Drinking water

The tap water is of poor quality in Turkey. It is therefore advisable to only drink bottled water (with the exception of water for brushing your teeth). Mineral water is cheaply available in supermarkets.

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Electricity

The mains voltage of electricity in Turkey is 220 volts. a world plug is not usually needed in hotels and apartment complexes. 

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Public holidays

The main national holidays in Turkey are:

• January 1 – New Year's Day

• April 23 – Children's Day

• May 1 – Labor Day

• May 19 – Youth & Sports Day, Commemoration of Atatürk

• July 15 – Day of the Martyrs

• August 30 – Victory Day

• October 29 – Republic Day

• November 10 – Anniversary of Atatürk's death

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On these holidays you can find closed doors of shops, restaurants, museums and other public places. We recommend that you inform yourself about this on site, as well as about any. regional and local holidays.

In addition, take into account Ramadan, which is celebrated at a different time every year. Muslims eat nothing between sunrise and sunset for thirty days. In the big cities you will hardly notice this, in smaller places restaurants can close their doors during this period. The Sugar and Sacrifice Feast can also influence daily life.

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Money matters

In Turkey, payment is made with the Turkish lira (TL). In many well-known seaside resorts you can also pay with the euro, which they sometimes even prefer. However, when you pay with the euro, the most favorable rate is not always charged. The exchange rate fluctuates enormously anyway; check just before departure with which factor you need to convert.

Pinning is possible in the well-known seaside resorts at ATMs with a Maestro card. This is cheaper than going to an exchange office. Pinning in shops is not possible as standard, so always make sure you have cash on you. Credit cards are also accepted at more and more hotels and restaurants.

NB! To prevent fraud, many banks disable debit cards by default for pins outside Europe. Set this up with your bank clerk before you start the journey. Also indicate your travel period.   – usually possible via internet banking – when you travel to Turkey.

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Travel healthy

There are no mandatory vaccinations for Turkey. However, vaccinations for DTP and Hepatitis A and B are recommended. For longer stays, a vaccination against typhoid fever may be recommended and malaria tablets for certain areas.

The guidelines above are general recommendations only. We advise travelers at all times to be well informed by Izmir Medical Esthetic Travel.

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Some more health advice:

• To prevent intestinal problemswe recommend avoiding raw vegetables and peeled fruit. Ice cubes and tap water also pose a risk.

• You never hope to get sick on holiday, but if this does happen, you don't want to be faced with financial surprises. Travel insurance is therefore recommended; some treatments (certainly in private clinics) are not or only partially reimbursed by health insurance. Please also contact Izmir Medical Esthetic Travel for possible temporary Turkish travel insurance. 

• The sun in Turkey (particularly in the high season) is considerably more powerful than in the Netherlands. A sunscreen with a high factor is therefore necessary to avoid the risk of sunburn.

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Local emergency numbers

Of course you do not hope that something serious will happen during your holiday in Turkey. But if you need to contact the emergency services, these are the local emergency numbers:

• 155: police

• 112: ambulance

• 110: fire brigade

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Travel documents

Although Turkey does not belong to the European Union, it is possible to travel to the country with an identity card. Of course  a passport is also an option. Please note that the passport or identity card must be valid for at least 6 months upon arrival.

Since March 2020, the visa requirement for Turkey has been abolished. With this new visa-free arrangement, Dutch and Belgian tourists have 90 days of free access to the country. These 90 days apply per period of 180 days.

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Travel time

A flight to Turkey takes an average of 3 to 4 hours when it concerns a direct flight, depending on, among other things, the airport from which you depart. With a stopover (common) or transfer (less common), the travel time will be longer.

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Language

Almost 75% of the Turks speak Turkish, the other inhabitants speak Kurdish. In the coastal towns andYou can often get by with English in Istanbul and Izmir. German is also an option; many Turks have relatives living in Germany or have lived there themselves.

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Telephony & internet

Within the European Union, strict rules now apply to providers; no extra costs may be charged for calls and internet in EU countries. Unfortunately, Turkey does not invade here.

To avoid high costs, we recommend turning off roaming on mobile phones and using WiFi in your accommodation, if available. Check the information for the accommodation you have chosen. In addition, ask your provider about the possibilities for data bundles and the costs for calling.

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Time difference

Turkey is in a different time zone. In summer time it is therefore 1 hour later than in the Netherlands. In winter time the difference is 2 hours.

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Tourist tax

Until recently, Turkey charged tourist tax in the form of a visa. Now that it will be abolished in March 2020, Turkey intends to introduce a tourist tax. This is expected to be from January 2021. Tourist tax then only has to be paid by holidaymakers aged 12 and over. The amount of the tourist tax (which you pay per night) depends on the type of accommodation and the number of stars.

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Safety

The crime figures in Turkey are relatively low, especially if you look at the seaside resorts that we have in our offer.

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