General information about Turkey
Official language: Turkish
Currency and exchange rate: Turkish Lira (TL).
1 EURO = approximately 1.84 TL
and US$1 = approximately 1.4 TL
Currency regulations: There is no limit to the amount of foreign currency that may be brought into Turkey, but not more than $5,000 worth of Turkish currency may be brought into or taken out of the country.
Exchange receipts: The receipts from exchanging foreign currency into Turkish lira should be kept, since you may be required to show them again when exchanging your Turkish lira back into foreign currency, or when taking souvenirs out of the country (to prove that they have been purchased with legally exchanged foreign currency).
Time zone: GMT + 2 hours in the entire country (seven hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time).
Electricity: 220 volts AC throughout Turkey
Weights and Measures: Metric system
Arrival in Istanbul
For arrivals at Atatürk International Airport, transportation to Istanbul City (about 20 km away), includes:
- Taxis: about 25€ from the airport to the hotel;
- Shuttles: From the airport, shuttle buses run from 6:00 AM to 1:00 AM, with a departure every half hour. It takes approximately 40 minutes and a ticket costs 9,00 TL (VAT incl.).
The appropriate arrival/departure stop is Taksim/“Büyükşehir Arts Gallery” (20 meters away from THY office).
For further information on Turkey and Istanbul please visit the official tourist site:
Turkey: www.tourismturkey.org/
Istanbul: www.istanbul.com/splash.html
