Turkey money confusion

[stevie m]

We are off to Turkey in a few weeks time and have conflicting info as too what currency other than travellers chq`s to take, one said Euro`s, another it doesn't matter £`s or €`s will do, then Turkisk Lira would be best said a friend. Has anyone an opinion on this please

[New Judge]

Turkish Lira are best (currently about 2.25 to the £ if you buy them in the UK).

If you take any other currency and change it there you will be turned over. I have visited Turkey on a day trip whilst holidaying in Greece a number of times. I always take a few Lira with me for a beer etc. My fellow trippers (who expected to be able to spend their Euros there) were ripped off something rotten.

[puternut]

Advice from a friend - Bureau de Change worker agrees with New Judge

New Turkish Lira

[stevie m]

Thanks judge, I was erring on the side of the lira coz of the exchange rate, but too much well meant information can make you dither sometimes

[stevie m]

Appreciate your input too puternut

[boxtops]

Why don't you just open a bank account with someone like Nationwide, which will only charge you 1% for cash transactions outside Europe? - then you don't have to take cash at all, you can just go to the ATM at the airport the other end and take out what you need to get started. That's what we did in Morocca in the spring, we never take foreign currency with us, then we can't risk losing it. If you should be staying in the part of Turkey which is in the EU then Nationwide don't charge you at all (although bear in mind the operators of the ATM might levy a withdrawal fee).

[annie0000]

Having returned a few weeks ago from Belek, what we found was:

Everything in the shops is priced in Euros
They will take Euro or Lira or Pounds
If you pay in Lira then they basically just double the Euro price - e.g. 5 euro = 10 Lira
If you pay in Pounds, sometimes they just charge you the Euro price e.g. 5 Euro = £5 - but sometimes they work out the actual exchange.

Someone who can be bothered to work it out will tell you what works out the best deal to do.

We were all inclusive, so didn't really spend much, so it didn't really matter too much for us.

Hope this helps.

[stevie m]

Thanks to all replies, Sheepwooly we are staying around the Dalyan area about 20 - 30 mins from Dalaman airport.

[jrtv]

annieoooo is spot on, I am sitting on a balcony in Turkey as I type this and it's 35 deg and it goes down to 26 deg at night so it's very hot and sunny so bring your sun cream.
I always use the Lira and get them out when I need them from hole in the wall ATM's, the exchange rate was better than home and it's only about £2-50 bank charge's and it means I dont walk around with loads of money.