Bring Turkish Lira (TRY) for daily expenses to get the best value, as using foreign currency often results in poor exchange rates. While credit/debit cards (Visa/Mastercard) are accepted at most shops, restaurants, and hotels, carrying cash is essential for smaller vendors, bazaars, and tips. Use ATMs to withdraw Lira upon arrival, avoiding airports if possible.
As explained previously, the most useful will be Turkish lira. You will need this to get into the sites, travel on public transport, eat in restaurants and to get the best deals in the bazaars.
Yes, tipping is expected in restaurants. In small and casual eateries, rounding up the bill is enough. For example, if the bill is 190 TL, leaving 200 TL is polite. In mid-range restaurants, leaving 5–10% is common.
While typically more convenient, paying with euros in Turkey is generally disadvantageous as many businesses will apply an additional fee or higher exchange rate. Plus, businesses will almost always return change in liras regardless of the currency you pay in.
The 2/3/4 rule for credit cards is a guideline, notably used by Bank of America, that limits how many new cards you can get approved for: no more than two in 30 days, three in 12 months, and four in 24 months, helping manage hard inquiries and credit risk. It's a strategy to space out applications, preventing too many hard pulls on your credit report and helping maintain financial health by avoiding over-extending yourself.
Is it better to exchange money before traveling to Turkey?
Is It Better to Exchange Money in Türkiye or Before Traveling? You should buy a little local currency with you before landing in the country. However, you can get better Turkish Lira conversion rates in Türkiye.
Generally it's enough when you don't overspend yourself and don't want to do all at once. Just my advice here is, don't come now and wait at least beyond September. Either make your plans for end of September or October, when the weather is still Okey and the crowd is a bit less.
What's the best way to pay for things in Istanbul?
The best way to pay in Turkey is simple. Use your credit card in cities. Carry lira for small places. Exchange a small amount of money in local exchange offices.
Generally, exchanging currency in your destination country can offer better rates, especially if you use local banks or ATMs. However, for certain destinations or less commonly traded currencies, you might get better rates by exchanging in your home country.
It's generally better to take British Pounds (GBP) to Turkey and exchange them for Turkish Lira (TRY) upon arrival for better rates, as local exchange offices often offer much better deals than in the UK. While some tourist spots accept GBP, paying in Lira ensures better value and avoids hidden markups, especially when using cards with no foreign transaction fees like a Wise or Revolut card, or a dedicated travel card like Hays Travel.
While it may not be the same in every location and for every card, HSBC and Ziraat Bank are a couple of the banks which don't tend to charge ATM fees. Some travellers also report that Halkbank, PTT and ING have fee-free ATMs too, but you'll need to check this for yourself to see if it's still the case.
The top 3 strongest currencies by exchange rate are consistently the Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD), the Bahraini Dinar (BHD), and the Omani Rial (OMR), all originating from oil-rich Gulf nations, followed by the Jordanian Dinar and British Pound. These currencies derive their strength from high oil revenues, pegged exchange rates (often to the USD), stable economies, and strong financial systems.
