ISTANBUL GUIDE ISTANBUL GUIDE MONEY Currency: Turkish Lira, 1 TL = 100 kuruş. offices at the airport, so you can get your money Essential Information back immediately. Money 3 You can exchange currency at banks or exchange offices which are abundant in the city and at the Prices Communication 4 Magnificent Istanbul is not only the capital of airport. In fact, the airport exchange office offers Although Istanbul is no longer the bargain desti- Turkey, but it’s also the only metropolis that very good rates. You can also simply withdraw Holidays 5 nation it used to be, the prices are still good by lies on two continents. Both Europe and Asia money from ATMs if you want to save yourself the Western standards. trouble of going to a bank or exchange office – Transportation 6 have influenced its face over the millennia as Meal, inexpensive restaurant – 12 TL you can see in the countless historical build- they also offer better exchange rates. ATMs are Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant, three-course Food 8 ings and ancient sites like the Hagia Sophia or abundant in Istanbul, so you’ll have no trouble – 55 TL Suleymaniye Mosque. The bazaars and mar- finding them. Make sure you find an ATM with a Big Mac combo meal – 11.50 TL 9 Events During The Year kets complete the image of Istanbul as a city Maestro or similar sticker on it; otherwise, it may Bottle of water at supermarket (1.5 litres) – 1 steeped in history. be not connected to your bank. TL Things to do 10 At the same time, however, Istanbul is a mod- Domestic beer (0.5 liter, draught) – 5.50 TL ern, contemporary city. Majestic congress cen- Most establishments also accept credit or debit DOs and DO NOTs 11 Gasoline (1 liter) – 4.50 TL tres and hip art galleries are open only dur- cards (mostly Visa or Mastercard); however, it is Hostels (average price/night) – 35-60 TL best to always carry at least a small amount of Activities 13 ing the day, but the countless restaurants, bars 4* hotel (average price/night) – 200-350 TL and clubs are witnesses to the city’s vibrant cash around, since not all places accept cards. Car-hire (medium-sized car/day) – 110 TL . nightlife. It seems like the city has sprung to Traveller’s cheques must be exchanged at a bank life recently, and a single visit to the Galata dis- or a post office. Tipping trict will convince you of this. Our final bit of Tipping is customary in Turkey; however, not advice is – dive in and don’t look back. Tax Refunds everyone is tipped. Do tip in restaurants (around Emergency Contacts VAT refunds are available for travellers. There are Time Zone 10% if the service was good) and in hotels (a few Emergency – 112 two different VAT rates. One is 18% (for jewellery, TL for the staff, the porter, etc.). Definitely do EET (UTC+2), observes DST. Police – 155 electronics and accessories), in which case you tip barbers and hamam staff – 15% should do. Firefighters – 110 need to spend at least 118 TL to qualify for the Contacts Do not tip taxi drivers; round up the fare if you Health Help Desk – 184 refund, the other is 8% (for textile and leather) were satisfied. You can tip in liras or in foreign Tourist Contacts and you need to spend at least 108 TL. currency; use only bank notes in that case. Traffic Center – 154 Make sure you get a VAT refund form from the Tourism Information – 170 store at the time of your purchase. Fill out the form, attached your receipt and show the com- pleted forms and the items you purchased upon your final departure from Turkey. The customs authorities will stamp your documents. Make sure not to put the purchased items in your checked luggage. Then claim the refund through the store’s affiliate. These companies have their 2 3 COMMUNICATION HOLIDAYS Electricity All of Sultanahmet Square is a Wi-Fi hotspot run January 1 – New Year's Day The standard electricity supply in Turkey is 220 by the city government. April 23 – National Sovereignty and Chil- volt – 50 Hz AC. The plugs have two round pins. dren's Day Remember to bring an adapter or converter if you Internet Resources May 1 – Labour and Solidarity Day May 19 – Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth need it. Istanbul visitor’s bureau official website (www. and Sports Day icvb.org) Ramadan Feast (after the end of Ramadan) Languages Turkey’s official tourist website (www.goturkey. August 30 – Victory Day Turkish is the official language. However, you com) Sacrifice Feast (70 days after Ramadan) will find that many locals working in the travel in- October 29 – Republic Day dustry speak English, so you can get by with zero knowledge of Turkish. However, learning some Opening Hours basic phrases could help you a lot while getting Shops are generally open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. around. Arabic, Kurdish and other languages are or until 10 p.m. in the shopping areas. Super- also spoken in Istanbul. markets also stay open until 10 p.m. The Grand Bazaar is open until 7 p.m. and closed on Sun- Mobile Phones day. Banks are open from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The whole country is covered by the GSM 900/1800 and from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. every day of the /GPRS/HSPDA network. European mobile phones week. Shops and banks close for public holidays, should work fine; visitors from the US and Asia except for Ramadan. might need to check compatibility. There are a total of three operators running the network – Museums and other sights are generally open Turkcell, Vodafone and Avea. from 9-10 a.m. to around 5 or 7 p.m. However, on some days, museums might stay open longer, If you’d like to stay in touch while visiting Istan- close completely or have shorter opening times. bul, you might consider renting a phone at the air- Always check the museum’s website, since the port or getting yourself a local SIM card for much closing times are specific for each one. Museums better rates. The international access code for in general also close on public holidays, except Turkey is +90, the city codes for Istanbul are 212 for Ramadan. (European side) and 216 (Asian side). Internet Istanbul is a well-connected city. Most hotels and hostels offer their own Wi-Fi connection for guests; always check if it’s paid or not. Alterna- tively, you can visit an internet café (which are abundant and inexpensive) or just sit down at a restaurant or café and take advantage of their free Wi-Fi. Internet is also available at the airport. 4 5 TRANSPORTATION TRANSPORTATION Public Transportation transport. It needs to be filled with 8 people. Driving Most of the popular sights are at least moder- Public transport in Istanbul is not integrated and Most of the lines run from Taksim. Speed limit in cities – 50 km/h ately accessible and there are also accessible routes between them. The true challenges are therefore you have to pay a new fare every time Taxis Outside the cities – 90 km/h you transfer. A single token costs 3 TL. However, Interstate highways – 120 km/h the hills, the cobblestone streets and also the Taxis are a cheap way of getting around; you just you can use the Akbil electronic ticket which is Blood alcohol limit – 0.05 BAC Turkish toilets. However, you can find accessi- need to watch out for scams (see Safety). Take available for a refundable 6 TL deposit. It can Passengers must always wear a seatbelt in the ble bathrooms at most modern establishments. only the yellow licensed taxis and always insist on then be loaded with credit and used on the go. A front seat. The public transport is accessible only on some using the meter. You can find them in taxi ranks single ride costs 1.95 TL no matter where you are Children under 12 years are not permitted stations. or hail them on the street. The start rate is 2.70 TL going. However, the Akbil ticket is being phased to sit in the front seat. Children under 1.35 and each kilometre costs 1.7 TL. There is no night out in the favour of Istanbulkart (skart.iett.gov.tr) metres and 36 kilograms must use child or rate. You may have to pay the bridge toll when which works the same. The passes and tickets booster seats. crossing over the river. are sold at kiosks and in major stations and can Touching a cell phone while driving is illegal – Can Taksi – +90 216 540 77 01 be recharged at the fare machines there, too. use a hands-free or a mounter and do not text. Konak Taksi – +90 212 281 5619 "Metro":http://istanbul-ulasim.com.tr/rayl%C4%B1-sis- Drive on the right. Oruçlar Taksi – +90 216 347 34 45 temler/m1-aksaray-%E2%80%93-atat%C3%BCrk-haval- Driving in Istanbul can be a challenge if you have iman%C4%B1.aspx – there are two lines con- Regional Transportation never been here before or simply are not used to necting different parts of the city; several more the driving style of the residents of the city. Ex- The city is served by Istanbul Atatürk Airport. lines are under construction. pect a stressful ride with horn-honking and plenty There is also the Sabiha Gökçen International Rail (istanbul-ulasim.com.tr) – connects to the of traffic jams.