The lira is the official currency of Turkey and is accepted everywhere in the country. You may see prices quoted as euros in some tourist attractions in Istanbul and you can pay in euros or Turkish Lira.
The best currency to take to Turkey is the Turkish Lira (TRY), as it is the official currency and widely accepted for all transactions. While some places, especially in tourist areas, may accept euros or US dollars, using the local currency will typically provide better exchange rates and make transactions easier.
One thing to note is that due to the volatility of the Turkish lira, euros are often accepted in Turkey and can even be requested as the main currency. It's often a good idea to take a combination of Lira and euros in cash and currency on the Travelex Money Card.
Coins are available in 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 kuruş and 1 lira coins. Banknotes are for 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 lira. In tourist areas, especially in hotels and large restaurants, some businesses accept Euros and US dollars. However, the Turkish Lira remains the most widely accepted currency.
Some tourist areas in major cities may accept euros but try to pay in lira wherever you can. There may be a markup if you use euros, which means you'll pay more.
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Should I take lira or euros to Turkey in 2025?
It's the only legal tender in Turkey. Local shops, transport services, and restaurants mostly deal in Lira. Paying in Lira avoids the poor exchange rates offered at shops that accept Euros.
Travelling with cash is highly recommended, especially if you plan to visit local markets outside of the main cities. You may need coins and small notes for tipping, public transport tickets, and small purchases as soon as you arrive. It's also sensible to have a credit or debit card as a backup, just in case.
Tipping is expected in Turkey and leaving a 10-15% tip on your bill in a restaurant is generally an acceptable amount. When it comes to other areas of the service industry, such as taxis and hairdressers, rounding up the fare is a nice gesture but not obligatory.
The lira (Turkish: Türk lirası; sign: ₺; ISO 4217 code: TRY; abbreviation: TL) is the official currency of Turkey. It is also legal tender in the de facto state of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. One lira is divided into one hundred kuruş.
In neighborhood coffeehouses or small restaurants, a cup of Turkish coffee typically costs 7-20 TRY. In more popular cafés or tourist areas, this price can rise to 40-60 TRY. In luxury hotels and fine-dining restaurants, specially prepared Turkish coffee can exceed 100 TRY.
If you choose Turkey as your destination, here's some good news. It won't cost you much and you'll find all you need without having to cross the globe.
Official passport holders are required to have visa to enter Türkiye. Ordinary passport holders are exempted from visa up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Get entry and exit stamps. You must have a Turkish entry stamp to fly domestically.
Is it better to exchange money before going to Turkey?
Exchange rates are almost always better if your currency exchange is done in Turkey, and a good strategy is to take enough local currency for your first day or so, and change the rest once you arrive.
Turkey is CHEAPER but Greece has ISLANDS. Istanbul is great, but Athens is pretty awesome too. If it's Islands you like, Greece is the only option. Turkey has nice beach resorts, but they are part of the mainland.
You'll be hard-pressed to be able to buy anything with 1 Turkish lira (TL). You try and tip it to someone as Baksheesh and they will look at you funny. Heck. TL 100 can only get you 1 bottle of milk, a bag of chips, and medium-size bags of Nescafe and Coffee-Mate if you like this waker-upper combo like many do.
Turkish people still prefer cash payments, even though cards and mobile wallets are in use. It's not uncommon for family-owned taverns or small businesses to not even have card terminals. Cash is a popular payment method, but it will also come in handy for leaving tips.
As of January 1, 2023, Turkey has officially rolled out a 2% tourist tax, affecting almost all forms of paid accommodation and organised travel services.
While euros might be the best currency to take to Turkey, exchange money for liras when you arrive. Avoid hotel desks and airports when possible: While they do offer currency exchange services, both resorts and terminal kiosks tend to apply a much larger exchange fee.
The official language, Turkish, is the first language spoken by 90% of the 71.1m population. Minority languages include Kurdish, spoken by 6% of the population, although this isn't recognised as an official language.
