MARRRYYY!!!! & others who have been to Turkey - can you give me some info please?!!

[summergurl]

Hey guys!!

Well i am off to turkey on sunday and i will have about 360lira with me. Now i have no clue as to how much things cost over there as ive never been outside the EU - ever (bring on the stamp in the passport!!!!! )

But anyways, just to get an idea like over here a bottle of coke is about 90p-£1 ... how many lira will it be for a bottle there? - i wont need to buy coke but its just an example to try and get an idea of how much things cost.

Its roughly £1 to 2.3 lira at the minute.
Im off for a week and am all inc so wont need food or drinks but we are planning on doing a couple trips and taking a trip into antalya centre to visit the shops/markets there.

Any help would be muchly appreciated x

 

[Scotsmist]

Tanya

I cant remember, cause I leave all the money to my hubby to be honest....but I will find out for you.

 

[summergurl]

ahhh scots its you! i knew there was 2 of you who have been to turkey a few times but could only think of mary for some reason! lol if you could find out that'd be great you star xx

 

[joy1]

Hi tanya, where abouts in turkey are you going?. if buying drinks out you are talking about 1.60 for a lager, (efes) and vodka and diet cokes are between 6-8lira which is about 3.00 pounds based on 2.42 lira. We are going to icemeler beginning of september (cannot wait). If you need to change any more money wait until you get there as you get a better exchange rate at the supermarkets. Dont forget to haggle if you need any goods.
when do you go?

 

[summergurl]

I go on sunday have to change money up before we go as we are all inc and not sure when we are going to be able to get somewhere to change up money. We are off to lara beach x

 

[Scotsmist]

Hi Tanya

Right, got a big long discussion with hubby..cause it depends where you are, where you buy, etc, etc..hahahaah.....so he wanst much use.

he did say, which is what you will need lots of!! that water is around 50p for 1.5 litres.

If you shop in the local supermarkets it will work out cheaper...wine is not too expensive; probably around £3-4 for a fairly decent Turkish wine, and they have some nice ones.

If you just get an attack of the munchies, sweets, etc are around what they are here...there really isnt much difference..try and get some of those dried chick peas....trying to think what they are called now in Turkish. LEBLEBE...not sure if that is the correct spelling..but nuts, etc are quite cheap.

Dont be fooled and think Turkey is cheap for excursions, etc....you will be shocked..cause it isnt really, just like any normal holiday destination..they know the tourists will pay. It will work out cheaper than the Euro at the minute, but Turkey has had a bad time with inflation, etc...and the cost of living can sometimes be very high..

In the markets, leather goods, etc will be a bit cheaper, but some of them will be imitation as will some of the goods, etc...and you will get them for a song.

Dont forget to haggle!! You have to..they expect it....just walk away and say it is too expensive and they will run after you...best way to get a good deal in the markets.

It's hard for me to say because my hubby is Turkish, so I dont really see the touristy side of Turkey as I live with the family and well, it is just normal to them and my hubby tends to do everything and I do nothing Which is a reversal of roles when out there!! Which I love.

You will have an absolute ball....

hope this waffle has helped!!!!

 

[summergurl]

wow thanks scots

Am i allowed to bring food like that back through customs? I will keep my eye out for them though Thank your husband for me - all advice is appreciated

I know the excursions will be dear and i know that sometimes you can get them cheaper from some place other than the hotel so im guessing we'll shop around

By saying i'll get it for a song? Does that mean cheaper/dearer? x

 

[JanD]

Cheaper ... dirt cheap in fact xx

 

[kered]

HI Tan, sorry I havent been online for a couple of days.

In Turkey you can get the trips quite cheap by shopping around on the streets there will be sellers on nearly every corner, but dont buy them from the reps in the hotel, they are much more expensive from them, as thats how they make their money. Just go to the street sellers and if you are buying more than one trip, haggle with them too and you can get some discount if you are booking more than one trip.

Soft drinks are quite expensive in Turkey in comparison with the UK, probably nearer £3 for a large coke, but if buying alcoholic drinks outside your hotel, just stick to the local vodka/gin/ etc, they are okay and not worth paying the extortionate prices for names drinks like smirnoff. Turkey has to pay high taxes on any imports hence the dear prices.

Shop around for 'genuine fakes' if you want to buy any designer gear etc, you can get some really good fakes in Turkey, but as Iris says, just haggle. Good example of prices is for example, G Star jeans. Over £100 here in the uk, so the last pair I got in Turkey they were selling them for £75. I offered £25 but expected to pay more than this, anyway, we both haggled over the jeans and I eventually got them for £35 and you cant tell the difference. I have money saved for my shopping when I return in October. There are some excellent fakes out there and leather goods are really good too.

Have a £10 each with you as you go through passport control in your passport, this is for your visa into Turkey.

Have a great time and I am sure you will enjoy yourself, I wont go anywhere else now, I love Turkey and the Turkish hospitality is second to none, they are lovely people who cant do enough for you.

 

[summergurl]

Ah thanks mary!

I already have my £10 visa money stashed away and ive just got back from town where i got my lira Well excited now!!

To be fair, im not wise up on designer makes (infact i begrudge paying obscene amounts for a name lol) so i wouldnt know if it was fake myself :giggle:

Thankyou though mary - only 5 more sleeps!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Scotsmist]

Hi Tanya

We are always bringing back nuts, etc...put it in our suitcases and we have never had any problems!! Have you Mary???? We even brough home a pack of scissors once...around 7 pairs, but we told them when we got to the airport and they showed up on the screen, but they went into the hold and they were fine.

My mother in law has brought meat even!! hahaha....I know, can you believe it....

You will have a ball, and remember
MERHABA!!! Hello
TAMAM - OK

Easy peasy for ya!

 

[summergurl]

Meat?!!!! LOL!!!

Im just worried about the cigarettes malarky - i dont smoke but me mum does so she has given me some money to get her some - but i know the strict guideline is 200 fags - but im getting people telling me ahh chance it theyre quite cheap - even 2 guys who i used to work with went to turkey last year and bought back atleast a 1000 each!

I guess its just luck right?!! lol

 

[joy1]

tanya I hope you have a lovely time. Just one word of caution, when coming back get the hotel to make you a sandwich as the turkish airports especially dalaman are really expensive, and I mean expensive.

 

[summergurl]

We'll be ok Joy - our flight is silly o'clock coming back so we will have breakfast, lunch and dinner before we head home and we have inflight meals thanks though x

 

[Porgeous]

ooo so jealous, love love love Turkey we've been going there since we first went on honeymoon 17 years ago.

Have the most wonderful time, it is scorching hot there at the moment so you will be a bronzed bunny

xx

 

[kered]

Iris I love the nuts also in Turkey and honey. Even though you are not supposed to bring back honey, I always do, I love all the different honeys there. Oooh I cant wait to go back, only 7 weeks tomorrow for me.........roll on.

 

[Scotsmist]

My hubby is the same.....LOVES the honey....we have got to know a couple who have a Turkish restaurant in Stockport...Elezance (sp).....we get honey from him as it is the absolute best and none of this crystalised rubbish you get over here! It is proper pine honey with the cone in it...

Isnt it amazing though that the kids in Turkey dont have nut allergies...in fact, I dont think I have ever met anyone with a nut allergy. They are fed nuts from around the age of 4 or 5.....here is so different....my hubby is like a little squirrel sometimes.....breaking into the shells, etc..hahaha....it is funny!

 

[kered]

Another thing I have got into because of going to Turkey is ......lemon with my lentil soup. Wow, when I first seen someone squeezing lemon juice into lentil soup, I thought, how disgusting, but I have to try everything once to say I dont like it......well, I am converted, I love it.

 

[nmmireland]

Boat trips are good over there Tanya, I have went on a few, not too dear either and good day out...

You will be fine buying smokes- even get 400 over there for your case and then buy another 400 in duty free on way home, I always got loads in duty free on way home and alchcol too.. plastic bottles of vodka and things like that

You will love it, so jealous... it is my second home haha

Have a great time

 

[nmmireland]

The soup kitchens do lovely soup, the baked potatoes are lovely too, they take the the potatoe out, mash it and put it back, they do have them in the little places and also their kebabs from them are fab- all really cheap too, they are just a wrap like ours, chicken, ketcup, tomatoes and onion... but they are so nice over there......