When you planning a trip to Turkey, it is important to be prepared well and taking into account all the nuances. In this article we will share such important information as how to order a transfer from the airport, how to exchange money, can you pay with a card and do you need to buy a local SIM card. Now your vacation in Turkey will be easy and carefree!
Welcome to the most hospitable country! From year to year, millions of tourists from all over the world come to Turkey. Thanks to the whole favorable location, beautiful climate and nature, as well as a wide choice of resorts, entertainment and attractions, it’s a favorable country.
Now it is popular to plan your own vacation, without tour operators. To do this, travelers book hotels, rent apartments or come to their own resort property.
HEALTH INSURANCE.
Before your vacation, it is imperative that you take out health insurance for the whole family with good coverage. It will not only protects you from accidents and illnesses, but it will also protects you from unforeseen expenses and make you feel more secure. Turkey has a well-developed health insurance service, and everything works clearly. You can learn more about Turkish medicine and prices in our expert podcast on the subject.
DOCUMENTS
You should not forget that your passport or hotel voucher should always be with you, just in case your identity is checked according to the laws of Turkey. However, do not worry, this is a pure formality and the police in Turkey are friendly and welcoming.
Passport is also necessary when renting a car, as well as for the registration of tax-free on departure from the country.
Tax-free service allows you to get back VAT on your purchases! The amount is usually small, but it is always nice to get a cashback.
HOW TO GET FROM THE AIRPORT TO YOUR ACCOMMODATION?
When you go to a hotel or rent an apartment through a real estate agency, check whether they have a transfer service. It is easy and convenient – the company’s representatives will arrange everything for you. Find out in advance the method of payment: in some cases you need to give the money to the driver, in other cases you can pay for the transfer at the hotel reception desk, and sometimes you need to make an advance payment for the transfer right at the time of booking.
If you decide to get there on your own, there are several options.
– The first one is to order a private transfer. It is easy: just enter your request on the Internet with an indication of the city of arrival and rest. Transfer companies are very various, sites are often in Russian, so it will not be difficult to choose a suitable option.
A reliable transfer, which many people use, is called 7/24. It can be booked online or via WhatsApp. A trip from Antalya airport to Alanya will cost an average of 500 liras per person in a shared transfer – this is a minibus for up to 17 people. An individual one costs from 2500 liras, it can be ordered both in this company and from our partners, whose fleet includes only VIP class cars. Individual transfer allows picking up up to 7 people.
Gürses Invest clients who come to look at apartments for purchase do not have to worry about such details. We will meet you ourselves in a comfortable car, and it is absolutely free of charge, as it is included in the program of the inspection trip.
– The second way is to rent a car directly at the airport. There are both international and local rental companies in the arrival area. It is better to book a car in advance via the Internet, otherwise the process may be delayed, and the choice of cars may be limited.
For the documents, you need an international driver’s license and passport. Most companies require a credit card for deposit and payment.
Sign the contract, check the car before leaving: all damages should be reflected in the contract, and clarify who to contact in case of breakdowns or accidents.
Gürses Invest’s clients are on the plus side here too. We can offer our own car rental service. The manager who is assigned to you will help you to organize everything clearly and quickly! Gürses Invest is not only about buying a real estate, it is also about comfort at every stage, in every detail.
– The third way is to get there by taxi or public transportation. You will definitely find taxi near the airport, there are many of them. The most popular taxi apps in Turkey are BiTaksi and Uber, but they do not work everywhere.
Anyway, if you take a taxi, at the airport, or in the city – be sure to negotiate the cost in advance or ask to include the meter. If the driver refuses, it is a reason to think. At the end of the route, he can easily say the amount that he likes very much, but you will not like that much. You can tell your own amount before the trip and say that you don’t have any more money with you anyway.
– Another option to get from the airport to your destination is public transportation. There is a Havas service, which is a special bus route for airport passengers. When you are leaving the terminal, pay attention to the signs and you will easily find the departure points. You can take this bus to the central bus station of the city. For example, from Gazipasa Airport, the bus travels to Alanya Central Bus Station and passengers have the option of getting off at certain stops along the route. You can pay cash or buy a ticket at the special points of sale that are available at the airport.
CITY TRANSPORT
Turkey has a well-developed transportation infrastructure. There are private and municipal bus carriers. It is most profitable to pay for the fare with a transportation card. In Istanbul it is Istanbulkart, in Antalya – Antalyakart, in Alanya – Kentkart. It can be bought and topped up at kiosks and some stores. You can also pay with a Turkish bank card or try the bank card of your native country. But in the second case, it’s better to have a backup payment option if this one doesn’t work. And finally, cash lira is suitable for payment, sometimes drivers accept dollars and euros, but not everywhere. Attention! To stop the bus, raise your hand, but to get off, don’t forget to press the button on the handrail near the door.
WHICH CURRENCY TO TAKE WITH YOU AND WHERE TO CHANGE IT
In Turkey, CIS residents will be able to pay with their native country’s bank cards in stores, cafes and restaurants. Remember only that double conversion is possible, check the conditions with your bank before traveling.
The situation is more complicated for Russians. Due to sanctions, MIR and Visa cards of Russian banks do not work in Turkey. You can use Unionpay cards, but only of three Russian banks – Asia-Pacific Bank (ATB), Gazprombank and Primsotsbank. Rosselkhozbank used to be included in this list, but since July 19 it stopped abroad transactions.
Universal advice for everyone: take cash with you. Dollars and euros are better – they are the easiest to exchange. But we remind you: it is not allowed to carry more than 10 000 $ or 10 000 € per 1 person or the equivalent of any other currency in cash across the border. Anyway, it is better to clarify this information at the customs control of the country of your departure.
By the way, we do not advise you to use exchange offices at the airport, as they do not offer the most favorable exchange rate. At the airport, it is best to exchange a small amount of money for your first needs, for example, for a transfer. The rest – in the city in exchangers: there are quite a lot of them in the tourist areas. In some offices you can even cash crypto. It is also possible to exchange money in bank branches or withdraw cash from the card in local ATMs.
Russians can come with rubles, but it will be more difficult to change them – at least it is not available in all offices. There is an option to use Golden Crown transfers. Transfer rubles to yourself via Golden Crown, and withdraw lira in Turkey. Golden Crown branches can be found in exchange offices and post offices.
If you run out of Turkish lira, they sometimes accept dollars and euros in tourist places. In many cafes and restaurants menu you can see prices in 3 currencies and you can pay with any of them. As for supermarkets, well-known chain stores Migros and Carrefour also accept payment in foreign currency. And dollars and euros are also acceptable in clothing stores like LC Waikiki. This is a Turkish brand.
TAX FREE
When you are leaving Turkey, you will be able to return the tax on your purchases with TAX FREE.
To do this, in the store at the cash desk, tell the cashier in advance that you will return the VAT, it is enough to tell him “tax-free”. The cashier will ask for your passport and issue a special receipt, keep it.
This receipt, along with the purchased goods in undamaged packaging, will need to be presented at the customs office at the airport. In Turkey it can be found under the name Gümrük/Customs. A special stamp will be put on the receipt there. Then you go to the operator of the VAT refund intermediary firm. The money may be given out immediately, or transferred to your card after some time.
Only receipts from companies that participate in the tax-free program are accepted for VAT refund. Minimum purchase amounts are prescribed on the websites of intermediary companies.
In Turkey, this service can be used only by tourists without residence permits who have spent less than six months in the country at a time.
SHOULD YOU BUY A LOCAL SIM CARD?
If you are coming for a short period of time, you probably don’t need one. The fact is that the cost of a SIM card in Turkey can be quite high, especially for tourists. On average today, buying a Turkish SIM card costs about 900 liras! It is more expensive to buy at the airport, cheaper in the city. Sometimes it is much more profitable to simply switch on roaming and use it only when necessary.
Almost every apartment or hotel you stay in will have Wi-Fi. In cafes and restaurants you can also ask for a Wi-Fi password. And if you are afraid of getting lost on the streets, there is a great Maps.Me app that works without internet. We advise you to download it in advance, and you will feel at home on the streets of Turkey.
We hope that the information in this article is useful to everyone who is going to visit the country where history becomes a living experience and vacation is a real pleasure.
Contact us for additional advice and get more information. If you have any questions, call or write to us by phone: +90 549 681 8866 (WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram) or send a request by email [email protected]. Our company employees will be happy to help you.
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