Turkey
Visas
Rather than listing each country’s individual visa requirement, here’s a link.
The E-Visa’s protocol is staying 90 out of every 180 days. However, the nice part of this visa is the multi-entry rule.
This means: You can leave Turkey, fly up to Georgia, and then come back.
Things to Do
Cost
The cost of things in Turkey is rapidly rising.
While I was there in May/June 2021, I saw inflation in the Turkish economy first-hand.
The exchange rate in Turkey changed from about 8.25 Lira to 9. Absolutely crazy. Now, it’s 20+ lira to one USD.
A lot of travel blogs state that Turkey is cheap, but it is quickly not becoming the case. (Especially in regards to food.)
Cost Per Week
Budget
Hostels: $25 per night x7
Average cost of Grocery Trip: $4-5 per meal x 2 x7
Activities: 3 x a week @ $40 apiece
Basic
Hotels: $60 per night x 7
Basic Restaurant (Outside of Touristic Areas): $6-8
Activities: 5 x a week $40 apiece
Luxury
$100 per night x7
Fancy Restaurant: $15 per meal
Activities: 7x a week @ $40 apiece
Budget: Hostels, 3 Activities per week, Cooking at the hostel
Basic: AirBnBs, 5 Activities Per Week, Eating at out 8x a week
Luxury: Hotel Room, 7x Activities per week, 14 MEALS
Food
Domestic Travel
Plane: Planes are affordable in Turkey. Expect to spend between $30-$70 for each plane ticket.
Train: Where they exist, trains are one of the cheaper forms of transportation. There is a high-speed rail between Istanbul and Ankara.
Bus: The local form of Transportation, I have many stories about buses in Turkey. I never spent more than $14 to go nine hours. Very nice (most of the time) and some include snacks. The budget traveler’s friend.
Drive: Most expensive but flexibility is nice. Expect $50 per day and extra money for petrol.
Is Turkey Safe?
There are many concerns about Turkey & safety. Here are my findings.
Is Turkey Safe to Travel To?
Is Turkey safe? Here are 7 ways to stay safe during a trip to Turkey! Plus, the scams I saw in Istanbul!
Phrases to know
English
- Hello
- Thank You
- Goodbye
- How Much
- Toilet
- Food
- Water
- Do you speak English?
- I don’t speak Turkish.
- Yes/No
Turkish
- Merhaba (Mer-ha-bah)
- Teşekkür Ederim (Tea-sugar-ed-err-im)
- Güle Güle (Goo-lay Goo-lay)
- Ne Kadar (Nay kah-dar)
- Tuvalet (Too-va-let)
- Gida (Gee-dah)
- Su (Sue)
- İngilizce biliyor musunuz? (Inn-Gliz-Je Bill-Iyor Mus-Un-Uz)
- Türkçe bilmiyorum! (Turk-Jeh Bill-Mi-Yor-Um)
- Evet (Eh-vet) / Hayır (Ha-year)
Pictures
YouTube Videos
