General Information
VISAS: Please visit the following address for information on visas:
www.mfa.gov.tr/MFA/ConsularInformation/ForForeigners/VisaInformation
CURRENCY: The Turkish currency is YTL and floats freely against other currencies. Major credit cards are generally accepted in the hotels, restaurants and shops.
ELECTRICITY: Voltage in use is 220 V. Hotels have adapters and converters available for guests’ use.
LANGUAGE: In restaurants, hotels and other places visited by tourists, foreign languages, particularly English,are spoken.
TIPPING: It is customary to tip around 10 percent of the bill in the restaurants, bars and cafes.
PHONE CALLS: To make an international call, dial: 00 + Country code + Area code + Telephone number.
AMBULANCE: 112, POLICE: 155, FIRE: 110
TIME: Time is GMT +3 hours in winter and GMT+2 hours in summer
SHOPPING HOURS: Monday- Saturday 09:00 – 19:00
BANKS: Open During Monday-Friday 09:00 – 17:00
WEIGHT AND MEASURES: Metric system is used in Turkey.
VAT: Value Added Tax is included in the prices and is registered on the bills.
BUSES: There is no doubt that buses are the cheapest form of transportation in Istanbul.
METRO/UNDERGROUND: There is only one metro line in Istanbul.
TAXIS: Taxis are efficient and convenient to travel around Istanbul. Fares are quite low as compared to fares in Europe.