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Time Zone |
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The time zone in Turkey is the Eastern Europe Time. In the summer it is measured as GMT+3 due to daylight-saving time where the clocks shift forward an hour. After the summer months the clocks are put back and hour therefore the time is measured as GMT+2. |
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Weather |
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Turkey has a perfect Mediterranean climate with low humidity. The long, extended summer runs between May and October with temperatures ranging from low 20°C at the beginning and end of the season, up to mid 30°C in the hottest months of July and August. The southcoast of Turkey has the warmest and sunniest weather. The costal areas in general have mild winters and good summers. |
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Language |
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The official language is Turkish, it is the first language spoken by 90% of the 63 million population. Minority languages include Kurdish, spoken by 6% of the population, although this isn't recognised as an official language. Arabic is spoken by 1.2% although most of those speakers are bilingual Arabic and Turkish speakers. English is widely spoken throughout the whole of Turkey. |
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Flight Time |
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It takes roughly 4 hours to get to Turkey from the UK but can vary slightly depending on where in the UK you fly from. |
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Airports |
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There are four main holiday airports in Turkey: Bodrum, Izmir, Dalaman, Antalya.
Bodrum is located 30km from Bodrum city centre.
Izmir is located 18km south of the city.
Dalaman is located 6km south of Dalaman town centre.
Antalya is located 17km from Antalya main city.
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Currency |
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New Turkish Lira is the currency used in Turkey. Major credit cards are also accepted. There are many ATMs available. |
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Telephone Services |
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Public telephones are conveniently located throughout the country. Two types of pay phones are available, operated with tokens and telephone cards.
The country calling code of Turkey is 90. When calling a person located out of Turkey, dial the national access code 0, 3-digit area code followed by the 7-digit phone number.
Example : 0 212 263 64 07
The number 131 will take you to Türk Telekom's operator. By dialing 115 you can reach Turk Telekom's international operator
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Emergency Services |
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Ambulance – 112
Police – 155
Fire – 110
Coast guard – 158
Tourist helpline – 170
Bordum hospital – 252 313 14 20
Izmir hospital – 232 243 43 43/232 463 21 21
Dalaman hospital – 252 692 50 26
Antalya hospital – 242 227 43 43
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Communications |
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Mobiles in Turkey use GSM services. There are four GSM operators, Turkcell (12 millions), Telsim (5 millions), Aria (1 million) and Aycell (500 thousand).Please check with your mobile phone provider before arriving in Turkey to make sure your phone is useable abroad. There are numerous internet cafe’s located over Turkey, where you pay an hourly fee to use the internet. You can send fax messages form most post offices. |
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Passport Information |
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A passport is required to enter Turkey and it must be valid for 6 months after the date of departure. |
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Visa
Information |
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British Citizens holding a full British Passport are issued with a multiple-entry visa for visits up to 3 months at the point of entry; fee £10. Only a £10 note will be accepted therefore you cannot expect to pay with two £5s or a £20 for two people. |
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Health & Safety/Vaccinations |
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There are no vaccination requirements for any International Traveller, however please consult your doctor/nurse before travelling. As optional extra precautions can be taken. Health facilities are generally of a good standard. |
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Embassy |
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British Embassy, Sehit Ersan Caddesi 46A, Cankaya, 06680, Ankara, Turkey
Tel: (+90) 312 468 6563
Fax: (+90) 312 468 6239
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Tourist Offices/Information |
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Turkish Tourism Office:
4th Floor, 29-30 St. James's Street
London
SW1A 1HB
Telephone : 0207 8397778
There are many tourist offices located around all the main holiday resorts in Turkey.
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Duty Free |
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The limits on what you can buy and take with you when you travel from non EU countries, as long as it is for personal use and not for resale is:
200 Cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 250g of tobacco, 60 cc of perfume, 2litres of wine. 1 litre of spirits or strong liqueurs over 22 per cent volume or 2 litres of fortified wine, sparkling wine or other liqueurs such as port or sherry and £145 worth of all other goods including gifts and souvenirs.
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Electricity |
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The local current is 220 volts and the connection is made by a two-pin plug. Travellers from the UK will require a plug adapter and this is best bought in the UK. |
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Tipping |
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Where a service charge is not included 10% is usually expected as a tip.
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Food & Drink |
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Food and drinking water are of high quality and safe. Although it is advisable not to drink the tap water. Like in all countries different products may be used when preparing foods, to be on the safe side ensure vegetables are cooked and fruit peeled. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. |
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Postal Services |
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Turkish post offices are easily recognizable by their "PTT" signs. Major post offices are open from 8:00am to 12am Monday to Saturday and 9:00am to 7:00 pm on Sunday. Small post offices have the same hours as government offices. |
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Driving in Turkey |
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In Turkey you drive on the right hand side of the road and the right of way always belongs to traffic coming from the right. The speed limit on the highways is 90km/h and in towns is 50km/h. Always carry your driving licence, vehicle registration document (V5), and certificate of motor insurance. If your licence does not incorporate a photograph ensure you carry your passport to validate the licence. If the vehicle is not registered in your name, carry a letter from the registered owner giving you permission to drive. Do not drink and drive you may be faced with a severe fine. Minimum age for driving, provided you hold a full UK licence, is 21 for a car and for a motorcycle over 75cc. If you've got an old-style all-green licence you might find the police will not understand them, so you may need to either get them updated or take an International Driving Permit as well.
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Public Holidays |
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There are several public holidays in Turkey, the most popular being: Jan 1st – New years day, Jan-Feb (moveable dates) – Kurban Bayrami, April 23rd National independence & children’s day, May 19th – Youth and sports day, Aug 30th – Victory Day, October 28th-29th – Republic day, Oct-Nov (moveable dates) – Ramadan/Seker Bayrami.
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