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General
Info...
Passport & Visa :Tourists
are required to carry a valid passport. For some countries a visa is
required. Please consult the nearest Turkish Consulate or Turkish
Embassy for visa related issue. Visa can be obtained upon arrival. For
further information, please visit; http://www.mfa.gov.tr/grupf/fa/06.htm
Banking Hours & Shopping: Banks
are open weekdays from 09:00 to noon and from 13:30 to 16:30. Exchange
rates at hotels and banks are only slightly different. Euro, USD and
major credit cards are widely accepted. Shops are generally open from
09:00 to 19:00, Monday through Saturday.
Time:Turkey’s standard
time is 2 hours ahead of GMT; 1 hour ahead of Mid-european time; 7 hours
ahead of Eastern Standard Time, USA; 7 hours behind Japan and 6 hours
behind Hong Kong.
Electrical Appliances:The
electric current in Turkey is 50Hz, 220 volts AC in all parts of the
country. Plugs are different than USA, England and Italy. Most major
hotels in the main cities have adaptors for guest’s use.
Climate: The Mediterranean
climate, with its hot summers and mild winters, prevails in the Istanbul
Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean coastal regions
.
Jan
Feb
Mar
April
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Max
8
9
11
16
21
25
28
28
24
20
15
11
Min
3
2
3
7
12
16
18
19
16
13
9
5
Tipping: Though service charges
are included, it is customary to show your appreciation to hotel staff,
to your guide and to the driver, if you feel satisfied. We suggest the
following tipping scale: Hotels staff €1.-, Driver €1.-/2.-, Guide
€2.-/3.-, usually 10% of the bills at restaurants and a round up at
taxis.
Communication: Post
offices carry the sign PTT in black on a yellow background. At a PTT you
can telephone, send mail, telegrams and faxes. For local calls buy
telephone cards, Istanbul area codes are "0-212" on the European Side
and "0-216" on the Asian Side. When calling abroad from Turkey, you must
first dial the International code "00" and then country code and the
number. GSM system is also used.
Transfers: International
and most national flights land on Atatürk International Airport. You can
take a taxi, or the shuttle bus from the airport to Taksim, where you
should take a taxi to your hotel. Shuttle (Airport) buses depart from
Atatürk Airport every 20 minutes for the center (20km). It takes
approximately 30 minutes, the fare is approximately €5.- per person and
taxi fare is approximately €20.- for the distance between the Airport
and Taksim; the main square, close to your hotel or Conference Centre.
The taxis, all of them yellow, are numbered and taximetered. Prices are
higher after midnight when two orange lights show on the taximeter. The
price is indicated on the taximeter, which is placed next to the driver.
General
Info...
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