About Turkey

ABOUT TURKEY

Turkey is a paradise of sun, sea, sand, mountains and lakes that offers the holiday maker a complete change from the stress and routine of everyday life. From April to October, most places in Turkey have an ideal climate that is perfect for relaxing on sandy beaches or enjoying the tranquillity of mountains and lakes. Wonderful climate, beautiful scenery, friendly hospitable people, many historical places to visit, world class cuisine, every kind of sport, water sports (rafting, canoeing, sailing and paragliding to name a few) and leisure activities such as boat trips and fishing trips, with three main seas such as the Black Sea, Aegean and the Mediterranean Sea surrounding Turkey, these offer magnificent holiday and investment opportunities, which makes Turkey just about the perfect place to visit and explore. And best of all, it’s no further than many other popular Mediterranean destinations, being only four hours flight from London using low cost airlines.There is no doubt that one visit will not be enough, and you will want to come back again and again as you discover one extraordinary place after another. All of them, no matter how different, have one thing in common: the friendly and hospitable people of this unique country.

Transportation:Turkish Airlines (THY) provides an important network of domestic flights from the international airports to all of the major Turkish cities and low cost flights to & from Turkey are now available.Turkey has an extensive network of well maintained roads linking its towns, cities, and popular tourist areas. Taxis are numerous in all Turkish cities and are recognizable by their yellow colour. The fare shown on the meter reads according to distance travelled.

Climate by region

Marmara Region: Cold and rainy winters with mild and warm summers

Aegean Coast: Hot and dry summers with mild winters.

Mediterranean Coast: Hot summers and mild winters.

Black Sea Coast: Warm summers, mild winters, and relatively high rainfall.

Central Anatolia: Steep climate with hot, dry summers and cold winters.

Eastern Anatolia: Long snowy, cold winters with mild summers.

Southeast Anatolia: Hot summers with mild, rainy winters.

Language: Turkish is the official language of Turkey. English is frequently spoken in tourist areas.

When and how to go?

Climate

Along Turkey's Mediterranean and Aegean coastline there is a Mediterranean climate, which is characterised by long, hot summers and mild though rainy winters. Istanbul, which is in the Marmara region, has temperatures in average 23 'C (73 'F) for summer and 0 'C (32 'F) for winter. In the Black Sea region the climate is mild and rainy. In the Central Anatolian, which includes Cappadocia and ankara, a continental climate previals; with hot and dry summers and long cold winters.In Eastern Anatolia longer and colder winters are common. South Eastern Anatolia records the country's hottest summer temperatures, averaging 30 'C (86 'F) or higher in July and August, though it also experiences the extremes of climate by having very cold winters.

Getting there
There are plenty of ways to get into and out of Turkey by air, sea, rail and bus, accross the borders of seven countries. There are international airports at Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Antalya and some of the Mediterranean resorts.

By Air
Turkish Airlines has direct flights from Istanbul to major European cities as well as the Middle East, North Africa, Bangkok, Karachi, Singapore and Tokyo.

By train or bus
The daily Istanbul Express links Munich, slovenia, Croatia, Yugoslavia and Bulgaria to Istanbul. Major European cities such as Frankfurt and Vienna are as well served by Turkish bus lines. There are daily train and bus connections between Athens and Istanbul via Thessalonica. You can also travel by bus to Syria, Georgia and Iran.

By boat
Turkish Maritime Lines runs weekly car ferries from Antalya, Marmaris and Izmir to Venice, Brindisi, Bari from May to mid-October. Private ferries run between:
Ayvalık - Lesbos
Çeşme - Chios
Kuşadası - Samos
Bodrum - Kos
Marmaris - Rhodes
Kaş - Castellorize
There are also ferries to Girne in Northern Cyprus departing from Taşucu and Alanya. Entry and exit

Customs

There are no limits on the amount of Turkish Liras or foreign currency visitors are allowed to bring into the country. On departure, they can take US$5000 or its equivalent in Turkish Lira. Amounths above this gave to be registered with authorities. While entering the country five litres of alcohol, 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 200 grams of tobacco; 1.5 kg coffee, 500 grams of tea leaves, 1 kg chocolate, 1 kg desert and five bottles of perfume can be imported duty free.Specific personal belongings such as electrical goods, items with a value over $15.000 and antiques must be registered in the owner's passport while entering. The import of narcotics, sharp implements and weapons is prohibited. Sharp instruments for capming can be brought in on application.On departure, a certificate from the directorate of a museum is necessary for the export of carpets and old items.A refund of the taxable portion of purchases bought at a duty free shop can be made upon the presentation of receipt at your point of departure.

Electricity

220 volts AC 50 Hz, throughhout Turkey.

Time

GMT/UTC plus three hours in summer and two hours in winter.Time differences from Turkey;

Australia : +9,
Germany : -1,
France : -1,
England : -2,
Italy : -1,
Japan : +6,
Austria : -1,
USA (East Coast) : -7
Weights and measures : Metric system.