Türkiye! A name that you can see and close the suitcase just by hearing it! The historic land of the Ottomans, the shining beaches of the Mediterranean, colorful neighborhoods, baklavas and delicious cafes… If I want to continue, I can talk about the charm of traveling to Turkey until the end of this article… For this reason, we have prepared a complete and detailed article from the travel guide to Türkiye. Whether you are planning to travel to Turkey for the first time or you want to have a different and dreamy experience on your next trip, this article is for you! Here we are going to make discovering Turkey the sweetest experience of your life, so stay with us.
Brief and useful information from Türkiye
Before entering the travel guide to Turkey, it is better to start our virtual tour with the basic information of this country.
Türkiye travel guide
Location
Türkiye is known as the bridge between the two continents, being located in the southeast of Europe and northwest of Asia. Because of this special location, it has 2 European neighbors and 6 Asian neighbors and it is surrounded by the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Aegean Sea, and Marmara Sea from three directions: North, South, and West. In terms of time, Türkiye is about 3 hours ahead of the world time.
Tourism
Turkey is one of the most touristic countries in the world (for example, this country attracted 42 million foreign tourists in 2014 alone! 42 million!) Among the reasons for this popularity: numerous tourist cities, luxury hotels and restaurants, Rich culture and history, nature and recreational beaches abound.
Language, religion, currency
A high percentage of the population of this country speak Istanbul Turkish. The official religion of the country is Islam. The currency is the Turkish lira, which is enough to know the latest price by searching on Google.
weather
As we said, Turkey is surrounded by the sea in several ways, and as a result, you should expect humid weather in most cities. But in general, the air of this country is a combination of Mediterranean, tropical and oceanic climate. A little further in the best time to travel to Türkiye section, you will get to know the weather details at different times.
Start your trip to Türkiye here
Well, now that we have reviewed the basic information, let’s go to our travel plan. To go with a tour or buy a ticket yourself? Is it better to go by air or land? How to reduce the cost of traveling to Türkiye? Do you take lira or dollars with you? What cities do you visit? We will answer all these questions.
travel to turkey
passport
The first step to leave the borders of your country is to have a passport. A passport is actually an identification document that your country issues to you and represents your identity in the destination country. Preparing it is not difficult and strange at all.
Turkish visa
The case of visa is the opposite! That is, this document is issued by the legal representatives of the destination country, and according to it, the request of foreign nationals to enter the destination country is approved. But the sweet part is that you don’t need a visa to travel to Turkey!
Some neighboring countries or countries with close political and commercial ties sign visa waiver agreements. Based on this, you can stay in Türkiye for up to 90 days without a visa. But if your goal is to travel for more than 90 days, you should apply for a visa from the Turkish embassy.
Which type of transportation is best for traveling to Türkiye?
Traveling to Türkiye is possible in different ways, each of which has its own characteristics and charms. Air travel is the fastest way to reach Turkey, but if you plan to travel to Turkey from neighboring countries, land travel to Turkey is one of the methods that can be very attractive and useful for you. Also, sea travel from some countries to the sea borders of Turkey is possible. is acceptable
In this section of the travel guide to Turkey, we will examine each of these ways and their unique features and conditions.
Travel guide to Türkiye by plane
What you read in every travel guide to Turkey is that traveling to Turkey by plane is one of the easiest and fastest ways to travel to this country. Many airlines around the world have direct flights to Turkey, or at least their planes stop in one of the Turkish cities. This, along with the many airports that exist throughout Turkey, makes it possible for travelers to choose the right flight. Every day of the year, you can easily travel to the main cities of Turkey such as Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya and Izmir from anywhere in the world.
Most airlines offer various tourist packages for traveling to Turkey, which include flights, accommodation, entrance tickets to tourist attractions and airport taxi to the hotel. Air travel to Turkey is convenient and fast, and can be one of the best ways to travel to the country, especially if you have limited time.
In this part of the travel guide to Turkey, we try to help you choose the flight routes you want by introducing the major airports of the main cities in Turkey.
Guide to Istanbul Airports
The city of Istanbul has two large and busy airports, which we will cover a little in the travel guide to Turkey.
Istanbul International Airport (IST)
Istanbul International Airport (IST)
This large and modern airport is located in the northwest of Istanbul, about 45 kilometers from the city center. This airport is one of the busiest airports in the world and in 2019, about 65 million passengers used it. Some of the services of this airport include: clothing and handicraft stores, restaurants, cafes, medical facilities and private car and taxi rental services.
Türkiye travel guide : A comprehensive and complete travel guide
Sabiha Gokchen Airport (SAW)
The second airport in our Turkey travel guide list is Sabiha Gokcen Airport, one of the largest airports in Istanbul. This airport is located in the east of Istanbul and about 40 kilometers from its center. This airport also has various services such as shops, restaurants, cafes, parking services and private car and taxi rental services.
In addition, these two airports are connected with different cities of Istanbul through city buses, metro, train and taxi.
Ankara Airport Guide
Ankara International Airport is located 28 kilometers northeast of Ankara city. This airport has two passenger terminals, Terminal 1 for domestic flights and Terminal 2 for international flights, especially for Northern Europe and the Middle East. If your tickets are not direct in European tours, your stop may be in Türkiye; It depends on the destination and the type of ticket purchased.
Access to this airport from inside Ankara is possible through bus and taxi lines. Also, for the comfort of passengers, most of the hotels in Ankara transfer their passengers from this airport to the hotel by taxi for free. So, if you have rented a hotel in this city, make sure you have this service.
Izmir airport guide
Adnan International Airport is located 18 kilometers southwest of Izmir and is one of the busiest airports in Turkey. This airport has a passenger terminal and services such as various stores, restaurants, cafes, parking and taxi, car rental, free internet and various communication services, press, exchange and ATM are available to passengers.
Using city bus lines, taxis and private services, you can easily reach Izmir city and other urban areas from this airport and vice versa.
Antalya Airport Guide
Antalya Airport – Türkiye travel guide
The last airport that we cover in our travel guide to Turkey is Antalya International Airport, 10 kilometers east of Antalya city. This airport has three passenger terminals, terminal 1 is for domestic flights. Terminal 2 is dedicated to international flights and Terminal 3, which is a new terminal, is intended for charter flights and low-cost tourist trips. This airport also has all the facilities of other Turkish airports, and urban transportation systems have been set up to go to and from this airport.
Travel to Türkiye by private car
Using your car to travel to a new country is great. However, it also has its own disadvantages: fuel is expensive, especially according to US standards, and sometimes having to drive when you’d rather take public transport is inconvenient.
Another big concern is whether you will be able to drive in Turkey or not. If you’re an experienced, confident driver who can drive on the right-hand side of the road (as in continental Europe and North America) and are willing to adapt to a foreign country’s driving habits, such as different speed limits, traffic lights, and road signs, then you’ll probably enjoy the freedom of driving in Turkey.
The car is more useful for sightseeing in a certain area. Areas such as the Black Sea and Anatolia are vast and the main tourist attractions are scattered from each other compared to the Mediterranean, Marmara and Aegean regions. As a result, it is difficult to navigate these areas without a car and a reliable rental car company. Plus, renting a rental car is a great way to save time, especially if you’re short on time. However, for long trips, public transportation is usually more convenient and cheaper.
In other words, don’t plan on driving to Türkiye. Fly or take a bus to get there, then rent a rental car from a car rental company in Turkey to explore the area. Do the same if you are going to Antalya, Istanbul or any of the other resorts.
Are rail passes a good value for Turkey?
Since point-to-point train tickets in Turkey are cheap to buy as you go (and because most people use plenty of non-train transportation — buses, ferries, even flights — to get around Turkey), a rail pass isn’t likely to save you money for a Turkey-only trip. But if you’re ending (or beginning) a longer European train journey in Turkey, you might want to allot a day or two on your pass for getting to, or across, Turkey — just be aware of the limited international connections.
How do I see whether a rail pass makes sense for my trip in particular?
Train, Bus & Boat Fares: Turkey
Map shows approximate costs, in $US, for one-way, second-class tickets. For first-class fares, add 50 percent.
Use this map to add up approximate pay-as-you-go fares for your itinerary, and compare that cost to the price of a rail pass for the number of days you expect to spend on the train. Dotted lines (such as Istanbul–Bandırma) show ferry routes, and dashed lines show bus routes, neither of which are covered by rail passes. “(N)” indicates that a route has only an overnight train connection.
Train, Bus & Boat Fares: Turkey
Choosing the best season to travel to Türkiye
Choosing the best season of the year for a travel guide to Türkiye is not an easy task. Turkey has very different climatic conditions. Some cities in Turkey witness snowfall throughout the year, but others do not experience large temperature differences in different seasons due to being on the coast. Also, the form and amount of services can be different from each other in different seasons of the year. For example, special Nowruz festivals are held only in the first month of spring in Turkey, or different services of hotels or entertainment centers and their discounts are more visible in the cold seasons of the year. But in general, the warm seasons of the year are the best possible time to travel to Türkiye. Turkey is a country that has many beaches and sea recreation has a special place in it. It is possible to use these places in spring and summer. Also, in the spring season, many festivals are held in Turkey, which introduce the Turkish culture and prepare the preparations for joy and happiness in this country in the spring season. In these festivals, you can also get a discount on buying and sometimes renting hotels.
summer in turky – Travel guide to Türkiye
In this Turkey travel guide, we introduce the spring season as the best season to travel to Turkey because this season has almost all the characteristics of the other seasons together. The suitable air temperature makes it possible to travel to different climates in Turkey, and you can make the most of the sea and beach activities of this country. Also, like in summer, there are no crowds and prices have not skyrocketed. Spring and Nowruz festivals also help you to buy better and cheaper and bring you happy moments with their cultural and artistic programs.
Autumn: After spring, the most beautiful season in Türkiye is autumn. The city is less crowded and touristy, the city has an autumn look and everything is romantic and calm! In the fall, the hotel and ticket costs will be lower to some extent. In this season, we recommend that you plan your trip by the beginning of December. Because after that the weather gets cold to a great extent, the length of the days gets shorter and it is difficult to get around the city.
winter in turkey – Travel guide to Türkiye
Winter: Traveling to Türkiye in winter is not an easy task, but it has its advantages. Due to heavy snow and cold, the number of passengers decreases. As a result, you can find the tour and hotel you want at a lower price than other seasons. On the other hand, the presence of Christmas in early winter gives the city a dreamy look, and Christmas auctions are a good opportunity to buy with special discounts.
The most beautiful cities in Türkiye + characteristics of each
Are you not tired until now? Give yourself a stretch as we come to the exciting part of the article! Maybe many of us automatically choose Istanbul when we plan to travel to Turkey! There is nothing to say about the beauty of Istanbul, but other cities in Türkiye are really worth visiting. Especially if it is your second trip and you want a new experience. Anyway, get ready as we want to take a brief look at the top 8 tourist cities in Türkiye.
1- Istanbul, a city for all tastes
Istanbul – Türkiye travel guide
Falling in love with Istanbul is much easier than you think! No matter what you expect from your trip, Istanbul has something to offer for all tastes. If you are into history and watching the past, Hagia Sophia Mosque, Blue Mosque and fascinating museums will enchant you. If you like exploring the city and walking, Taksim Square and Esteghlal Street, colorful neighborhoods and cozy cafes are your food. For general shopping, the old market and luxury shopping centers are waiting for you. Needless to say, the description of Istanbul’s attractions does not fit in an introduction paragraph, and it is better to read the article about traveling to Istanbul yourself.
2- Antalya, sparkling beaches and clear waters
Roll the drums as we introduce the second most popular destination… yes Antalya! The biggest reason for the popularity of this city is its beautiful beaches. The different beaches of Lara, Keni Alti, Patara, Kemer, Black and… have created a beautiful city that is the best choice for relaxing and relaxing on vacation. The good thing about Antalya is that it is not limited to natural beaches to attract tourists.
Antalya – Travel guide to Türkiye
In this city, all kinds of luxury hotels, different restaurants, water sports, diving and jet ski services and thousands of other facilities are planned for the entertainment of tourists to make the most exciting travel memories for them. If these brief descriptions attract you, read additional information in the article on traveling to Antalya.
3- Marmaris, a city in the heart of the foothills
Maybe you have heard the name of Marmaris less than Istanbul and Antalya. I think this is a conspiracy that the tourists of Marmaris have made so that this dreamy area of Alki is not crowded and remains for themselves! Just look at the photo below and see a frame of this paradise.
Marmaris – Travel guide to Türkiye
This extraordinary port city is located in the southwest of Türkiye and adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea. The special nature of Marmaris is due to its location in the mountain ranges by the sea. Favorable weather, beautiful beaches and turquoise waters, history dating back to 6 centuries BC and the existence of past civilizations, amenities in the form of hotels and restaurants, diving services and water sports and dozens of other features are among the attractions of Marmaris.
4- Cappadocia, the realization of the dream of hot air ballooning
Imagine that you have entered a memorable animation. The colorful balloons that we saw all these years in cartoons are now in front of our eyes and we can even ride one of them! Yes, I am talking about Cappadocia, the city of balloons. This rocky city is located in the center of Turkey. A tourist town with hills and cliff houses. If you also dream of riding a balloon, do this favor to your inner child and make it the most special experience of your life. In addition to balloon rides, Cappadocia has amenities and a variety of hotels, historical attractions and castles, the Valley of Love and Red, and an attractive underground city.
Cappadocia – Türkiye travel guide
5- Bodrum, white and blue paradise
Those images that we see of pink tree flowers and white walls and village pavements and that take our hearts are related to the city of Bodrum. This city is one of the southern and coastal regions of Turkey. Beautiful landscapes and beaches, coastal villages and local markets are among its attractions, which have attracted many tourists, including Hollywood celebrities, in recent years.
Bodrum – Travel guide to Türkiye
The mood of this city is so dreamy that its images are printed on many postcards of Turkey. If you travel to this beautiful city, don’t forget to visit St. Peter’s Castle and the alleys behind it, Beitz village, Bodrum boat tour, have a village breakfast and walk in Gumbet village.
6- Ankara, modernity in the heart of history
Certainly, visiting the capital of Turkey is not without pleasure. Of course, most travelers to Ankara go to this city for work, business or educational purposes. But this historical city also has attractive tourist attractions such as the magnificent Kujatpe Mosque, Atatürk’s Tomb, Augustus Temple, Roman Theater, various museums, galleries and shopping centers. In addition to all this, Ankara hosts interesting festivals such as Ankara Film Festival (April 20-30), Ankara Music Festival in mid-April, Buyuk Ankara in August, etc.
Ankara – Türkiye travel guide
7- Konya, the peaceful city of Rumi
The name of this city has always been associated with the great poet Maulana Jalaluddin Balkhi. For lovers of poetry and literature, seeing this city and its mood up close can be like a meditation. In Konya, in addition to Maulana’s and Shams Tabrizi’s tombs, you can also visit the Museum of Remains of Rumi. If you are planning to visit Konya, the golden day for this trip is December 17. On this day, which coincides with Rumi’s birthday, the Sama Darvish dance ceremony is held in a luxurious hall.
konya – Travel guide to Türkiye
8- Kuşadası, the island of migratory birds
If you want a pure and cozy island to spend your vacation, don’t doubt that Kusadasi is for you! You might be interested to know that “Kuş” means bird in Turkish and this area is known as the island of migratory birds. This peaceful and beautiful island has various attractions such as sparkling beaches, wonderful hotels, historical monuments, beach restaurants, diving next to corals and colorful fish, markets and shopping centers. Read more about this city in the Kusadasi travel guide article.
Kuşadası – Travel guide to Türkiye
Culture and behavior of Turkish people – Türkiye travel guide
It is not bad to know a little about the customs and culture of the Turkish people. Although half of this country is in the European part, culturally, traditionally, they are more similar to Asians, especially Iranians. Perhaps this commonality between Türkiye and Iran is due to the presence of Islamic traditions in the people. Turks are hospitable people and do not leave anything short of respect for guests in their home. In shopping, like Iranians, they are good at bargaining, and respect for elders is one of the principles of families.
turkish culture – Türkiye travel guide
The social connection of the people of this region is high and they are warm-hearted. Of course, every city and country has good and bad people in its heart, but for traveling to Turkey, don’t worry about the behavior and communication with the people. In the end, we recommend to learn some useful Turkish words in order to better communicate with the lovely people of this country. I promise that you will be able to use these sentences yourself (to know more words and their audio pronunciation, install the Sesli Sözlük application.)
Necessities of traveling to Türkiye
Just to be sure and for your peace of mind, it is good to know the following:
- The essential numbers in Turkey are 155 for police, 112 for emergency and 110 for fire department.
- 157 is the support number of the Department of Immigration and Foreign Nationals, and if you are in danger, they will answer you 24/7.
- Turkey has good security, but it is better not to draw too much attention to the fact that you are a tourist with a big backpack and a camera around your neck, and take care of your belongings.
- Try to carry cash with you at all times (especially in smaller towns that may not accept credit cards).
- It is good to have insect repellent ointment with you in hot seasons and humid areas.
- To get a taxi, you can use Uber, iTaksi and BiTaksi applications.
What money should we take with us to travel to Türkiye?
First, let’s see which currency is more economical for us, lira or dollar? This is the constant question of travelers from foreign countries, the answer to which is often different! We recommend the dollar more than the dollar+lira combination. The reason is that the dollar is almost always growing and is cheaper than the lira. On the other hand, Lira is a currency that will only be useful for you during your trip to Turkey, but you can convert as many dollars as you need in Turkey and keep the rest if it is left over for future trips.
Indeed, you can easily convert the currency of your company in exchange offices. Remember that Turks call the exchange Döviz. You can find this name board even at the airport. There is another way to convert currency, which is banks. Turkish banks are open every day except Saturday and Sunday from 8 to 12 noon and 1 to 5 in the evening. Of course, you should know that banks charge you a fee for currency conversion.
transportation in traveling to Türkiye
You can use various methods of urban transportation to explore Turkey.
Taxi:
Taxi fares are high in major cities in Türkiye. If you are looking for a cheap trip, it is better to draw a red line around the taxi! The economic alternative to taxis are yellow vans called Delmosh.
Metro:
Depending on your city of residence in Türkiye, you can easily use the metro. For example, in the city of Istanbul, there are 6 metro lines, each of which has several stations and covers a large part of the city.
Boat:
You won’t get the fascinating experience of sightseeing by boat anywhere. So we recommend that you use the ship to reach it if your destination allows it. From Kabatash pier in the European part and Kadikoy, Bostanci, Maltepe and Kartal piers, passengers will be taken to the dreamy island of Buyuk Ada.
Excursion Turkey by ship – Türkiye travel guide
Bus:
In the cities of Turkey, just like all over the world, there are city buses that you can easily use to explore the city.
Tram:
The most popular way of transporting tourists is the tram. This cute device passes through the streets of the city at a relatively low speed and gives you the opportunity to enjoy the scenery and the flow of life in the streets in addition to reaching your destination.
Istanbul Tram – Türkiye travel guide
The key to cheap transportation in Istanbul:
At the end of the transportation, let’s add that if your destination is Istanbul, get an Istanbul card as soon as you reach the city. With this card and its charge, you can easily use buses, subways, trams, ferries, cable cars and various city services.
Buying a SIM card in Türkiye
You can use the roaming service of your SIM card without having to buy a SIM card in Türkiye. But our goal is to reduce costs and unfortunately roaming will not be cheap for you. The best way to buy a credit SIM card is in Türkiye. Türkiye has different operators, the most famous of which are Turkcell, Vodafone and Türk Telekom . You can even buy one of these SIM cards at the airport by presenting your passport and filling out the form. Read full information about the details and differences of these operators in the article guide to buying a SIM card in Türkiye.
The cost of entrances and tourist places – Türkiye travel guide
It is better to write down your daily activities and excursions in advance. In this way, you know your daily schedule, and you can check the cost of Turkey’s sights in advance so that you don’t waste time going there if the entrance fee is too expensive. Of course, we remind you that having fun in Türkiye has nothing to do with heavy expenses. You can experience the best moments in neighborhood tours, walking among colorful shops or even having tea and baklava by the waterfront.
In addition to beaches, islands, neighborhoods and other natural monuments, these Turkish attractions are also free: Sultan Ahmed Mosque Istanbul, Sulaymaniyah Mosque Istanbul, Zirak Mosque – Ortakoy Mosque – St. Anthony’s Church (Estiklal) – Mary’s Church (Ortakoy) – Orthodox Church ( Balat) – Painting and Sculpture Museum – Sharafiya Reservoir – Yildiz Park – Amirgan Park – Gulhane Park – Chamlija Hill – Euroi Castle – Kapali Charshi and Mesir Charshi (old market) – Bosphorus Bridge and…
The end of the adventure !
Oh, how I would love to tell you about the colorful streets of the neighborhoods. Let’s talk about the details of the stalls and the taste of the fish sandwich, about the grilled oaks, and rate the taste of the food together! But the truth is that all the beauties and corners of a country cannot be included in one article. This relatively long article was a guide and a start to create sweet experiences of traveling to Türkiye. Now we leave it to you. Have a good time, fill our place and be sure to write us about your travel experiences.
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