire16c

Pollycat wrote: »

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.

We met 2 ladies who said they had been going there for years and they used to be polite but that doesn't work anymore so now they tell them to 'eff off'. They were in their 60s and said they were fed up and looking at altering destination for their next hol as it was getting worse each time.

A simple no thanks etc did not work there. One guy grabbed me by the arm, another shook DHs hand & refused to let go, and another followed us down the beach for maybe 50m not taking no for an answer this is when we started to walk in the sea to get away from anymore.

It was like running a gauntlet when you got to the town where the shops were, then even once we sat in a restaurant they tried to con us into buying a ridiculously priced piece of fish.

On the way back we started to walk closely behind other groups pretending with we were with them so wed get left alone.

I've been to Egypt and the hassling was just as bad or worse in Side. This was around 3/4 years ago.

There are so many nicer places to visit in the world.

Mr_Wang

PompeyPete wrote: »

Your blog gets more impressive.
Only one word for it... "Awesome!"

Thanks mate

PompeyPete

Claire 16c.

I think Turkey is a fantastic destination, but the one place I didn't go much on was the Side tourist area. Too tacky and plastic, and hardly a good advert for Turkey. But get away from that area and things change for the better, much better.

We were on a D-i-Y tour, so we only had a couple of nights there. We stayed on B&B at the Leda Beach Hotel, just outside the tourist area, and it was fantastic value. Obviously on B&B you can choose where you go for your main meals, and finding busy, quality and inexpensive eateries not far from the tourist area was easy.

But as for hassle. There was none. Blatant hassling of tourists in Side was banned a while ago by the municipality. Anyone caught hassling or reported as being a nuisance to tourists might find themselves in a bit of bother. I'm not suggesting it's been eradicated completely but like I mention there are consequences.

So what went on a few years ago when you visited isn't the situation you'll find today.:)

maman

PompeyPete wrote: »

Claire 16c.

I think Turkey is a fantastic destination, but the one place I didn't go much on was the Side tourist area. Too tacky and plastic, and hardly a good advert for Turkey. But get away from that area and things change for the better, much better.

I don't know Side but Turkey is a massive country and has resorts that they believe will suit tourists with all sorts of different tastes/expectations.

It's just like the UK in that respect. Imagine the difference perhaps between Southwold and Blackpool. Horses for courses.