7 Important Things Every Traveller Must Know Before Visiting Turkey

I’m continually surprised by all the negative news around Turkey. From President Erdogan’s power-grab to the country’s moves in Syria and the blow hot-blow cold relationship with Germany (and EU), Turkey always seems to get the negative end of the stick in news cycles. I travelled to Turkey less than a month after the 2016 coup attempt and had the time of my life. If you’re considering places to visit this year, I’d strongly recommend you pick Turkey. It’s cheaper than Europe, has great food and friendly locals. Here’s a checklist of things you need to know before booking your ticket to Turkey.

1 – Get your visa easily

The Turkish visa process is relatively simple for Indian passport holders. If you have a valid UK, Schengen or USA visa, you can get your e-visa sitting at home. Turkey’s ambition of joining the European Union is tangled in political knots but it holds the Schengen visa in high regard. Similarly, being a part of NATO means the USA visa is a big deal to Turkey, despite simmering tensions between the two nations post-2016 coup. The process gets much smoother even if you have an expired visa from any of these countries. I have not heard of any visa rejection when it comes to Turkey as long as you have submitted all the required documents even for an Indian passport with no fancy visas.

Get your Turkey e-visa here. Read about scoring a Turkish visa here.

2 – Turkey is big, really big

I spent three weeks in Turkey and I think I saw just half the country. I did all the major spots but missed places like Kars that I wanted to see because of Orhan Pamuk’s Snow, the historic city of Diyarbakir because it was dangerous at the time and close to the Syrian border and even the capital Ankara. I made a mental note to return to Turkey to sample the rest of the country as soon as possible because simply put, Turkey is too big to cover in a single visit.

It is also quite diverse. You can spend your days like I did discovering Roman secrets in the South, stepping into a fairytale kingdom at Cappadocia, swimming in Black Sea beaches in the East, finding peace at Rumi’s tomb, looking up World War I spots in the North of the country and lingering forever at Istanbul. Whatever you do, be certain of one thing – you will need to return to Turkey unless you visit for five to six weeks.

Also Read: 7 Free Things You Can Do Anywhere In The World

3 – There’s more to Turkey than Istanbul

One mistake that I’ve seen a lot of people make is that they plan their trip in and around Istanbul. At the most, a side trip to Cappadocia will be added for selfie-worthy hot air balloon pictures. But to elaborate the last point, Turkey is huge. It is a quarter of India’s size and packed with attractions. While I wouldn’t ever recommend not going to Istanbul, I urge you to consider other places in the country to explore. Ephesus, Bodrum, Konya, Antalya, Izmir, Canakkale, Bursa are some of my favourite cities to explore outside Istanbul. Have a gander at these places to experience a more authentic Turkey.

4 – Encounter the friendliest people

Until now, I believed that Jordan had the friendliest locals when they encounter Indians. Turkey forced me to do a serious re-evaluation of that notion because I have never been so overwhelmed and felt more welcome in any place. From local homestays to tourist guides and even the places I went to eat, I have never felt less than welcome anywhere in Turkey. Whether it is drinking raki with strangers or chatting with locals around the Grand Bazaar, every encounter ended with me loving the locals even more than before. Despite the heightened military presence less a month after the 2016 coup, I was stopped only once outside the Hagia Sophia by a military person. I have smiled and enjoyed my stay in Turkey like in no other country. It’s one reason to head to Turkey the first opportunity you get.

Also Read: 10 Drinks Every Visitor To Turkey Must Have

5 – Use public transportation

Across the length of this huge country, I used trains, buses and a couple of flights (Pegasus FTW) along with a few day trips to navigate. Everything ran perfectly well and I have no reason to complain about ant of it. Trains are comfortable for a journey worth a few hours, buses are modern and offer free snacks while flights are relatively cheap, all of this even if you book with a local travel agent. Look at your itinerary and link your destinations with public transportation to save as many liras as you can.

6 – Use money wisely (and beware of scams)

While Turkey is full of great places and friendly people, tourist places are also rife with scams. Keep your wits about you and you’ll be fine, especially in crowded places in Istanbul like Sultamahmet and Taksim. Don’t accept anything, especially if offered for free. Don’t leave before bargaining at Grand Bazaar. Don’t go to Cappadocia and expect you’ll just walk out if shopkeepers have enticed you with free tea to come into their shop. Don’t loiter in crowded places and look lost. Don’t get into a taxi without negotiating the fare beforehand. With all these instructions, I must add the caveat that most locals are honest to god people and will go out of the way to help tourists.

7 – Don’t let the negative news scare you

Lastly, don’t believe everything you read in the news. Turkey has got a lot of bad flak over the past couple of years but there is an entire tourism industry waiting to service and work with you. They need you and will show their country with all their love. It is tempting to put off your travel plans because of many reasons but it’s worth going to Turkey for just one reason – it truly is one of the most incredible places you will ever visit. All you need to do is just pack your bags and go.

Images copyright: Priyanko Sarkar. Stay tuned for more updates from Turkey. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay updated with the latest news. Subscribe to my email list on the right to stay in touch.