Your first destination in Turkey is likely to be Istanbul's Atatürk International 

Airport.  Fortunately, a new international terminal opened in early 2000, which has

greatly enhanced the arrival and departure experience (for further information and maps

of the airport see www.ataturkairport.com).

Americans do not need to obtain advance visas to visit Turkey.  A single entry

visa for U.S. passport holders can be obtained upon your arrival at the Istanbul airport

for US $20 (the price was decreased from $100 in April 2004).  After you deplane, the

visa office is located just before passport control.  Before getting in the passport control

line, head to the window with the sign that says “Visa or Vize.”  The person at the visa

counter will gladly sell you a visa (which is a sticker that you place in your passport) in

exchange for US $20 in cash.  For more information on Turkey's visa requirements for

U.S. citizens see the Turkish Embassy's Web site at  www.turkey.org/consularservices/index.htm.

After receiving your visa, get in one of the passport control lines to have your

passport stamped.  Once that is done, you will proceed directly into the baggage claim

area.  Luggage carts are available in the baggage claim area for US $1.00.

There is no need to exchange your U.S. dollars into Turkish Lira  before you leave for

Turkey since money changers and ATMs are plentiful  throughout Turkey (in any event,

it is difficult to find a U.S. bank or bureau de change  that sells TL).

Because you will need TL for a taxi ride to the center of Istanbul (taxi drivers

and other businesses in Turkey will not usually accept U.D. Dollars or Euros) you

should obtain TL upon your arrival at Atatürk International.  After you retrieve your

baggage head to the exit, located past the Turkish Customs counters.  There are a

number of banks where you can buy TL located to the right as you exit the baggage

hall.  While these banks offer the prevailing exchange rates, they all charge a 3%

commission.  If you want to avoid the commission, go to the PTT (post, telephone and

telegraph) office that is located past the banks.  At the PTT window you can exchange

your U.S. dollars or other currency into TL at very good exchange rates and with no

commission.

Until recently, visitors to Turkey were overwhelmed by large numbers since the 1

U.S. Dollar equaled 1,500,000 Turkish Lira (TL).  Fortunately, Turkey’s long history of

high inflation has recently slowed to single digit levels.  The country is following an

economic program backed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to rein in

historically high inflation and the results have been impressive.  In 2004, the year-onyear

wholesale price index was approximately 9%, a 28-year low, and Turkey expects

to bring consumer price inflation down to single digit levels umbers by 2005.  One TL equals 100 Kurus.

The current exchange rate  is 1 US$ equals 1.5 TL.

Currently, there are TL banknotes in the following denominations: 1, 5, 10, 20,

50 and 100 TL and coins in the amount of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 Kurus and 1 Turkish

Lira.  Note that throughout 2005, Turkish Lira (the old currency) and Turkish Lira

(the new currency) banknotes and coins will concurrently be in circulation.

The Central Bank of Turkey has an interesting Web site that provides a history of

bank notes in Turkey and a “banknote  museum” that shows a color picture of the notes

formerly and currently in circulation: www.tcmb.gov.tr/yeni/eng/index.html – and then

click on “banknotes”).

As mentioned above, while most shops have calculators to let you figure out

the dollar value of the YTL price, I recommend carrying a small calculator or a “cheat

sheet” (a very good one can be found at www.oanda.com/convert/cheatsheet) that lets

you know the rates for basic conversions (be sure to click on “Turkish Lira”).  Also,

I suggest carrying only the new “big head” US $100 notes, as many banks and money

changers will not accept the old ones (this is true throughout the world).

Note:

Another convenient way to obtain TL is to use an ATM.  ATMs are plentiful in

Istanbul and other cities and have instructions in English.  Turkish ATMs accept your

normal ATM card or a credit card (be sure to take your credit card’s PIN) and you will

receive very good interbank exchange rates (but you may be charged a US $2.00 ATM

fee by your bank).  I have had the best experience with Yapi Kredi Bank (look for the

blue and orange signs), Akbank (red and white signs) and Garanti Bank (green and

white signs with a four leaf clover).