FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: How is the climate in Turkey during all seasons?

A: Marmara, Aegean, and Mediterranean Coast has a typical Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters. The swimming season becomes shorter the further north one goes:

Black Sea Coast: Warm summers, mild winters, and relatively high rainfall.

Central Anatolia: Steppe climate with hot, dry summers; cold winters.

Eastern Anatolia: Long snowy cold winters with mild summers.

Southeast Anatolia: Hot summer with mild, rainy winters.

Q: What are the time zone variants in Turkey and how does it affect the adaptation to normal life?

A: All over the country, Turkey is on Eastern European time zone, two hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (GMT/UTC). In Turkey, clocks are set one hour forward on last Sunday in the month March and set back one hour on the last Sunday in October for Daylight Saving Activation.

Update: Turkey decided not to take part for daylight saving activation in 2016 and still not doing it.

Q: Does my cell phone work in Turkey?

A: If you have an unlocked GSM phone capable of operating in the 900 MHz and/or 1800 MHz bands, you can use it in Turkey. You can use your cell-phone via international roaming as well, but a more economical way is to buy a Turkish SIM card (chip) and insert it into your phone.

Please, get your passport with you when you go to buy a SIM card. Identification is supposedly required when you register a phone or phone number in Turkey.

Locked or Unlocked: GSM phones can be either "locked" (you can't change your SIM card), or "unlocked" (you can remove your SIM card and replace it with a different one)

Q: Which currency can I use in Turkey?

A: The Turkish Lira is the currency of Turkey. The currency code for Lira is TRY.

When paying with foreign currencies, Euro is the most readily accepted one. US Dollar can also be used. Although some large travel expenses such as hotel rooms and car rentals may be denominated in US dollars or euros, they may also be denominated and paid in Turkish liras. But payment with coins in US dollar and Euro is not a common way of use.

Q: Can I use my credit cards in Turkey which belong to my own country?

A: You can use the majority of your credit cards to pay for most purchases: hotel rooms, airline tickets, rental cars, fancy dinners, and the more substantial souvenirs.

The most common and accepted card is VISA, followed by MASTERCARD / EUROCARD.

AMERICAN EXPRESS is also accepted in many places, but such as the luxury hotels and services only.

Q: What is the way of shopping in Turkey or tendency of Turkish people in shopping, such as bargain?

A: Shopping in Turkey is as usual as the all other European countries. Open-air markets, bazaars under roof which is particular to Turkey and chic boutiques are everywhere and almost very common.

Bargaining or haggling is one of the traditions in Turkey. Shoppers in Europe and America bargain over price when they buy cars, houses and other expensive items. In Turkey, bargaining is extendable for even many less valuable items as well.

Q: Is Internet Access available at wide-range in Turkey?

A: Internet connection in Turkey is pretty easy just as all EU countries.

If you travel with your own laptop or tablet computer (iPad, etc.), almost every hotels offer fast (ADSL) wireless Internet access (Wi-Fi) in the lobby or lounge and also on each floor hotels have repeaters that convey the Wi-Fi signal to all the guest rooms.

Cafés and restaurants in nearly all the cities dedicate Wi-Fi access for their customers.

Major Airports in Turkey have Wi-Fi access (though it is not free) and it is accessible in ever more public buildings and public spaces. Even Hippodrome Square in Sultanahmet has free public Wi-Fi.

Q: May I coincide Turkish Language barrier if I don't know any word?

A: In touristic areas of Turkey, local tourism staff may speak a great variety of languages such as Spanish, Greek, Finnish, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, and Korean etc. A significant number of visitors may communicate with them easily. But you'll get the most out of your trip if you know a little bit of Turkish, as well.