Istanbul Travel Tips

Business hours are supposed to be from 09:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday, but many employees are still expected to put in 10-hour work a day. Shops generally stay open until 21:00.

Banks: 09:00 to 12:00 and 13:30 to 18:00, Monday to Friday
Business Offices: 09:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday
Municipal Offices: 09:00 to 12:00 and 13:30 to 16:00, Monday to Friday
Museums: 08:30 to 17:30, Tuesday to Sunday
Post Offices: 08:00 to 20:00, Monday to Saturday; 09:00 to 19:00 on Sundays
Shops: 10:00 to 21:00, Monday to Saturday (although hours vary significantly)

Overall, Istanbul is a very safe city, but as with all large cities, it is advisable to always be on your guard, as petty criminals do target unsuspecting tourists. The most common threats to personal safety in the city are mainly associated with money. Bag snatching does occur, especially in busy tourist areas, so always keep a tight hold of your belongings.

Taxi drivers will sometimes try to scam tourists who are new to the area, for example, they may try to take you a very long route back to your hotel. Always have lots of change on you, as another popular scam the taxi drivers try and pull is to claim that they have no change.

For many people however, the most dangerous thing they will encounter in Istanbul is crossing the road. There are many cars in Istanbul, which may or may not pay attention to pedestrians, even at crossings.

Electricity: 230V, 50 Hz

Istanbul has some excellent private hospitals and ambulance services. The general standard of health care is very high. There are, however, no pharmacies selling drugs in the city, not even common pain killers such as paracetamol. Your hotel may be able to assist you, but it is advisable to bring your own.

Ambulance: 112

American Hospital: +90 212 231 40 50

Florence Nightingale Hospital: +90 212 224 49 50

The official language in Turkey is Turkish. There are several dialects within the language and it is written in an Arabic script, making it hard for people who are new to the country to learn. The alphabet consists of eight vowels and 21 consonants, and separate suffixes on nouns indicate both gender and number.

The currency in Turkey is the Turkish lira. Sterling, dollars and euros can all be easily changed at banks and post offices. However, most shops will accept sterling and bargaining with it gives you a strong advantage. The banknotes come in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 lira and there is a 1 lira coin. One lira is made up of 100 kurus. There are 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 kurus coins. There is often a shortage of small coins available in shops, so they frequently give out sweets instead.

Always check more than one bureau de change to ensure you find the best exchange rate, as rates do tend to vary. Never pay more than three per cent commission when changing travellers cheques, as some places can charge up to nine per cent. Most of the banks in the city have ATM machines and there are plenty of free-standing machines located across the city. There is often the choice to take out US dollars, euros or sterling.

Turkish custom laws are strict and clear. Visitors are allowed to carry up to 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 200g of tobacco; 1 litre of wine and/or spirits; up to five bottles of perfumes; and gifts with a value totalling no more than 5,000 lira. Narcotics, sharp implements and weapons are prohibited, as is taking any antiques out of the country.

When you visit any mosque in the city, you must follow their dress code. Both men and women are expected to wear clothes that come below knee level and have shoulders and chests covered. Shorts and vests are completely unacceptable. Women must cover their hair with either a hat or a scarf, while men should not wear any head gear. Shoes must be removed before entering a mosque and should be carried with you unless you are instructed to leave them outside. There are usually signs displayed informing whether photos are allowed to be taken. Always pay attention to whether or not a flash is permitted. Make sure you do not aim your camera at anyone who may be praying. Finally, never enter a mosque during a prayer service; wait outside until it is finished.

Social behaviour is very important throughout Turkey. For example, it is extremely offensive to point the sole of your foot at someone. It can also be insulting to pass an item to someone else using your left hand and it is considered to be extremely bad-mannered for a young person to cross their legs in front of an older person. Public displays of affection are not accepted anywhere in Istanbul.

Turkish people use many physical gestures; they tend to use their hands a lot while speaking, which adds meaning to the conversation. The word ‘no’ can be expressed by either shaking the head or lifting the head up once, very quickly. It is customary to leave a tip in restaurants, for your cleaner at the hotel and for reception staff at your hotel. The accepted amount is 10 per cent. Taxi drivers do not usually expect to be tipped, but they do occasionally round up the fare instead.

Meals in Istanbul are a very social affair. Conversations are loud and animated and can often last for hours. If there is a guest present, they are always served first. If there is no guest, the head of the family is served first. If you are a guest at a table however, it is considered to be very good manners to insist that the most senior person is served first instead of you. If you want to complement the chef and the hosts, ask for seconds, as asking for more food shows that you enjoyed the meal. If you are taken to a restaurant, strict dining etiquette insists that the person who did the inviting must pay, so be aware of this if you invite anyone out to dinner.

Visitors from certain European countries do not require a visa to enter Turkey. They can stay for up to three months. These countries include: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Greece, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. If you are travelling from Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, the UK or the USA, you can obtain a visa when you arrive and stay for up to three months.

There are many tourist information offices located throughout Istanbul. The main offices can be found at: the Arrivals Hall at Ataturk Airport (tel: +90 212 573 4136); Istanbul Hilton Hotel (tel: +90 212 233 0592); Sirkeci Train Station (tel: +90 212 511 58 88); Sultanahmet Square (tel: +90 212 518 18 02).