Banks
Most banks are open Monday to Friday from 0830 to 1200, when they close for lunch, then re-open from 1330 to 1700.
Business Hours
Restaurants are mostly open throughout the day until quite late. Shops do vary, though mainly will be open from 0830 or 0900 until 1900 or 2000. Some small independent stores will stay open later than this.
Crime, Touts & Scams
Violent crime in Istanbul is very uncommon, and as a tourist you will find you are generally treated very well by people. As with any large city there are always those who will try to take advantage of you pick-pocketing and purse-snatching is not uncommon in the busy areas.
Touts are not as common in Istanbul as in some of the coastal tourist resorts, though you may come across one or two who try to persuade you that the hotel or restaurant they're recommending is the best. Usually if you're firm with them they will leave you alone.
Scams are not unusual in some of the busy nightlife spots of the city, such as Taksim. Often they will involve drinks or food being over-charged when you get the bill. Use your discretion when being invited to a supposed good club or restaurant by someone you don't know as this could be a prelude to a scam.
Driving see Getting Around
Electricity
Power is supplied in 220 Volts through sockets of 2 round pins. Visitors from the UK and Australia will be able to use these with a travel adaptor, though visitors from the US and Canada will require both an adaptor and a transformer, although dual voltage shavers will only need a pin adaptor.
Embassies
Because Istanbul is not the capital of Turkey there are no embassies here; embassies are actually located in Ankara , though there are Consulates in Istanbul .
British Consulate-General Mesrutiyet Caddesi No 34, Tepebasi, Beyoglu, Istanbul (90) 212 334 6400
U.S. Consulate General Istanbul Istinye Mahallesi, Kaplicalar Mevkii No.2, Istinye Istanbul (90) 212 335 90 00 Australian Consulate-General in Istanbul 2nd Floor, Suzer Plaza , Askerocagi Caddesi No. 15, Elmadag, Istanbul (90) 212 243 1333
Emergencies
The phone numbers to call in case of emergency are:
Police 155
Fire brigade 110
Ambulance 112
Hospital care must be paid for by visitors to Istanbul and costs can be quite high, therefore insurance is recommended to cover these costs.
Foreign Exchange & Money
Istanbul is still a relatively cheap city to visit when compared to similar cities around the world, and you always have a good choice of accommodation, dining etc, depending on your budget.
The currency is the (New) Turkish Lira and although up until a few years ago the Lira was spiralling out of control, the economy is now much stronger and inflation has been brought under control and hence the Lira was revalued in 2005. One Lira consists of 100 kuru s.
You will get a much better rate of exchange if you wait until you arrive in Istanbul , rather than doing so in your home country. Official bureau de change offices or exchange houses known as d öviz are widespread and will give you the best rates and lowest or no commission charges, although hotels and banks will also change your currency.
Health
Although it's not an essential requirement to have inoculations before entering Istanbul , your doctor or travel clinic may recommend having a jab against tetanus (if you're due for one), hepatitis A and typhoid.
If you have a minor illness whilst is Istanbul, usually the best course of action is to go to a pharmacy ( eczane in Turkish) as many in the city will speak limited English and be able to give you medication which you would normally need a prescription for in most other countries.
Internet
If you need an internet connection and have a laptop, many of the café's and larger shopping centres have a free wireless (WiFi) service. Internet café's are also widely available and the cost for using their services is extremely reasonable. You may also find if you're in a higher class hotel that you have WiFi there too.
Language
Obviously in Istanbul Turkish is spoken, though you will find in the hotels especially that the employees know enough English and German to communicate effectively with you. Otherwise the level of English spoken does vary restaurant servers, for example, may have a very limited vocabulary.
National Public Holidays
The following dates are National Public Holidays in Istanbul , when offices and banks will usually be closed: January 1, April 23, May 19, May 29, July 1, August 26 (banks and offices are open July 1 and August 26), August 30, October 29 and November 10.
Police
There are quite a variety of police' that you may come across in Istanbul . The Polis are the blue-uniformed, everyday security who you will no doubt see around the city. The traffic police ( Trafik Polis ) wear white caps and are generally looking after the roads and doing vehicle checks. You will probably see them sitting in their cars with the lights flashing for no apparent reason! There is also a rapid-response unit in Istanbul of motorbike police who have red and black uniforms.
Postal Services
The postal service is run by the PTT which you can easily distinguish by its black-on-yellow logo. Stamps can only be purchased at the PTT and street-side post (or mail) boxes are rare, so it's best to send your mail from the PTT building as well.
Smoking
Smoking is a very common past-time in Istanbul and although smoking is banned on public transport it can sometimes be difficult to get away from the smoke in crowded outdoor areas.
Telephone
If you need to use a public phone, the best place is at the PTT where you have a number of payment options.
Mobile (or cell) phone coverage is excellent in Istanbul , and if you're bringing a phone with you which will work in Turkey , you should have no trouble finding a signal to roam' on.
To telephone into Turkey from overseas, you should dial your international access code, then 90' followed by the area code without the first zero, then the 7 digit number.
To phone internationally from Turkey , dial 00' then the international code of the country you're dialling, e.g. 44 for the UK , 001 for the US and Canada and 61 for Australia .
Time
The time in Istanbul is GMT + 2 hours.
Tipping
In the more expensive restaurants you will probably be charged a compulsory 10 to 15%, but this rarely goes to your server, so good service should warrant you leaving a little extra.
In the majority of restaurants, servers are extremely poorly paid and rely on tips for their living so generous tips should be given when deserved.
Toilets
Unless you're in a hotel or a posh restaurant, public toilets in Istanbul will be of the type where you squat and you will have to pay for the privilege of doing so. The fee isn't much and you can usually get paper from the attendant if you don't have any on you as there won't be any in the cubicles.
Visas
Citizens of USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia and South Africa all require a tourist visa to enter Turkey though these are issued as you enter, on payment of a fee, i.e. you do not need to apply for the visa before leaving your home country.
All citizens of the above countries are issued a visa which is valid for up to 3 months, except only South Africans, who are granted a 1 month stay.
Fees vary, though for 2008 these are as follows:
USA $20 or 15 Euro
Canada $60 or 45 Euro
UK $20 or 15 Euro or £10
Ireland $15 or 10 Euro
Australia $20 or 15 Euro
South Africa $15 or 10 Euro
Please note that it's advisable to have the exact money for each member of your party. Only the above currencies are accepted, and the will not accept credit cards or cheques.
For the most up to date information, visit The Ministry of Foreign Affairs website:
http://www.disisleri.gov.tr/MFA/ConsularInformation/ForForeigners/VisaInformation/visafees.htm
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