The New Turkish Lira (YTL)(brought into circulation at the start of 2005 to replace the old lira's unwieldy denominations) comes with notes of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100. The New Kuruş (YKr) comes in coins of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 and one New Turkish Lira. One hundred New Kuruş equals one New Turkish Lira. Please click on the picture for YTL samples : 

 

it's perfectly possible to travel Turkey like Istanbul, Ankara, Marmaris, Fethiye, etc with nothing else but a credit or debit card. Just remember to draw out money when visiting the towns or villages and keep some cash at your pocket to reserve for the inevitable day when the machine throws a wobbly.

 

It's easy to change major currencies at exchange offices when travelling to Turkey, and many post offices (PTTs), shops and hotels; however, banks may make heavier weather of it. Cashing even major travellers cheques can be a hassle (although post offices at tourist areas are a good bet) and the exchange rate is usually slightly lower. Places that don't charge a commission usually offer a worse exchange rate instead. Although Turkey has no black market, foreign currencies are readily accepted at shops, hotels and restaurants. If the pocket runs out of money, most banks countrywide can do Western Union transfers. 

 

Turkey is a relatively low-slung dollar burner. There is option of travelling on as little as €20.00 to €35.00 per day using buses and trains, staying at pensions, and eating one restaurant meal. For €35.00 to €50.00, travel on plusher buses, take sleepers at overnight trains, stay at one and two-star hotels and eat most meals at their restaurants. For more than €50.00 per day you can move up to 3 and 4-star hotels, take the occasional airline flight, and dine in restaurants allways. 

 

After dining at cheaper restaurants, it's not necessary to leave more than a few coins as a tip.But when you are at more expensive restaurants, tipping is customary. Even if a 10-15% service charge is added to the bill, they expect to have around 5% to the waiter directly and perhaps the same amount to the maitre d'. Porters expect a dollar or so; in taxis rounding up the bill will be enough. For example, helpful guardians at archaeological sites, delicacy is required. Although a tip may be initially refused through politeness, you should offer the money a second and third time. After three refusals, it can be assumed that they really don't want the money. At hamams, masseuse/masseurs should be tipped 10% to 20% of the admission price to the . 

There are plenty of travelling ways to get into and out of Turkey by air, sea, rail and bus. There are international airports at Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Antalya and some of the Mediterranean resorts. Turkish Airlines has direct flights from Istanbul to three dozen European cities and New York, as well as the Middle East, North Africa, Bangkok, Karachi, Singapore and Tokyo. Departure tax is about US$12.00 but is normally included with the ticket price. By train, the daily Bosfor Ekspresi links Budapest, Bucharest, Belgrade and Sofia to Istanbul. Major European cities such as Frankfurt and Vienna are also well serviced by Turkish bus lines. The overnight Dostluk Ekspresi links Istanbul to Thessaloniki and is becoming a popular option with travellers. Travelling by train and bus to Syria and Iran, and by bus to Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan is possible. Marmara Lines runs car ferries from Cesme to Ancona and Brindisi from late March to late October. Private ferries run between Turkey's Aegean coast and the Greek islands. 

 

It is easy to travel by Turkish Airlines. It links all major cities, including the busy Istanbul-Ankara corridor. Buses go everywhere around Turkey frequently, cheaply and usually comfortably. Trains have a hard time competing with long-distance buses for speed, but the sleeping-car trains linking Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara are good value. If you're driving around Turkey like Fethiye, Marmaris, Didim, Kusadasi, Cappadocia and Pamukkale , you'll find mechanical services easy to find and relatively cheap but dealing with impatient drivers may be more of a problem. Driving in cities should be avoided - traffic is terrible and parking is very difficult at especialy Istanbul. Dolmuşes (shared taxis) are a good option for short trips. Car ferries can saves a lot of driving - there's a useful hydrofoil from Istanbul to Yalova, for Bursa when driving to south of Turkey ( Fethiye, Marmaris, Didim, Kusadasi, Cappadocia and Pamukkale).

 

Social Conventions tips for a Turkey Traveller:

 

Travel to Turkey but do not forget these small tips .