Andorra

Almost hidden in the eastern Pyrenees, the tiny Belt of Andorra is a acreage of attenuated valleys and aerial landscapes, belted by France and Spain.

Most of the settlements can be begin forth the capital alley that traverses the country - abounding villages or hamlets are abounding with Romanesque churches and houses congenital in the bounded style. Others, off the capital road, are even added unspoilt, and accommodate amazing angle beyond the asperous countryside.

Andorra is one of the oldest nations in Europe, originally accustomed by Charlemagne as a absorber accompaniment adjoin the Iberian muslims. As a aftereffect of the Paretages of 1278 and 1288, ascendancy of the country was breach amid the Spanish Bishop of Urgell and a appointee appointed by the King of France (initially the Count de Foix) and after by the French emperors and presidents. This different power-sharing adjustment lasted until the backward 20th aeon if the present architecture formally anointed Andorra as a principality.

Albania

It is mainly humans that accept never been to Albania who are amenable for the country's bad press. Those who ascertain Albania for themselves usually acknowledgment singing the praises of its friendly, advanced people, its alluring Ottoman cities and added actual sites and its arresting abundance backdrop and absorbing villages.

Albania has something to action about everyone. Hikers will adulation the Albanian Alps or the Tomorri massif, whilst cyclists will acquisition a arrangement of age-old advance criss-crossing the country. Those who are absorbed in archaeology can absorb hours in the circuitous sites of Butrint and Byllis. History-lovers can analyze age-old castles, Ottoman fortresses and the building cities of Berati and Gjirokastra. Art connoisseurs should appointment the abstruse medieval churches, with their admirable frescoes, and the figure collections in Tirana, Korça and Berati. And gourmets will adore the adorable seafood, abundance lamb, amoebic bake-apple and vegetables and, of course, Albania's accomplished wine.

Travel Advice

Most visits are trouble-free. However, there is a high threat from terrorism in Turkey. It is believed that international terrorist groups, as well as indigenous ones, are currently active in Turkey. As in previous years, after a lull over the winter months the PKK resumed its terrorist campaign over the summer period. Attacks have taken place against government and security targets and also in restaurants, public transport and other public places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.

Targets have included Mediterranean and Aegean tourist areas, Istanbul and Turkey's South East. On 2 October 2007, two explosions in Izmir killed one person and injured five others and a further explosive device was found. In May and April of this year, an explosion in Izmir killed one person and injured eleven others and another in Mersin killed one person.

In August 2006, explosions in the Aegean resort of Marmaris injured 21 people, including 10 British nationals. In November 2003, terrorist attacks against the British Consulate-General and the headquarters of HSBC in Istanbul caused 33 deaths and injured several hundred.
Turkish Authorities have confirmed outbreaks of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu). As a precaution, visitors should avoid live animal markets, poultry farms and other places where they may come into contact with domestic, caged or wild birds; and ensure that poultry and egg dishes are thoroughly cooked.

This advice is based on information provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK. It is correct at time of publishing. As the situation can change rapidly, visitors are advised to contact the following organisations for the latest travel advice:

British Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Tel: 0845 850 2829.
Website: www.fco.gov.uk

US Department of State
Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel

Turkey Images

Hagia Sofia, Istanbul, Turkey

Entrance to Instanbul University Mural of Pegasus Head of Alexander The Great Frieze In Roman City visited by St.Paul Efeses

Turkey Map

Climate

Temperatures in Ankara vary between -4°C (25ºF) and 30°C (86ºF). Marmara and the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts have a typical Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild, wet winters. The east of the country is mountainous with warm summers and very cold, snowy winters. The southeast has very hot summers and cold winters. The Black Sea coast is the wettest part of the country, especially in the northeast.

Required Clothing

Light- to medium-weights and rainwear.

Getting Around

Getting About by Air

Turkish Airlines (website: www.turkishairlines.com) provides an important arrangement of centralized flights from Istanbul, Ankara, Adana, Antalya, Dalaman, Izmir and Trabzon to all of the above Turkish cities. Recent liberalisation of the calm air industry has accustomed the admeasurement of cheap, basic carriers operating routes from Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya and Izmir to the capital bounded airports. Clandestine airlines cover Atlasjet (website: www.atlasjet.com), Corendon Airlines (website: www.corendon-airlines.com), Onur Air (website: www.onurair.com.tr), Pegasus Airlines (website: www.flypgs.com) and SunExpress (website: www.sunexpress.com.tr).

By BoatGetting About by Water

A accepted car bear crosses the Dardenelles at Gallipoli, from Çanakkale to Eceabat and Gelibolu to Lapseki. Istanbul Fast Ferries (tel: (212) 444 4436; website: www.ido.com.tr) operates accepted seabus casework from Bostanci, Kadiköy, Kartal, Yalova and Büyükada Island to Bakirköy, Karaköy, Yenikapi, Yalova, Avcilar and Bandirma. Deniz Cruise & Bear Lines (tel: (212) 444 3369; website: www.denizline.com.tr) serves the Istanbul-Izmir route. Local biking agents can accomplish reservations.

By TrainGetting About by Rail

Many trains of the Turkish Railways (TCDD) (tel: (212) 527 0050; website: www.tcdd.gov.tr) accept sleeping cars, couchettes and restaurant cars. Some are air-conditioned. Fares are analogously low, but are added big-ticket for accurate trains. Discounts of 20% are accessible for acceptance (though a Turkish apprentice agenda may be required), groups, round-trips and cartage over 60. Children age-old seven and beneath biking free. Tickets can be purchased at TCDD offices at railway stations and TCDD-appointed agents. The adventure from Istanbul to Ankara takes amid 6 hours 30 account and 10 hours, depending on the blazon of train.

Rail Passes

A Alternation Tour Agenda issued by TCDD allows for 30 days' absolute biking on the Turkish alternation network. Tour cards are accessible for accurate trains and sleeping car trains. Validity begins on the aboriginal day that the agenda is used.

InterRail One-Country Pass: offers biking for three, four, six or eight canicule in one ages aural Turkey. Biking is not accustomed in the passenger's country of residence. Travellers beneath 26 years accept a reduction. Children's tickets are bargain by about 50%. Supplements are appropriate for some accelerated services, bench anxiety and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some bear routes. Accessible from Rail Europe (website: www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).

By CarGetting About by Road

Road altitude and standards of active in Turkey can be poor. Serious alley accidents are common. Cartage drives on the right. In case of an accident, alarm the cartage badge (tel: 154) and do not move your car until they accept arrived. The Turkish Touring and Automobile Club (tel: (212) 282 8140; website: www.turing.org.tr) provides allowance and admonition for adopted drivers.

Coach: Abounding clandestine companies accommodate accepted casework amid Turkish cities. Casework are about faster than trains. Tickets are awash at the bus base or the companies' offices in boondocks centres. Shop about for the best prices and a lot of acceptable abandonment times. Coaches abandon from the bus stations (otogar) in ample towns and from the boondocks centre in baby towns. There is about a account bus (servis) from the centre to the bus station. The best drillmaster operators are Varan (tel: (212) 551 5000; website: www.varan.com.tr) and Ulusoy (tel: 444 1888, aural Turkey only; website: www.ulusoy.com.tr).

Car hire: Both chauffeur-driven and self-drive cars are accessible in all ample towns and resorts. All all-embracing companies are represented.

Regulations: The minimum active age is 18 and foreground bench belts are compulsory. Children beneath 12 may not sit in the front. The acceleration absolute is 120kph (75mph) on bifold carriageway, 90kph (56mph) on highways and 50kph (31mph) in built-up areas.

Documentation: An All-embracing Active Permit or photo-ID licence is necessary. Green Agenda All-embracing Insurance, accustomed for all Turkish area (or Turkish third-party allowance acquired at a borderland post) and car buying abstracts are aswell required. A ‘carnet de passage' is appropriate for those continuing to the Middle East. Cars can be brought into Turkey for a best of six months in any year. For best stays, it is all-important to administer to either the Ministry of Finance and Customs or the Turkish Touring and Automobile Club.

UrbanGetting About Towns and Cities

Bus and trolleybus: All-encompassing accepted bus (and some trolleybus) casework accomplish in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. There are buses in all added ample towns. These are about reliable, avant-garde and simple to use. Tickets are bought in advanced from kiosks and accurate on board. In Istanbul, an Akbil cyberbanking canyon can save money on bus, tram, bear and busline journeys.

Taxi: There are abounding types of taxi, share-taxi and minibus in operation. Taxis are abundant in all Turkish cities and towns and are recognisable by their chequered atramentous and chicken bands. All taxis accept a beat which have to be switched on at the alpha of the journey. For best journeys, the book should be agreed beforehand. A dolmuş is a aggregate auto or minibus which follows specific routes. Each commuter pays according to the ambit travelled to specific stops. The fares are anchored by the municipality. The dolmuş provides casework aural ample cities to suburbs, airports and generally to neighbouring towns. This is a actual applied agency of carriage and abundant cheaper than a taxi. Taxis may about-face into a dolmuş and carnality versa according to demand.

Ferry: There are all-encompassing cross-Bosphorus and short-hop ferries in Istanbul.

Metro: Ankara has a two-line busline system, as does Istanbul. Further amplification is planned in both cities.

Travel TimesJourney Times

The afterward blueprint gives almost adventure times (in hours and minutes) from Ankara to added above cities/towns in Turkey.

Air Road Rail

Istanbul 0.45 6.00 7.00

Izmir 0.50 7.00 10.00

Antalya 1.00 8.00 -

Erzurum 1.15 11.00 18.00

Getting There

Getting There by Air

The civic airline is Turkish Airlines (TK) (website: www.turkishairlines.com).

Approximate Flight Times

From London to Istanbul is 3 hours 45 account and from New York is 9 hours 50 minutes.

Main Airports

Ankara (ESB) (Esenboga) (website: www.esenbogaairport.com) is 33km (21 miles) northeast of the city. To/from the airport: Havas buses (website: www.havas.net) biking every 30 account amid the airport and the city-limits centre from 0430 to 2400 (journey time - 50 minutes). Taxis are aswell available. Facilities: Duty-free shops, bank/bureau de change, restaurants and bars.

Istanbul (IST) (Atatürk, aforetime Yeşilköy) (website: www.ataturkairport.com) is 24km (15 miles) west of the city-limits (journey time - 30 to 50 minutes). To/from the airport: Havas runs a approved bus account amid the airport and the city-limits centre. Taxis are available. Facilities: Duty-free shops, bank/bureau de change, bar, restaurant and car hire.

Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) (website: www.sgairport.com) is 40km (25 miles) from Istanbul, on the Asian side. To/from the airport: There are shuttle bus casework to Taksim Square in the city-limits (journey time - 45 minutes) and to Atatürk All-embracing Airport (journey time - 60 to 70 minutes). Taxis are accessible 24 hours. Facilities: Duty-free shops, bank, ATMs, business centre and restaurants/cafes.

Izmir (IZM) (Adnan Menderes) (website: www.adnanmenderesairport.com) is 18km (11 miles) south of the city. To/from the airport: Havas buses accommodated calm flights and biking alternate from the city-limits centre (journey time - 50 to 60 minutes). Facilities: Bank/bureau de change, ATMs, duty-free shops, bar, restaurant and car hire.

There are added all-embracing airports at Adana, Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman and Trabzon.

Departure Tax

US$50 is levied alone on Turkish nationals not citizen beyond abandonment from Turkey.

Getting There by Water

Main ports: Antalya, Bandirma, Çeşme, Istanbul, Izmir, Marmaris and Mersin.

To/from Italy: Marmara Curve (tel: 49 7031 866 010, sales abettor in Germany; website: www.marmaralines.com) operates absolute ferries in the summer from Ancona-Çeşme and from Brindisi- Çeşme. MedEuropean Seaways (tel: (216) 392 8346; website: www.mesline.com) runs a bear amid Brindisi-Çeşme.

To/from Cyprus: There are three routes with sea buses, car and commuter bear services: Alanya-Girne, Tasucu-Girne, operated by the Fergün Shipping Company (website: www.ferries-turkey.com) and Gazimagusa-Mersin.

To/from Greece: There are abreast operated bear curve amid Turkey and the Greek islands: Lesbos-Ayvalik, Chios-Çeşme, Samos-Kuşadasi, Cos-Bodrum, Rhodes-Bodrum, Rhodes-Marmaris and Rhodes-Fethiye.

To/from Ukraine: Ukrferry (tel: +380 482 344 059, in Ukraine; website: www.ukrferry.com) operates ferries amid Odessa-Istanbul and Ilyichevsk-Derince.

Cruise ships stop in Istanbul, Kuşadasi and Antalya.

Note: All ships, including clandestine yachts, accession in Turkish amnion have to go to one of the afterward ports of entry: Akçay, Alanya, Anamur, Antalya, Ayvalik, Bandirma, Bodrum, Botas (Adana), Çanakkale, Çeşme, Datça, Derince, Didim, Dikili, Fethiye, Finike, Giresun, Güllük, Hopa (Artvin), Iskenderun, Istanbul, Izmir, Kaş, Kemer, Kuşadasi, Marmaris, Mersin, Ordu, Rize, Samsun, Sinop, Söke, Tasucu (Silifke), Tekirdağ, Trabzon and Zonguldak.

Getting There by Rail

Train journeys can be fabricated to Istanbul via some of the above European cities. The adventure from London takes three days: Eurostar to Paris, Orient Express to Vienna (overnight), Avala to Budapest, brief Ister to Bucharest and assuredly the Bosfor to Istanbul. There is aswell a beneath adequate couchette car from Budapest to Istanbul. Added all-embracing abuse routes go to Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Germany and Serbia. For added advice acquaintance Turkish Railways (TCDD) in Istanbul (tel: (212) 527 0050; website: www.tcdd.gov.tr).

Rail Passes

InterRail: offers absolute first- or cheap biking in up to 30 European countries for European association of over six months with two canyon options. The Global Canyon allows for 22 canicule or one ages connected travel, 5 canicule in 10 canicule or 10 canicule in 22 canicule beyond all countries. The One-Country Canyon offers biking for three, four, six or eight canicule in one ages in any of the countries except Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Biking is not accustomed in the passenger's country of residence. Travellers beneath 26 years accept a reduction. Children's tickets are bargain by about 50%. Supplements are appropriate for some accelerated services, bench anxiety and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some bear routes. Accessible from Abuse Europe (website: www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).

Getting There by Road

There are access credibility by alley from Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, the Syrian Arab Republic and Iran. From London, drivers may either accept the arctic avenue via Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, or the southern avenue through Belgium, Austria, Italy with a car-ferry affiliation to Turkey.

Coach: There are approved casework amid Turkey and Austria, France, Germany, Greece and Switzerland, as able-bodied as Jordan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the Syrian Arab Republic. It is accessible to biking by drillmaster from London to Istanbul, alteration in Frankfurt (journey time - about 70 hours). Tickets are accessible from Civic Express (tel: 0870 580 8080; website: www.nationalexpress.com).

Communications

Telephone

Country code: 90. The cheapest way to accomplish calls is from PTT blast booths, which are begin in all areas. These accomplish application buzz cards, which can be bought from kiosks, or by application above acclaim cards.

Mobile Telephone

Roaming agreements abide with a lot of all-embracing adaptable buzz companies. Coverage is mostly good, but can be patchy in some rural areas in eastern Turkey.

Internet

Internet cafes abide in capital burghal areas. Some restaurants and hotels accept Wi-Fi Internet access.

Post

Turkish column offices are recognisable by their chicken PTT signs.

Post appointment hours: above outlets Mon-Sat 0800-2400, Sun 0900-1900; abate column offices accept the aforementioned aperture hours as government offices.

Media

The Turkish media is bedeviled by several ample corporations that own the capital newspapers and clandestine television channels. The Turkish columnist is adequately chargeless and abrupt in a lot of areas, although a cogent amount of journalists accept been prosecuted beneath awful arguable laws adjoin ‘insulting' the country, accompaniment institutions or ‘Turkishness'. These are beheld by many, including the European Commission, as adjoin the appropriate to abandon of expression. Kurdish-language broadcasts accept been alien in adjustment to accommodated EU belief on minorities.

Press

• The capital newspapers are Hürriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Zamam Cumhuriyet and Yeni Asir.

• English-language circadian newspapers cover The Turkish Circadian News.

TV

• Four state-run channels are operated by the accompaniment broadcaster, Turkish Radio and Television (TRT).

• Clandestine channels cover ATV, Kanal D, Show TV and Star TV.

• CNN Türk is the Turkish approach of account arrangement CNN.

Radio

• TRT stations cover TRT 1 (cultural and educational), TRT 3 (classical, applesauce and accepted music) and TRT 4 (Turkish folk and classical music).

• Best FM, Show Radyo and Capital Radio are bartering stations.

• Radyo Foreks broadcasts news.

op Things To See

• Discover Istanbul's Old City-limits which was the basic of the Christian Byzantines and again the Islamic Ottoman empire. Highlights cover the Blue Mosque, the Topkapi Palace, Aya Sofya Museum and the city's Archaeological Museum.

• Analyze the arctic suburbs of Istanbul by ferry-boat, criss-crossing the Bosphorus to appointment villages that amplitude up to the aperture of the Black Sea.

• Appointment the old Ottoman city-limits of Bursa south of Istanbul, with its admirable 15th-century Green Mosque, covered exchange and Islamic Art Museum. Close to the city-limits is the 2,543m (8,343 ft) abundance of Uludağ with arctic lakes and a winter ski resort.

• Witness the camp action of grease angry at the Kirkpinar Festival (website: www.kirkpinar.com) alfresco Edirne in aboriginal summer, or the even drifter comedy of biscuit angry that takes abode in mid winter at Selçuk on the Aegean coast.

• Bout the WWI battlefields and the memorials commemorating the 250,000 British, Turkish and ANZAC troops that died on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Cross the Dardanelles, the straits adding Europe and Asia, and appointment the charcoal of age-old Troy.

• Take in the amplitude of the charcoal of the Hellenistic and Roman city-limits of Ephesus (modern Selçuk). Founded in the 13th aeon BC, it has been anxiously adequate and is now one of the a lot of amazing age-old sites in the world.

• Appointment Bodrum (website: www.bodrum-info.org), website of one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Catacomb of Mausolus, and now Turkey's finest Aegean resort. Dominated by the Castle of St John, the boondocks is acclaimed for its shopping, dining and nightlife.

• Experience the agreeableness of the Mediterranean city-limits of Antalya, with its atmospheric old boondocks and harbour, Kaleiçi. Appointment the superb Archaeological Museum and bout the abounding acclaimed architect surrounding the city.

• See the abstruse Lycian tombs that clutter the bank about the resorts of Kaş and Kalkan.

• Seek out the superb Museum of Anatolian Civilisations and the Ethnographic Museum in Ankara. The Turkish basic is disregarded by abounding visitors but has some accomplished museums.

• Appointment the acclaimed boondocks of Safranbolu, amid Istanbul and Ankara, which is a UNESCO Apple Heritage website acclaimed for its Ottoman architecture.

• Bout Konya, basic of the Selçuk authority and one of Turkey's abundant religious centres. The city-limits is home to the Mevlana Tekkesi, the abbey and catacomb of Mevlana Celâddin Rumi, one of Islam's a lot of acclaimed mystics and architect of the Whirling Dervishes

• Do not absence Cappadocia. Marvel at the amazing mural of bedrock cones, pinnacles and ravines. There are cavern houses, underground cities and cavern churches to explore, additional visitors can break in a cavern auberge too.

• See the amazing 14th-century Greek Orthodox Sumela Monastery, 54km (34 miles) from Trabzon. Set into a arduous cliff, 300m (1,000ft) aloft the basin floor, it contains some arresting frescoes.

• Use the far eastern city-limits of Van as a abject to biking forth the south bank of Lake Van and bolt a baiter out to the 10th-century Armenian abbey (website: www.akdamarkilisesi.com) on Akdamar island, acclaimed for its intricate rock reliefs depicting biblical scenes.

Top Things To Do

Shop in the world's better covered market, Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, again arch flush to browse for bargain appearance appurtenances and accouterment in the administration food forth Istiklal Caddesi or upmarket Nisantasi.

• Take a bear from the Eminönü berth in Istanbul to the Princes' Islands, a agreeable summer break accepted with Istanbulis area cars are banned and horse-drawn carriages and bicycles are the carriage of choice.

• Sip tea or smoke a nargile as you watch the dusk at one of the acceptable cafes below Istanbul's Galata Bridge.

• Trek the Lycian Way, which stretches for 500km (311 miles) amid Fethiye and Antalya, accouterment a month's walking through some of Turkey's a lot of amazing backdrop (website: www.lycianway.com).

• Experience white-water rafting on the Dalaman River (website: www.oludenizbeach.com/rafting.html, the Köprülü River, the Zamanti River or the Coruh River, which is rated by professionals as one of the top rafting descents in the world.

• Relax in a mild Turkish bath, accepted as a hammam, and accept a abrade and massage. In Istanbul, the a lot of accepted celebrated baths are the Galatasaray Hammam in Beyoğlu and Cağaloğlu Hammam in Sultanahmet, admitting bounded baths are generally just as good.

• Catch a commemoration by the acclaimed Addled Dervishes (website: www.whirlingdervishistanbul.com), who are associates of the Mevlevi Order and who accomplish the acclaimed addled ball (Sema). Their amazing commemoration can be apparent in Konya, area the Order originated, or in Istanbul.

• Go biking in the agrarian Kaçkar abundance ambit of Turkey's northeast, abutting to the Georgian frontier.

• Bathe in the balmy ameliorative amnion of accustomed travertine pools at Pamukkale abreast Denizli in the Aegean arena (www.pamukkalethermal.com).

• Wander through the actual Middle Eastern-feeling exchange at Şanliurfa in the southeast, abutting to the Syrian border, and pay a appointment to the cavern area Abraham is said to accept been born.

• Escape the adopted day-tripper hordes and accompany holidaying Turks at one of the baby Black Sea bank towns like Ünye or Giresun - beneath crowded, acknowledgment and greener than the Mediterranean coast.

• Take an aboriginal morning gasbag airship flight over the stunning, other-worldly moonscape of Cappadocia in axial Anatolia

Business

• GDP: US$482 billion (2007).

• Main exports: Clothing and textiles, bogus goods, carriage accessories and food.

• Main imports: Machinery, accessories and parts, mineral fuels and oil, alley cars and adamant and animate products.

• Main barter partners: Germany, UK, Italy, Russia and China.

Economy

The agronomical sector, ahead of abundant bread-and-butter importance, now accounts for alone 8.9% of the GDP. It charcoal a above employer however, and Turkey is arrogant in basal food like maize, sugar, aureate and barley.

Manufacturing and casework are the a lot of important and fastest growing sectors, with cyberbanking and the architecture industry adequate above advance in contempo years. The casework area makes the greatest all-embracing addition to the country's economy, accounting for 59.3% of Turkey's GDP. The country's day-tripper industry is aswell of primary importance: in 2007, over 27 actor tourists visited Turkey, adopting US$18.5 billion in revenue.

Underlying structural problems accompanying with years of corruption and apple contest brought the Turkish abridgement to its knees in 2001. In the face of this crisis, the government alien an All-embracing Monetary Fund-backed acerbity affairs that succeeded in acid aggrandizement from 70% to its accepted akin of 6%. Unemployment was at 9.7% in 2007. The abridgement was accepted to abound by 5.4% and admitting a above accepted annual deficit, broker aplomb is high, with adopted absolute investment alluring about US$22 billion in 2007.

Business Etiquette

A academic clothing or anorak and tie should consistently be beat for business. English is broadly announced in business circles, although an accomplishment by the company to allege a little Turkish is appreciated. The majority of humans in business amount punctuality and business cards are broadly used.

Office hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1200 and 1330-1730.

Conferences & Conventions

Istanbul and Antalya are the a lot of accepted venues, followed by Ankara, Marmaris and Bodrum. There are abounding 4- and 5-star hotels, which accommodate accessories and can host conferences and affairs to all-embracing standards. The Crowne Plaza Istanbul (website: www.ichotelsgroup.com) has appointment accessories for up to 1,000 people, as does the Radisson SAS Appointment and Airport Hotel (website: www.istanbul.radissonsas.com), which is calmly abutting to Atatürk All-embracing Airport and the Apple Barter Centre.

Going Out

Food and Drink

Turkish aliment combines comestible traditions from the people's drifting accomplished in Central Asia with influences of the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. Guests are usually able to go into a kitchen and accept from the pots if they cannot accept the names of the dishes. A advanced ambit of all-embracing cuisine is aswell accessible in the aloft cities, and accepted German and British dishes forth the coasts.

Things to know: Turkey is a civil accompaniment and booze is broadly enjoyed, although during Ramadan it is advised affable for visitors to abstain bubbler booze in public. Some bounded restaurants do not serve alcohol.

National specialities:

• Köfte (spicy sausage-shaped meatballs fabricated of minced lamb).

• Shish kebab (pieces of meat threaded on a skewer and grilled).

• Pide (the Turkish agnate of pizza topped with cheese and eggs).

• Dolma (vine leaves or vegetables blimp with ache basics and currants).

• Lokum (Turkish Delight - originally fabricated from dates, honey, roses and jasmine apprenticed by Arabic gum and advised to sweeten the animation afterwards coffee).

National drinks:

• Raki (anisette), accepted as 'lion's milk', which clouds if baptize is added. Bubbler raki is a ritual and is commonly accompanied by a array of meze (small savoury appetizers).

• Ayran (a auspicious yoghurt drink).

• Çay (tea - usually bashed atramentous and able and served in baby tulip-shaped glasses).

• Able atramentous Turkish coffee (traditionally brewed over hot dress-down and served actual sweet).

• Turkish beer, red and white wines.

Legal bubbler age: 18.

Tipping: A account allegation is included in auberge and restaurant bills. It is accepted to leave a baby tip (10 to 15%) for barbers, hairdressers, Turkish Bath associates and waiters in smarter establishments. In bargain cafes and restaurants a baby alms is appreciated. If application taxis, cartage should just annular up the fare.

Nightlife

Turkey's newfound bread-and-butter affluence and cultural about-face to the West has angry abounding new nightclubs to accessible for business in contempo years. Istanbul has the better array with an affluence of clubs in the Taksim Square breadth that break accessible until the aboriginal hours. Some clubs accept a able Turkish character, with reside Turkish music, while others are adequately duplicate from those in western Europe and play annihilation from abode and techno to abundant metal. Istanbul aswell has absolutely a few applesauce bars. Cover accuse tend to be on the top side.

Belly dancing is a Turkish attitude but these canicule it tends to be put on mostly for the tourists. Shows are about staged at ample hotels. The attitude is to tip the ballerina by agreement a bankrupt agenda in an adapted allotment of her costume.

Turks like to banquet in tavernas alleged meyhane, breadth acceptable aliment is accompanied by folk music and dancing. Commonly these were all-male, rather base establishments but a lot of modern-day meyhane are adequate places for adopted visitors of either sex to visit.

There are theatres with concerts in Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir and a lot of towns accept cinemas, although the contempo appearance of home DVD payers is now demography its toll. Turkish baths (hamam) are accepted and a Turkish institution. Even the aboriginal boondocks will about accept a hamam and beyond towns and cities usually accept one for anniversary alone neighbourhood. Baths are either appointed accurately for men or women, or a individual hamam will accept abstracted aperture times to board males and females.

Shopping

Istanbul's Kapali Carsi Exchange has jewellery, carpets and antiques for sale. There are aswell a ample amount of shops affairs carpets and Turkish handicrafts in the Sultanahmet district. The Egyptian Exchange abreast Galata Bridge is a acceptable abode to buy aliment products. Turkish handicrafts cover a affluent array of bolt and embroideries, online writing of copper, atramentous and tile, mother-of-pearl, inlaid articles, covering and suede products, jewellery and, aloft all, carpets and kilims. Nargiles (water pipes) and agreeable instruments aswell accomplish good, analytic priced souvenirs, as do spices like saffron and sumac.

Outside Istanbul, a lot of added cities and beyond resorts accept a exchange breadth breadth visitors can buy souvenirs and handicrafts. About this is a covered exchange breadth breadth the appurtenances on auction are bogus in workshops adjoining to the shops that advertise the produce. Acceding is essential, although you are absurd to abate the allurement amount by all that abundant unless it was absolutely unrealistic to alpha with. Begin acceding at a amount somewhat beneath what you are absolutely accommodating to pay. If affairs an old carpeting or kilim, it is important that the agent issues an balance (fatura) that states the carpet's estimated age and acquirement amount in adjustment to amuse community that it is not an antiquity. Beware of alleged ‘antiques' peddled at some archaeological sites like Ephesus. These are of actual ambiguous antique and, besides, would be actionable to consign if they were genuine.

Shopping hours: Daily 0930-1900 in day-tripper areas. Closing hours vary, with some shops blockage accessible until midnight. Outside day-tripper areas shops may abutting at lunchtime and on Sundays. Istanbul covered market: Mon-Sat 0800-1900 (closed Sunday).

Accommodation

Editor's Choice: Istanbul's Ottoman Bazaar Hotels

Some of the Ottoman mansions in the celebrated commune of Sultanahmet and the suburbs on the Bosphorus accept been adapted into baby boutiques hotels that action adequate and atmospheric accommodation, abutting to abounding of the city's capital attractions.

Hotels

In contempo years, Turkey has fabricated a ample accomplishment to advance its auberge facilities. A ample amount of faceless accurate high-rises accept gone up at some resorts forth the Aegean and Mediterranean bank to accommodate adaptation for visitors on amalgamation tours. Away from these there are abate bazaar hotels that action absolute character.

Grading: Hotels registered with the Ministry of Tourism are graded from 1 brilliant (1 yildizli) to 5 stars (5 yildizli). There are aswell characterless hotels that accept no stars, which can ambit from poor to acceptable. Classification is based on the accepted of account and facilities. Motels and anniversary villas are aboriginal chic (1 sinif) or additional chic (2 sinif). There are added establishments registered with bounded authorities, and these too accord to a assertive accepted in attention to accessories and services. There is aswell a civic auberge association, TUROB (see Adaptation Information below).

Guest Houses

Guest houses (pensions) can be begin in anniversary resorts and above towns. The bedfellow houses in the arena of Cappadocia are sometimes begin in caves dug into the bendable agitable rock. Some bedfellow houses aswell bifold as hostels, alms billet adaptation as able-bodied as clandestine en apartment rooms.

Self Catering

Villas and apartments can be rented, abnormally on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, and aswell in Cappadocia and the beyond cities. Time allotment backdrop are aswell starting to abandonment in Turkey, a lot of usually in the resorts forth the Aegean or Mediterranean bank and in Istanbul.

Camping/Caravanning

There are abundant sites, but accessories are about limited.

Youth Hostels

There are a amount of accomplished adolescence hostels in Turkey. The Yücelt Interyouth Hostel in Istanbul (see Adaptation Information below) is a affiliate of Hostelling International. In contempo years a amount of clandestine hostels aimed at backbackers accept opened for business, abnormally in Istanbul's Sultanahmet district. Some hostels aswell action clandestine apartment in accession to billet accommodation.

Health

Inoculation regulations can change at abbreviate notice. Please yield medical admonition in the case of doubt. Where 'Sometimes' appears in the table above, precautions may be required, depending on the division and arena visited.

Food and Drink

Mains baptize is chlorinated in towns and cities, but it is appropriate to alcohol the broadly accessible bottled mineral water. If a baptize antecedent bears the words içilmez, it is not potable; sources labelled içilir or içme suyu are safe to drink. Milk is pasteurised. Eat alone well-cooked meat and fish.

Other Risks

Vaccinations adjoin tuberculosis and hepatitis B are sometimes recommended.

Health Care

Turkey has a ample bloom area with high-standard clandestine health-care accessible at reasonable amount in the capital cities. In rural areas and the east of the country, bloom casework are beneath developed. Many Turkish doctors and dentists allege a adopted language, decidedly at above hospitals. Clandestine bloom allowance is recommended.

Vaccinations

	Special Precautions
Diphtheria	Yes
Hepatitis A	Yes
Malaria	Sometimes
Rabies	Sometimes
Tetanus	Yes
Typhoid	Sometimes
Yellow Fever	No

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2008-December 2009 period.

2008

1 Jan New Year's Day.

23 Apr National Sovereignty and Children's Day.

1 May May Day Public Holiday (Istanbul only).

19 May Commemoration of Atatürk and Youth and Sports Day.

30 Aug Victory Day.

29 Sep-2 Oct (29th is half-day) Ramazan Bayrami (End of Ramadan).

28-29 Oct (28th is a half-day) Republic Day.

8-11 Dec Kurban Bayrami (Feast of the Sacrifice).

2009

1 Jan New Year's Day.

23 Apr National Sovereignty and Children's Day.

1 May May Day Public Holiday (Istanbul only).

19 May Commemoration of Atatürk and Youth and Sports Day.

30 Aug Victory Day.

19-22 Sep (19th is half-day) Ramazan Bayrami (End of Ramadan).

28-29 Oct (28th is a half-day) Republic Day.

27-30 Nov Kurban Bayrami (Feast of the Sacrifice).

Note

Muslim festivals are timed according to the phases of the moon and change anniversary year. During the lunar ages of Ramadan that precedes Ramazan Bayrami, Muslims fast during the day and accustomed business patterns may be interrupted. Some restaurants are bankrupt during the day and there may be restrictions on smoker and drinking. Generally, centres of tourism are unaffected. Some disruption may abide into Ramazan Bayrami itself. Ramazan Bayrami and Kurban Bayrami may endure annihilation from three to 10 days, depending on the region. Transport and hotels are actual active during these holidays, so book in advance.

Duty Free

he afterward appurtenances may be alien into Turkey after incurring community duty:

• 200 cigarettes and 50 cigars or 200g of tobacco and 200 cigarette affidavit or 50g of chewing tobacco or 200g of aqueduct tobacco or 200g of snuff tobacco* (see Note below).

• Five bottles (1l) or seven bottles (700ml) of wine and/or spirits.

• Five bottles (up to 120ml each) of perfume.

• Gifts up to a amount of €255.65 (or equivalent).

• Electronic online writing up to a amount of €255.65 (or equivalent).

• Reasonable amounts of coffee and tea.

Note: (a)* A added 400 cigarettes, 100 cigars and 500g of aqueduct tobacco may be alien if purchased on accession at a duty-free shop. (b) Very specific amounts and categories of claimed accouterments may be alien duty-free, according to a account accessible from the Turkish Embassy, Financial and Community Counsellor's Office.

Prohibited Imports

Narcotics, aciculate accouterments (including camping knives) and weapons.

Prohibited Exports

(a) The consign of souvenirs such as carpets is accountable to community regulations apropos age and value. (b) The consign of antiques is carefully forbidden, with acrid penalties for those bent accomplishing so. (c) Minerals may alone be exported beneath licence from the General Directorate of Mining Exploration & Research.

Turkey Money

Currency

New Turkish Lira (TRY; attribute YTL) = 100 New Kurus (Ykr). Notes are in denominations of YTL100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1. Coins are in denominations of YTL1 and 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 New Kurus.

Note: The old Turkish Lira (TL) was aloof from apportionment on 1 January 2006.

Currency Exchange

Cash can usually be exchanged agency chargeless in bill barter offices (döviz bürosu). Banks usually allegation commission. Traveller's cheques can alone be exchanged in banks with a passport. Travellers planning to barter bill aback afore abrogation Turkey, or authoritative a above acquirement which may charge to be declared to customs, have to absorb transaction receipts to prove that the bill was accurately exchanged.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs

Visa is the a lot of popular, carefully followed by MasterCard. American Express is accustomed in top-flight hotels, restaurants and some allowance shops. ATMs are broadly begin in a lot of areas.

Traveller's Cheques

Traveller's cheques can alone be exchanged in banks. To abstain added barter amount charges, travellers are brash to yield traveller's cheques in Pounds Sterling or US Dollars. Credit cards are far added convenient.

Banking Hours

Mon-Fri 0830-1200 and 1330-1700. Some banks in day-tripper areas and ample cities are accessible daily.

Exchange Amount Indicators

Date Oct 08

£1.00= YTL2.39

$1.00= YTL1.36

€1.00= YTL1.86

Passport/Visa

Passports

Passport accurate for at atomic six months from date of accession in Turkey appropriate by all nationals referred to in the blueprint above, except:

1. nationals of Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Liechtenstein, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland, who can access with a civic ID agenda (which accept to accept a authority of one year).

Visas

Sticker-type access visas: Tourists and business visitors from the afterward countries do crave visas and can access a sticker-type access acceptance at the point of access for a fee (prices are abased on nationality):

(a) 2. Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Malta, The Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, the UK* and USA for stays not beyond three months;

(b) 3. Greek Cypriot Administrative Region, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovak Republic for stays not beyond one month.

Except 4. Nationals of Bulgaria who do not crave a acceptance for stays up to three months, but do crave a acceptance for alteration and for access at assertive credibility in Turkey; analysis with consulate.

Visa Note

(a) *British Civic Overseas authorization holders should acquaintance the acceptance area of the admiral accepted afore travelling. (b) Nationals not referred to in the blueprint aloft are brash to acquaintance the admiral to analysis acceptance requirements (see Acquaintance Addresses).

Types of Acceptance and Cost

British authorization holders can access a day-tripper acceptance either at the anchorage of access in Turkey for £10 or from the admiral accepted in the UK for £74. Single-entry (six months): £74. Single-entry (one year): £230. Multiple-entry (up to 5 years): £230. Single transit: £74. Study: £74 (six months) or £230 (one year). Work: £230. These prices are provided by The Admiral Accepted for the Republic of Turkey in London; prices may alter according to nationality.

Validity

Single-entry: up to six months or one year. Multiple-entry: up to 5 years. Transit: six months. Work: one year. Study: six months or one year.

Applications to:

Consulate (or consular area at embassy); see Acquaintance Addresses. Applicants accept to pre-book an arrangement with the accordant consulate. An online arrangement arrangement is accessible for The Admiral Accepted for the Republic of Turkey in London (website: www.turkishconsulate.org.uk/en/visa). Travel agencies can aswell accomplish acceptance applications.

Working Days Required

Usually three, but abased on allegiance of appellant and blazon of visa. Some applications may be referred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara, which may yield abundant best (minimum six to eight weeks).

Passport Required?
British	Yes
Australian	Yes
Canadian	Yes
USA	Yes
Other EU	1
Visa Required?
British	2
Australian	2
Canadian	2
USA	2
Other EU	2/3/4
Return Ticket Required?
British	Yes
Australian	Yes
Canadian	Yes
USA	Yes
Other EU	Yes

Turkey

Location

Southeastern Europe/Asia Minor.

Time

GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from endure Sunday in March to endure Sunday in October).

Area

783,562 sq km (302,535 sq miles).

Population

70.6 actor (2008 estimate).

Population Density

93 per sq km.

Capital

Ankara. Population: 3.9 actor (2007 estimate).

Geography

Turkey borders the Black Sea and Georgia and Armenia to the northeast, Iran to the east, Iraq to the southeast, the Syrian Arab Republic and the Mediterranean to the south, the Aegean Sea to the west and Greece and Bulgaria to the northwest. Asia Minor (or Anatolia) accounts for 97% of the country's breadth and forms a long, advanced peninsula 1,650km (1,025 miles) from east to west and 650km (400 miles) from arctic to south. Two east-west abundance ranges, the Black Sea Mountains in the arctic and the Taurus in the south, enclose the axial Anatolian plateau, but assemble in a all-inclusive aerial arena in the far east of the country. It is actuality that the age-old Tigris and Euphrates rivers rise.

Government

Republic back 1923.

Head of State

President Abdullah Gul back 2007.

Head of Government

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan back 2002.

Recent History

Turkey's abridgement has recovered able-bodied from a crisis in 2001. With IMF support, the agilely Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) government alien structural reforms and across-the-board institutional and amusing reforms in adjustment to admit EU access negotiations in October 2005.

The clip of ameliorate has slowed back amidst criticism over issues such as animal rights and Arctic Cyprus. The government aswell faces burden from the angrily civil military, apprehensive of the AKP's Islamic credentials.

Abdullah Gul became admiral in August 2007 - the country's aboriginal arch of accompaniment with a accomplishments in political Islam.

The Kurdish agitator PKK (Kurdish Workers' Party) bankrupt their 2006 armistice if they ambushed and dead Turkish soldiers abreast the Iraqi bound in September 2007. The consecutive bombing of PKK fighters in arctic Iraq by Turkish warplanes drew all-embracing criticism in backward 2007. Further incursions into Iraqi area were fabricated in aboriginal 2008.

Language

Turkish. Kurdish is aswell announced by a boyhood in the southeast. French, German and English are broadly announced in above cities and day-tripper areas.

Religion

Muslim, mostly Sunni, with a actual baby Christian minority. Turkey is a civil accompaniment which guarantees complete abandon of adoration to non-Muslims.

Electricity

220 volts AC, 50Hz.

Social Conventions

Shaking easily is the accustomed anatomy of greeting. Hospitality is actual important and visitors should account Islamic customs. Informal abrasion is acceptable, but beachwear should be bedfast to the bank or poolside. Smoking is broadly adequate but banned in cinemas, theatres, buses, coaches and dolmuşes (collective taxis).

Turkey

Turkey proudly sits astride two continents: a position that has accustomed acceleration to a ability that reflects both East and West. It is a country area European aspirations sit calmly alongside Asian traditions and the airy atmosphere of the Middle East morphs seamlessly into the airy angle of the Mediterranean world.

Turks accept alone lived actuality back medieval times if they accustomed as land-hungry nomads from Central Asia. Afore that it was Byzantine area and Istanbul - again Constantinople - was the political centre of a all-inclusive Christian empire. Romans, Persians, Lycians and Phrygians were above occupants of the aforementioned territory, and beforehand still, Hittite tribes had congenital an Anatolian authority afore annoyed about the time of the Trojan Wars.

Such a affluent history has larboard an enduring mark and Turkey abounds with celebrated sites and archaeological wonders set in a assorted and admirable landscape. The Mediterranean bank is alternate with well-preserved Greco-Roman cities such as Pergamom and Ephesus, while the ascetic and asperous Anatolian plateau has cavern churches hidden abroad in the doubtful fairytale mural of Cappadocia. Istanbul, still actual abundant the beating of the nation, has even added to offer, with Roman aqueducts, Byzantine churches and Ottoman mosques and palaces.

With history at every turn, it is appetizing to portray Turkey as a quaint, time-locked country that adheres to attitude but this is far from the truth. The avant-garde republic's aboriginal leader, Kemal Atatürk, saw to it that Turkey was reinvented as a avant-garde civil accompaniment afterward the annihilation of the Ottoman Empire. What you see today, acknowledgment to Atatürk's absolute modernisation, is a advantageous aggregate of age-old attitude and abreast outlook. This angle sees little bucking in accepting avant-garde European means choleric by Islam and time-honoured traditions of hospitality.

Istanbul Shore Excursions / Timeless City-limits

After affair with your adviser in foreground of the Istanbul Karakoy Port commuter terminal, activate your drive to the Old Town. Cross over the Galata Bridge, which spans the Aureate Horn, to drive forth the old city-limits walls of Constantinople to access at Chora (Kariye) Museum.

The Chora Abbey is advised to be one of the a lot of admirable examples of a Byzantine church. The Chora Abbey is not as admirable in ability as some of the added Byzantine churches of Istanbul, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in the admirable adorableness of its autogenous aureate circuitous decorations and frescoes depicting the activity of Jesus Christ.

Continue on to Byzantine Cistern, aswell congenital by Emperor Justinian for the purpose of autumn baptize adjoin the blackmail of siege. The alembic appearance a backwoods of Roman Columns and you will acquisition no added anatomy with such architectonics any abode abroad in the world. It is the better of several hundred age-old cisterns that still lie below the city.

With a few account airing we ability the Age-old Hippodrome breadth the agent contest took abode added than 1000 years ago. The centre bisect (spina) is busy with the Egyptian Obelisk which is 1 of few about the apple and the Serpentine and Bronze Columns dating aback to Roman and Byzantine times.

We again appointment the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Cami), which dominates the contour of Istanbul's skyline with its different six minarets. Congenital and called by Sultan Ahmet II in the aboriginal 17th century. The a lot of alluring tiles and absolutely duke fabricated decorations one could see in a Mosque.

We accept cafeteria in the breadth at a bounded restaurant confined Turkish Cuisine.

Your endure stop will be the Nur-u Osmaniye district, breadth the Admirable Bazaar is located. Here you will accept the adventitious to boutique in the worlds oldest better Bazaar with added than 4000 shops beneath 1 roof, for the handmade accomplished quality; souvenirs, rugs, leather, ceramics and so abundant added that Istanbul is acclaimed for.

Your adviser and disciplinarian will adieu you from Karakoy Port for your next destination on your cruise.