Ataturk International Airport is the main airport of Istanbul located
on the European part of the city which is about 20-25 km from city centre.
There are direct flights to every European capital, and many to Asia, USA
and the Middle East as well as domestic flight to the major cities of
Turkey. There is a metro connection to Aksaray (not too far from
Sultanahmet) from the airport.
The domestic terminal has flights to every domestic airport in the
country, with several a day to major cities like Antalya, Ankara and
Izmir.
Sabiha Gokcen International Airport, opened in 2001. This airport,
with a capacity of 3 million international passengers per year, is on the
Asian side of Istanbul, 42 km away from Taksim Square in the city center.
Usually cheap charter flight companies flies to Sabiha Gokcen Airport, but
remember the transportation to the city center (Taksim or Sultanahmet) is
fairly costly and take long time)
Most major European airports are 2-4 hours away from Istanbul by
air, and from the east coast of North America it is about a 10-hour
journey. Istanbul is readily accessible from
all parts of the world, and served by more than 50 airlines.Turkish Airlines (THY) is the
national carrier. Turkish Airlines(THY)
offers direct flights from 77 cities
around the world. (http://www.thy.com)
Cargo Flights
Turkish Airlines Cargo Service (TK) offers a variety of services designed
to meet shipping needs and transport requirements.
The maximum dimensions for packages on passenger aircraft are 80 x 120 x
130 cm.
Not surprisingly, Istanbul is well connected to every part of Turkey.
Buses are frequent and plentiful, and the main coach station (otogar) is
at Esenler, on the European.
There are countless independent bus companies, all of whom have a ticket
office at the station and the larger ones have offices dotted around town,
especially in areas like Taksim, Sultanahmet and Besiktas.
Prices vary slightly regarding quality of the vehicle. There are
also departures from Harem, on the Asian side. There are
international bus services to Greece, Macedonia, Germany, France, Austria,
Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, Russia, Georgia, Romania, Bulgaria
and Jordan.
Bus Station Tel: (+ 90 212) 658 05 05, 658 10 10, 333 37 63, 310 63 63.
Within the city, public transport is a good way of getting around. There
are minibuses, buses, taxis, trams (from Aksaray) a new subway (between
Taksim and Levent) and a small electric tramcar (Beyoglu to Taksim).
Not as popular a mode of transport as buses, with a much smaller network,
there are rail connections from Istanbul to Ankara, Izmir and Eastern
Anatolian cities. Most of the services are slower than buses, although
between the three main cities there are the mavi tren, mototren or
ekspresi, which are fast and comfortable.
Reservations are essential for these journeys, and there are several
classes of seats and sleepers. International services from Sirkeci (on the
European side) and Haydarpasa (Asian side) stations include Vienna, Munich,
Budapest, Salonica, (via Eskisehir, Konya, and Gaziantep), Aleppo, (via
Tatvan and Van), Tehran, Moscow and Bucharest. Trains heading west leave
from Sirkeci, and east from Haydarpasa station.
Maritime Lines run both the urban and national transport. Marinas also
have connections with European ports.
Urban Maritime Transportation runs ships which operate between the
following destinations within Istanbul: Kadikoy – Haydarpasa – Karakoy;
Eminonu – Uskudar; Eminonu – Kadikoy; Bridge – Yenikoy; Beykoz – Kavaklar;
Sirkeci - Bostanci, Bridge – Prince’s Islands; Bridge – Yalova; Kabatas –
Cinarcik; Bostanci - Cinarcik.
Boats operate from Istanbul to the following Black Sea towns:
Zonguldak, Sinop, Samsun, Giresun, Trabzon, Rize, as well as Izmir.
Marmara Lines run to Marmara Island, Bandirma and Mudanya.
Useful contacts for Boat travel:
Port Tel : (+90 - 212) 245 53 66/249 71 78/249 18 96.
Address: TDY Maritime Lines Agency, Rihtim Cad. Kadikoy, Istanbul
The following items may be brought into the country duty free
personal effects of the tourist.
one TV, one colour pocket TV (maximum 16 cm screen), one TV-tape-radio
combination, one video recording camera and 5 video cassettes (blank); 5
records, 5 tape cassettes or compact discs.
one video player, cine-projector (8 mm) and 10 rolls of film (blank), one
slide projector.
one pocket computer (maximum main memory capacity Ram 128k. Byte),
electronic playing devices (without cassette - keyboard).
one transistor radio and portable radio - tape player (its specification
to be determined by the Ministry of Finance and Customs), one Walkman or
pocket tape recorder, one portable compact disc player.
Binoculars (one pair, except night binoculars)
harmonica, mandolin, flageole, flute, guitar, and accordion (only one of
each type, maximum 3 musical instruments).
personal sports equipment.
necessary medical items.
bicycle, baby buggy, toys.
200 cigarettes and 50 cigars.
200 grams of tobacco and 200 cigarette papers, or 50 grams of chewing
tobacco or 200 grams of pipe tobacco, or 200 grams of snuff
(In addition to the above allowances, it is possible to purchase 400
cigarettes, 100 cigars, and 500 grams of pipe tobacco from the Turkish
Duty Free Shops upon entering the country).
1.5kg. coffee, 1.5kg. instant coffee, 500 grams of tea.
1 kilo chocolate and 1 kilo sweets.
5 (100 cc) or 7 (70 cc) bottles of wines and/or spirits.
five bottles of perfume (120 ml max. each).
one portable typewriter.
one camera with 5 rolls of film.
First aid, and spare parts for the car.
Other items necessary during the journey.
Valuable items and all items with a value of over $ 15,000 must be
registered in the owner's passport upon entering Turkey, for control upon
exit.
Antiques brought into the country must be registered in the owner's
passport to avoid difficulties on exit.
Sharp instruments (including camping knives) and weapons may not be
brought into the country without special permission.
The bringing into the country, trade, and consumption of marijuana and all
other narcotics is strictly forbidden and subject to heavy punishment.
Gifts, not exceeding 500 DM in value and not for trading purposes, may be
brought into the country duty free. In addition, gifts not exceeding 500
OM in value may be posted to Turkey duty free, if the date stamped by the
sending post office falls one month before, or one month after the
following holidays: Seker Bayrami, Kurban Bayrami, Christmas, and New
Year's.
Note: Cellular Telephones entering the country must be accompanied by a
certification form showing ownership. Ownership must be documented in the
passport of the owner and will be checked on entry and exit. For more
information contact the Ministry of Transportation, General Directorate at
Tel: (312) 212 35 72 - 212 60 10 (10 lines), Fax: (312) 221 32 26 or write
to Ulastirma Bakanligi Telsiz Gn. Md. Emek - Ankara.
On exit
Gifts and souvenirs: for a new carpet, a proof of purchase; for old items,
a certificate from a directorate of a museum is necessary.
Exporting antiques from Turkey is forbidden.
Valuable personal items can only be taken out of the country providing
they have been registered in the owner's passport upon entry, or providing
they can show they have been purchased with legally exchanged currency.
Minerals may only be exported from the country with a special document
obtained from the MTA (General Directorate of Mining Exploration and
Research). Etüdler Dairesi 06520, Ankara
Tel: (312) 287 3430 /1622, Fax: (312) 285 42 71
Local time:
GMT+3 hours (April-September) GMT+2 hours (October-March)
Time Differences:
Argentina -5, France -1, Netherlands -1, Australia +8, Germany -1, Saudi
Arabia+1, Austria -1, Greece 0, Sweden -1, Egypt 0, Italy -1, Switzerland
-1, England -2, Japan +7, Spain -1, USA -7 (EST) -10 (WEST)
* These time differences are for the period October-March; however, they
may show variances according to each country's own time-saving adjustments.
Petrol:
Super (peremium) - Unleaded (at some places). Normal (regular) - Diesel.
Electricity:
220 volts AC/50 Hz. all over Turkey. (Industrial:380 V) Plug: European
round/ 2-prong plug.
Water:
Although tap vater is safe to drink since it is chlorinated, it is
recommended to get advice from the concemed authorities of the places
resided.
Weights and Measures: 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters , 1 centimeter = 0.3937 inches
1 yard = 0,9144 meters, 1 meter = 1.0936 yards
1 mile = 1,6093 kilometers, 1 kilometer = 0.6214 miles
1 pound = 0,4536 kilograms, 1 kilogram = 2.2046 pounds
Capacity:
1 UK gallon = 4.546 litres, 1 litre = 0.2199 UK gallons
1 US gallon = 3.7831 litres, 1 litre = 0.2643 US gallons
Newspapers and Magazines:
Foreign newspapers and magazines are available in big cities and tourist
areas. Also there is a Turkish daily newspaper, Daily News, published in
English.
Tipping:
At various establishments like hotels, restaurants, Turkish baths, barbers
and hairdressers, tipping at a rate of 5%-15% of the total is common. Taxi
and "dolmus" drivers on the other hand, do not expect tips or even rounded
fares.
Visiting a mosque:
Before entering a mosque, Muslims wash themselves and remove their shoes.
Foreign visitors should also remove their shoes and show the respect they
would any other house of worship and avoid visiting the mosque durin
prayer time(5 times a day). Women should cover their heads and ams, and
not wear miniskirts. Men should not wear shorts. (In certain famous
mosques, overalls are provided for those not suitably dressed.)
NATIONALS OF THE FOLLOWING
COUNTRIES DO NOT REQUIRE A visa
Type of Passport : Ordinary Passport
Period of Visa Exemption : 3 Months
Argentina, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Denmark,
Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece Grenada, Hong
Kong Special Administrative Region (only passports of Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region), Iceland, Iran, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya,
Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Monaco,
Morocco, Norway, New Zealand, Oman, Qatar, St. Lucia, St. Marino, Saudi
Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad-Tobago,
Tunisia, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, United Arab Emirates,
Uruguay, Vatican
Type of Passport : Ordinary Passport
Period of Visa Exemption : 2 Months
Bosnia- Herzegovina, Croatia, Indonesia, Macedonia, Romania
Type of Passport : Ordinary Passport
Period of Visa Exemption : 1 Month
Costa Rica, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, South Africa
Type of Passport : Official Passports
Period of Visa Exemption : 3 Months
Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain,
Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belarus, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile,
Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, Finland,
France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Holland, Hong-Kong
Special Administrative Region(only passports of Hong-Kong Special
Administrative Region), Iceland, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan,
Kenya, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta,
Mauritius, Mexico (only diplomatic passports) Monaco, Morocco, New Zealand,
Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Portugal (only diplomatic passports),
Qatar, Russia (only diplomatic passports), St. Lucia, St. Marino, Saudi
Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad-Tobago, Tunisia, Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Uruguay, Vatikan
Type of Passport : Official Passports
Period of Visa Exemption : 2 Months
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Indonesia, Macedonia, Romania
Type of Passport : Official Passports
Period of Visa Exemption : 1 Month
Bulgaria (only diplomatic passports) Costa Rica, Estonia (only diplomatic
passports) , Hungary, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia( only diplomatic
passports), Maldives, Moldova, Mongolia, People’s Republic of China,
Philippines, South Africa, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Vietnam (only
diplomatic passports), Yemen
ORDINARY PASSPORT HOLDERS OF NATIONALS OF THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES MAY
OBTAIN STICKER TYPE VISAS AT THE TURKISH INTERNATIONAL BORDER GATES TO
ENTER INTO TURKEY
Type of Passport : Ordinary Passport
Duration of Stay : 3 Months
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil,Canada, Holland, Ireland, Italy,
Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom, United States of America
Type of Passport : Ordinary Passport
Duration of Stay : 1 Month
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