Turkey- what currency?

[Elroy Blue]

Off to Turkey soon. We've never been before and have been advised to take Euros, Lira or a combination of both. What do they generally prefer over there?

[Trustmeimadoctor]

ooh im off for the first time soon too hadnt really thought about taking anything but lira tbh

[Mermaid]

They like Euros.

[GTiR Al]

I'm also heading over there this weekend.

Went out there two years ago and tbh Lira are fine - accepted everywhere and at the moment they're near enough 2.5 to the £ so you can work out what you're paying easily enough.

[fatpasty]

I've just come back from Turkey. They take all three. £ - euro - lira.

I took some £ over there and just withdraw from my bank. Don't change any money over here, the exchange rate over there is miles better. @ Gatwick the exchange rate was 2.31 lira to the £. Over there it was 2.57 to the pound.

There are cash machines all over the place and they are all let you withdraw what you like... £ - euro or lira.

Hope this helps.

[grumpyscot]

We usually take some lira and the rest in good old Bank of England tenners (you need them to get into the country anyway!). We've always got a better conversion rate over there compared with the UK. We've never bothered with Euro's.

[fatpasty]

Yeah cost £10 to get in to the country on arrival.

[PauloBellende]

We have a house in Turkey www.villayar.com to answer your question:
Dont take euros, why change sterling to Euro then again to YTL (Turkish Lira).

Everywhere Lira is the currency of choice afterall it is their currency.

The best and cheapest is to use the cash machine in the airport when you land ( for a small amount) then go to the PTT Yellow buildings, ie the Turkish Post Office. They have the best rate by a mile. This week 2.59YTL. If you can take UK cash to avoid your card charges.

Hope this helps,
Regs

[Frik]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

...but make sure it's something other than Lira.

[PauloBellende]

You need £10 per person for visa entry. This allows 180 days and entry exit unlimited.
Regs

[SB10]

£10 English sterling for your visa stamp.

Having been a number of times, i would 100% go over with Sterling and then change over in Turkey to Lira. The rate when I was there at Easter was 2.57 in a lot of the places, compared to 2.4xxx over here.

[anonymous-user]

PauloBellende said:

We have a house in Turkey www.villayar.com to answer your question:
Dont take euros, why change sterling to Euro then again to YTL (Turkish Lira).

Everywhere Lira is the currency of choice afterall it is their currency.

The best and cheapest is to use the cash machine in the airport when you land ( for a small amount) then go to the PTT Yellow buildings, ie the Turkish Post Office. They have the best rate by a mile. This week 2.59YTL. If you can take UK cash to avoid your card charges.

Hope this helps,
Regs

As a many-times Turkish visitor (25+ times!), I would agree absolutely with this. Take travellers cheques or sterling cash and change at the post office. Bar far and away the best rates.

[Elroy Blue]

Thanks for the replies. Much appreciated.

[LooneyTunes]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

And don't forget that (at IST at least) it's a separate queue for visas!

The number of people you see join the passport control line and then get turned back when they get to the front is great if you're into schadenfreude.

[otherman]

had ham said:

As a many-times Turkish visitor (25+ times!), I would agree absolutely with this. Take travellers cheques or sterling cash and change at the post office. Bar far and away the best rates.

I was told this and it was exactly wrong. The best TL rate I got was in the UK before I left, and all the suggestions that they take euro's and sterling in shops are very missleading. They do, but the rates are applalling.

I recommend taking TL in cash.

[mgroadster]

Take dollars, quids, euro's or lira. The turks don't give a toss, they'll take anything.