Re: [guadec-list] Currency in Turkey

[Görkem Çetin <gorkem gorkemcetin com>]

Calum Benson yazmış:
> So, I know the New Turkish Lira (TRY) is the official currency in  
> Turkey, but I've also read varying reports about how widely the Euro  
> is accepted, and how much (or little) you get ripped off if you try to  
> use it.
>
> What's the best advice for people coming to GUADEC from the Euro  
> zone?  Change our Euro to TRY before we leave, change it when we get  
> there, or just use Euro (where possible) when we get there...?
>   

Dear Calum,

In southern parts, especially in touristic places, Euro is almost "the" 
currency. On the other hand, since Istanbul is a cross-cultural place, 
chances are you better go with Lira option.

What I'd suggest to newcomers is the following:

1. Upon you arrive at the airport, exchange some money (i.e 100 Euros) 
for your daily expenses until you reach hotel. This covers your costs 
until nighttime, including the expenses like the restaurant/pub/cafe 
/sightseeing the first day. This is because there's a service fee of 3% 
at the airport exchange office.

2. As you travel downtown, find an exchange office and convert, say, max 
50 Euros for your daily expenses. This is roughly equivalent to 100 
Lira, which, I believe, you cannot easily spend the whole day.

Please ask your hotel whether they accept Euros or not in any case - 
however I believe that all hotels in Istanbul should accept Euros.

1 Euro is about 2 Liras - the currency is waving around 1.93 and 1.98.

Best
Görkem