Turkey is a fascinating country with a rich cultural heritage, beautiful landscapes, and a thriving economy. Whether you are planning to visit Turkey for leisure or business purposes, obtaining a visa is a necessary step. However, before applying for a Turkey visa, there are a few things that you should know to ensure a smooth and hassle-free application process. In this article, we will discuss the top 5 things you should know before applying for a Turkey visa. TURKEY VISA FROM USA
1. Money exchange
To get Turkish liras, one euro equals 6 liras, the best option is to withdraw money at ATMs, rather than choosing exchange houses or banks. If you don’t have a card from a bank that doesn’t charge commissions for withdrawing money outside of Spain, we recommend you change at city offices, rather than at airports, where the commission is usually higher.
2. How to have internet in Turkey?
If you want to have internet in Turkey, something very necessary today, especially considering the number of applications we use on our trips and the need to stay in touch with our family and friends, you can choose several options:
- Buy a SIM card at the airport or at a phone shop in the city.
- Buy a Holafly SIM card, with which you will have internet from the moment you land, saving you all the paperwork time and making the whole process to have internet in Turkey much more comfortable, fast and easy.
3. Travel to Turkey on your own or organized
Turkey is a country that can be explored perfectly on your own, renting a car or using public transport such as the bus and train.
The tourist route that is usually carried out through the country is circular and lasts approximately 15 days, starting with Istanbul and ending in Cappadocia. Some journey like the return from Cappadocia to Istanbul can be done by night bus or internal flight.
We always recommend renting a car to have the freedom to stop where and when you want, and not have to depend on taxis to get to certain tourist spots, with the usual haggling and anger.
In the particular case of Turkey, driving can be very stressful in large cities like Istanbul, where traffic is chaotic and pecking order prevails. In the rest of the country, driving is much easier, although you always have to be careful at intersections and traffic lights. Putting this in value, we believe that if you are not very used to this type of driving or want to travel more relaxed, it is best to combine public transport with taxis, or save time, and often money, with organized circuits.
The advantage of traveling to Turkey organized, as in Egypt, is that travel agencies get better prices on quality hotels than a private individual and you will also have a guide in Spanish, who will explain the history of each interesting place you visit.
4. The most important visits
The list of places to visit in Turkey is endless, especially in the area closest to Europe and the Mediterranean coast.
If you start your trip to Turkey in Istanbul, do not miss two of the most impressive mosques in the world, such as the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia, nor do you stop visiting the Grand Bazaar or taking a cruise on the Bosphorus.
After completing the list of places to see in Istanbul, you can head to Pergamum, an ancient Greek city located about 6 hours away by car, which we are sure will not leave you indifferent.
The next stop on the route will be Ephesus, another Greek city that reached its peak in Roman times and where you can see the façade of the impressive Library of Celsus.
You can end this part of the route with a visit to the archaeological site of Aphrodisias, the best-preserved Greek ruins in the country and a World Heritage Site, which will be the icing on the cake of this stage in Turkey.
An hour by bus or car from Aphrodisias is Pamukkale, a natural wonder known for its white pools set in the form of terraces on the side of a hill, which are one of the most photographed places in the country.
After Pamukkale, the route continues towards the Mediterranean Coast with a visit to the rock-cut Lycian Tombs of Myra from the 4th century BC, and Aspendus, one of the best-preserved Roman theaters in the world.
To make a short stop on the route, one of the best tips for traveling to Turkey is to spend a few days relaxing on the beaches of Antalya, located between these last two sites.
To end the trip to Turkey, nothing better than spending your last days enjoying the incredible landscapes of Cappadocia.
If you have more time, you can reach Mount Nemrut, 2,150 meters high, where the giant heads that King Antiochus I ordered to be built in 62 BC are located.
5. Cappadocia, one of the places you must visit when traveling to Turkey
Traveling to Turkey and not visiting Cappadocia is almost unforgivable. This lunar landscape, located in the center of the country and declared a World Heritage Site, is considered one of the best natural wonders in the world where you can enjoy strange rock formations that dot this place and have been created by erosion over the years. millions of years, until we get the famous fairy chimneys.
During a route through the best things to see and do in Cappadocia, you will see churches carved into the rock in the area of the Göreme Open Air Museum, underground cities such as Kaymakli and Derinkuyu, spectacular viewpoints such as Göreme, formations in the shape of animals in the Devrent Valley and rock-cut castles such as Uchisar and Ortahisar.
One of the most incredible experiences in Cappadocia is to book a balloon ride at sunrise , in which you will enjoy views that you will never forget and that we are sure will be the perfect icing on the trip. For more information you can check this post about the best balloon flight in Cappadocia .
To get to Cappadocia, if you don’t have a car, you can take a night bus from Antalya which takes about 9 hours or from the Istanbul bus station in Esenler, which takes more than 12 hours.
A faster and more comfortable way to go from Istanbul to Cappadocia is to take a flight to one of the nearest airports such as Nevsehir and Kayseyri, and from there a bus to Goreme, the gateway to this wonder.
If you do not go on an organized tour, we recommend you rent a car to visit all the tourist spots in Cappadocia.
More tips for traveling to Turkey
Other of the best tips for traveling to Turkey are:
- In addition to filling up on kebabs, don’t forget to try Turkish coffee, baklava sweets, meze, dolma or midye dolm, authentic delights of Turkish gastronomy.
- In restaurants it is customary to give a 10% tip, keep this in mind to thank the service.
- The plugs in Turkey are the same as in Spain, so you will not need an adapter.
- Although in Turkey the official language is Turkish, in hotels and tourist places you can communicate perfectly in English.
- To enter the mosques, women must wear appropriate clothing and a headscarf.
- If you need to take a taxi, it is best to opt for the yellow ones and negotiate a fixed price before they put on the meter and lengthen the route.
- Haggle for each item you want to buy and browse several stalls before settling on one, especially in Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar. Of course, as we always say, haggling within a balance is the basis, without pretending that the seller loses money.
Conclusion
Turkey is a popular travel destination for people from all over the world. Whether you are interested in exploring the vibrant culture, tasting delicious cuisine, or experiencing the stunning natural beauty of the country, Turkey has something for everyone. However, before you can pack your bags and embark on your Turkish adventure, you need to obtain a visa.