Cheap Turkey holiday travel advice
The amphitheatre below is a centrepiece of the classic Roman city of Ephesus on the Aegean coast south of Istanbul and is a must-see if you’ve bought flight tickets for a holiday to Turkey.
Construction of the Theatre of Ephusus began during the reign of Claudius (41-54 AD) and was completed during the reign of Trajan (98-117 AD).
The Roman-Greek theatre has a diameter of 150 metres and once held an audience up to 25,000 people who enjoyed its superb acoustics.
Turkey holiday travel advice
Holiday travel in Turkey has been affected by terrorism, the tourism industry hard hit since 9/11 and the Turkish economy struggling.
Travellers can benefit from this downturn by bargaining for cheap holiday travel tickets and discount hotel reservations in Turkey. Cheap airline tickets and flights to Turkey are another benefit.
The exchange rate also makes Turkey a dream for backpackers seeking cheap holiday adventure, luxury or spectacular sights as good as the best you’ve seen during your world travel.
Holiday travel costs are lowest in eastern Anatolia while Cappadocia, Selcuk, Pamukkale and Olympos still provide bargain travel prices. Holiday travel prices are highest in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and the Mediterranean and Aegean coastal cities and towns with high tourist numbers.
In these western locations tourists can survive on 70 to 100 Turkish lira per person per day (2011), provided you use public transport, stay in pensions, share bathrooms, go to a basic eatery once a day and don’t bother seeing tourist sights.
Away from Istanbul and the Aegean/Mediterranean coasts, budget travel can be as low as 60 to 85 lira per day in 2011. Throughout Turkey, for 85 to 140 lira per day (2011) you can get midrange hotel accommodation with private bathrooms and eat mostly in restaurants. On more than 140 lira per day you can enjoy Turkey�s boutique hotels and enjoy holiday travel luxuries such as daily wining and dining.
Dependent upon the erratic currency, Turkey can usually be enjoyed in near-luxury for about 130 lira a day (2011), and it’s possible to have an at-times uncomfortable holiday in Turkey for less than 70 lira a day.
International flights land at Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara, and holiday charter plane flights service the Mediterranean coast.
There are train and bus links to Western Europe, ferry links to Italy, Ukraine and nearby ports, and border crossings with Syria, Armenia, Bulgaria, Iran, Iraq and Georgia.
When you travel in Turkey, you should bargain for just about everything you purchase.
Hotel room prices in Turkey can be haggled down, particularly in the slow travel season from November to April.
Membership of youth hostel associations can greatly reduce your Turkey holiday travel costs.
Turkey travel advice 2011
Sandy beaches line the Mediterranean, although the best are owned by hotel chains which charge tourists a fee for access and other services. However, it’s easy to find a free public beach if you don’t want to pay for your holiday suntan.
The southern coast of Turkey comprises glorious beaches and bleached cliffs with fishing villages tucked into tiny coves, the sea air mingling with a rich fragrance of pine and wild thyme.
A highlight of travel on Turkey’s south-west coast is the private hire of a power boat or gulet, one of the many quaintly converted wooden fishing boats that offer a holiday adventure on the calm waters of the Mediterranean.
A private charter allows you to share the vessel with friends rather than potentially incompatible strangers, along with a skipper, cook and crew member if needed.
Boat charters can be organised in coastal towns such as Bodrum and Marmaris, and holiday-makers can enjoy weeks of leisurely cruising with frequent stops to explore small bays and villages.
Turkey travel tip … As a rough guide, a group of eight tourists could probably expect to hire a gulet for about 120 lira per day per person, meals included. The cheapest gulet without skipper, crew or meals was 3,300 Turkish lira per week in 2011. A luxury gulet with crew, food and drinks normally hires for about 25,000 lira per week.
The more upmarket and expensive ports along the Lycian coast (known in tourist circles as the Turquoise Coast) are Marmaris and Bodrum. Gocek is a more down-to-earth sailing port.
Food? Eat on the streets and you’ll find vendors everywhere with interesting snacks that cost a pittance.
Eat a feast in a restaurant and it’ll only cost a few dollars.
Turkey holiday travel advice 2011
Giving a tip is often expected of tourists in Turkey, particularly in hotels and taxis.
Valid passports and visas are required by most but not all nationalities for holiday travel in Turkey and tourists from all countries can purchase a 90 day sticker visa at the port of entry for US$20 cash in 2011.
Travellers from America, Britain, Canada, Australia and Israel need a visa which can be obtained at embassies, consulates or upon arrival, while citizens of South Africa, New Zealand and most western European countries don’t need a visa to travel in Turkey for up to three months.
Residents of several European Union countries can enter and travel through Turkey with just a national ID card.
It’s important to make sure you get entry stamps on your passport’s Turkish visa page at the very first port of entry, unless you want headaches when your holiday is over and the time comes to travel home.
Penalties are expensive if you overstay your holiday visa in Turkey.
Exchange rates during your Turkey holiday are dependent upon the at-times parlous state of the Turkish economy, inflation being an ongoing problem that has only recently started showing signs of slowing.
Note that the new Turkish lira was introduced on January 1, 2005. This new currency effectively loses six zeros from the former notes and coins. The new Turkish lira consists of six different notes and six different coins.
The largest new note is 100 YTL, which is the equivalent of 100 million of the old Turkish liras. Sterling, dollars and euros are readily accepted throughout Turkey and the Turkish name for money is para.
Old Turkish lira will be convertible to New Turkish Lira until 2015 via Turkey’s Central Bank.
Banks in Turkey are open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to midday and from 1.30pm to 5pm.
About 35% of the Turkish population is involved with agriculture.
Turkey travel advice … When you holiday or travel in Turkey, make sure you get plenty of local Turkish currency in the major cities before heading into the countryside. Why? Because credit card facilities aren’t always the best.