Travel Guide » travel

Concierge Service

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:50:39 +0000

It’s usually difficult to find someone who can answer your questions before you arrive in Turkey.

While this website strives to bring you everything you need to know, there are still sometimes questions. For this reason, we have our Concierge Service.

Do you need help deciding on an itinerary? Just how much can you do in one day?

Do you want to be met at the airport or need a guide?

Then, perhaps Concierge can help you.

Because of the volume of e-mail we receive, we do ask that you first check our Independent Travel pages for questions about visas, places to stay, and for bus and ferry schedules. We are not travel agents so it’s best to contact one of the local travel agents found on the Independent Travel pages to make reservations!

E-mail us your requirements and we will write you back. There is no charge for this inquiry. Be sure to include the following information

* Your Name
* E-Mail Address
* Your Request

Before you go to Turkey !

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:15:34 +0000

Here’s everything you need to know before you go from what weather to expect to how to apply for a visa. There’s also a list of useful products and services such as traveler’s insurance companies, and much more.

Turkish Visa Information

Most travelers can purchase a visa at any port of entry, but you must have cash. They do not accept traveler’s checks or Turkish lira. If you’d like to avoid the delay of purchasing a visa when you arrive, you can apply online.

Americans and U.K. residents need visas. Visas are good for three months. There is a non-refundable processing fee of 26 USD in cash or money order for single entry or 87 USD in cash or money order for multiple entry, payable to Turkish Consulate General. Full information on these requirements is available at the Turkish Consulate Online.

Americans can reach the Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C. or the Consulate General offices in Los Angeles, which also has e-mail links to Consulates in Houston, Chicago and New York.

Australians and Canadians do not need visas and may stay for three months. Australians can reach the Turkish Embassy in Canberra.

Danes can reach the Turkish Embassy in Copenhagen.

Germans can reach the Turkish Embassy in Bonn.

The Swiss can reach the Turkish consulate in Zurich.

For a full list of Turkish consulates and missions, go to www.mfa.gov.tr.

If you don’t find your country, you can e-mail the closest Turkish Embassy regarding visa requirements.

Travel Advisories

The British Foreign Office provides up-to-date information for travelers to Turkey. They offer information and addresses of British Consular Services Abroad as well as practical tips and health information. They also offer a new service you can sign up for that sends you updates on any country you request!

The U.S. State Department has information on travel safety and precautions. If you plan to drive a car, they also have an excellent Driver Safety Briefing that includes translation of road signs.

Street Crime in Turkey is another important consideration. You can find information at the US Embassy’s Ankara website.

The U.S. State Department encourages its citizens visiting in Turkey to register either with the Embassy in Ankara or the consulates in Istanbul or Adana.

Health Precautions

What immunizations do you need for your trip? The Center for Disease Control (CDC) at has the answers for you and your physician.

Traveler’s Insurance

Absolutely, positively think about travel insurance. Turkish hospitals and physicians do not operate on the Hippocratic oath, unless you have cash, a charge card, or insurance! Here are a few companies that offer traveler’s insurance on-line.

J.N. Grace Online Travel Insurance is a U.S. company that offers insurance to anyone, but travel must originate in the U.S. or Canada.

Travel Guard International is another U.S. company.

The Travel Insurance Agency is a British company that specializes in travel insurance. They offer all types of travel insurance for UK citizens and non-UK citizens worldwide.

BKR Insurance is a New Zealand company.

Tourism Information

The Turkish Ministry of Tourism has an excellent site. Although the default page is in Turkish, you can select other languages at the bottom of the page.

For a list of Turkish tourism offices around the world go to Tourism Offices Worldwide Directory, select Turkey from the pull-down menu and click the Display button.

Weather

If, you’re planning ahead, here’s historical information provided by the Turkish Embassy, Washington, D.C. It shows average air and water temperatures for Turkey’s major cities.

For a four-day forecast, see CNN Weather for information on Ankara, Instabul, and Izmir.

Phoning In and From Turkey

The cheapest way to make domestic calls is from a public phone using a phone card bought at the post office (PTT). If the PTT is closed, you can usually find local entrepreneurs selling cards at a slight mark up near the public phones.

Your next challenge is to find a phone that is working. Lift the hand set and push the language button for either English, German or French and see what it says. If its says, “Welcome,” you have a phone that is working. Insert the phone card according to the arrow and you’re ready to start dialing.

Inside Turkey numbers outside your area code require a 0+ area code + number. Bodrum and Datca, for example, are in the same area code and don’t require an 0 + area code. If you dial an area code when you don’t need one, you’ll just get a busy signal.

If you use a Kontrol Telephone at your pension or a shop, expect to pay 3 to 4 times the PTT rate. This is not the phone to use for International calls.

To make a long distance international call you will need at least one 100 unit phone card. It maybe good for from 2 – 4 minutes. The card is around $4. If you wish to dial an operator, in your home country use the Home Direct phone number, which is free.

Learn Turkish

The University of Arizona in Tucson offers excellent resources for learning conversational Turkish.

Also, travlang.com offers Turkish for Travelers. Select the language you speak from the pulldown menu, the click on the Turkish flag near the bottom of the page to access the site.

Hotels in Istanbul & Turkey

admin — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:23:27 +0000

Hotels in Istanbul and throughout Turkey cover the full range of lodgings, from luxury palace hotels through charming, historic inns to simple but clean and cheap pensions and hostels, and even rental villas and flats/ apartments.

Most Turkish hotels offer rooms with private bathrooms, and include breakfast in the rates. Here are the ratings by the national Ministry of Tourism, and my (rough) price estimates for double (two-person) rooms:

Special-Class Hotels & Inns (TL85-300+)
Luckily for us visitors, Turkey has hundreds of special places to stay that don’t fit easily into the star categories: Ottoman mansion inns, historic houses, boutique hotels, Cappadocian cave dwellings, etc. These often have loads of character, at least some modern comforts (and sometimes all comforts), and are priced accordingly, anywhere from TL85 to TL300 double and occasionally higher.

The Association of Historical & Boutique Hoteliers of Turkey (ÖZBI), has over 60 member hotels of this type.

5-star hotels (TL200-350+)

Expected luxury and all services. Worldwide chains (Hilton, Kempinski, Marriott, Ritz Carlton, Sheraton, etc) tend to be smoother but substantially more expensive than the local Turkish chains (Dedeman, Divan, Merit, etc), which offer a bit less class but better value. Breakfast is definitely not included in the normal rates (although it may be in package deals), and costs an amazing TL30 extra in many cases.

4-star hotels (TL125-275)

Very comfortable local hotels, independent or small Turkish chains, with multilingual staff, nice restaurant and bar, air conditioning, and good breakfast, etc.

3-star hotels (TL75-125)
Comfortable, with satellite TV, minibars, perhaps even a swimming pool or nightclub in smaller cities and resorts.

Here’s the best place to look for the less expensive hotels, inns, guesthouses and hostels:

2-star hotels (TL50-85)
Good value! May have TVs in rooms, or just a TV lounge; some pretensions to decor, decent breakfast.

1-star hotels (TL35-50)
Great value for the budget-minded; simple, homey, often like a European pension. Not a lot of services, though usually Internet, TV in the lounge, clean rooms with (tiny) private shower, and usually a simple breakfast.

No-star hotels (TL20-50)
The smallest, cheapest, simplest local hotels are rated by the municipal authorities. These spartan places often have rooms with only beds and a light bulb; a communal cold-water sink and shower are down the hall; a hot shower (if available) costs extra. No breakfast available. If you’re traveling on a starvation budget, they’re good. No-star places in a city may be funky or grim; in seaside resorts they’re often friendly and convenient.

Hostels

Turkey has several excellent hostels of the new type: not the spartan, puritan youth and hikers’ barracks of the past but comfortable, congenial, low-cost, high-enjoyment lodgings targeted at adventurous travelers of all ages, but primarily younger ones. The many services may include Internet access, bars and lounges, travel-booking services, and even belly-dance shows. Here’s how to find them:

Villas & Flats/Apartments
Perhaps the fastest-growing lodging possibility, villas are springing up all along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, and flats/apartments are being refurbished in the major cities for families, small groups, and those coming for visits longer than the normal few days.