If you are planning to visit Turkey in 2021 and need some useful travel tips for traveling to Turkey, this blog post is for you!
Turkey is one of the most charming countries on earth with a deep-rooted history, unique culture and amazing places to visit. Often called as the bridge between the East and the West, Turkey is a great honeymoon destination that offers something for everyone.
As Turkey is one of the most visited countries in the world, there are thousands of content on the internet about Turkey and the cities in Turkey. However, for novice travelers, sometimes it is very hard to find the most useful and up to date information. In this blog post, we have prepared a list of travel tips for traveling to Turkey. We believe that you should know these tips before traveling to Turkey.
Shopping and traveling tips for Turkey
- Official language of Turkey is Turkish. In major cities and popular tourist sites, many people, especially the young ones speak English rather fluently.
- Local currency is the Turkish Lira (TRY) in Turkey. Credit cards are accepted in most places but if you want to pay in cash, you can find ATM machines in almost everywhere.
- Tipping is usually expected at the hotels and restaurants. At a nice restaurant, 10 to 15% tip is generally acceptable.
- Tap water is not too bad but the quality of water varies from region to region. Therefore we suggest you to always prefer bottled water instead of tap water, which is very cheap and available everywhere.
- When you are buying souvenirs from the bazaars or open markets, always bargain before the purchase. Bargaining is a kind of a norm in these kinds of places and part of the shopping experience.
- When you are using a taxi, beware for the taxi scams. Make sure that the taxi driver turned on the taxi meter. If possible, ask a local friend or the receptionist at your hotel about the estimated taxi fare for your destination. By the way, you can use Uber or local taxi apps in major cities. These kinds of apps allow you to pay via the app so that you can avoid scams.
- If you are planning to visit more than a few cities in Turkey and you have a limited budget, you could use intercity buses. Turkey has a wide network of intercity buses with modern fleets and good service. Since it is not a very large country, it is fairly easy to travel between cities via buses in Turkey.
Dress Code, the social etiquette and safety tips in Turkey for tourists
- When visiting the mosques, be quiet and do not walk pass in front of the people who are praying. Also, avoid wearing revealing clothes and follow the dress code of the mosque.
- Dress code in Turkey is not strict at all. As a secular country, people can dress as they like. In the big cities like Istanbul, Ankara or Antalya; you will see that most people are dressed comfortably, just like they would do in a city in Europe. In the central and eastern parts of Turkey, people are generally a little bit more conservative. Therefore, it is a good idea to dress a bit modestly if you are planning to visit these parts of the country. However, since you are a tourist, it’s very unlikely them someone will judge you because of your outfit. People are very friendly towards tourists anywhere you go in Turkey.
- Even though Turkey is not a typical Muslim country, it still is a conservative country compared to other European countries. In most places, you should avoid public display of affection. Inside your resort or hotel, you would feel more comfortable. However when you are outside for sightseeing, it would be wiser to follow the social etiquette of the country.
- For women travelers who are traveling solo, wandering alone at night is not a very good idea as in many places. Generally speaking, Turkey is a safe country for women. If you act with common sense in mind, you won’t find yourself in a dangerous situation. However, it would be wiser to be cautious at all times.
If you would like to read more information about the best honeymoon destinations in Turkey or things to do in Turkey, click here to read our main article.