Tour Guide, Istanbul, Turkey
| 3 mins read
1. Turkish people usually love to help and are friendly and inquisitive.
Don't be surprised if some old women ask you, "how old are you" or "are you married because my nephew isn't"! The traditional hospitality of the Turkish people will warm you up.
2. Here are some Turkish words you might need on your Istanbul tour:
Merhaba = Hello
Teşekkür ederim = Thank you
Lütfen = Please
Ne Kadar = How much is it?
Pazarlık var mı? = Is the cost negotiable?
Nerelisin? = Where are you from?
Afiyet olsun = Enjoy your meal
Bunları istiyorum = I want those
Akşam Yemeği = Dinner
Öğle yemeği = Lunch
Kahvaltı = Breakfast
3. Be careful about prices.
Before ordering or paying, always double-check the pricing, both on the menu and on the bill or taxi meter, and ask about any discrepancies. In order to prepare for negotiating in Turkish stores, find out the price and currency they are offering in advance. It is acceptable to request lower pricing. If that doesn't work, get up and explain you're running out of time before making sure that's the best they can manage. The most important thing is to buy something you genuinely love.
4. Alla Turca toilets are common in public.
While most Turkish museums, hotels, restaurants and airports have western-style toilets, you'll frequently run across squat toilets on your travels. Most public toilets in Turkey charge a small fee, so it would be better to carry some change. Most of the mosques have their own toilets (some of them free), so you'll never be caught short.
5. Currency, tippings, etc.
Turkish Lira is highly volatile, so it will be better to use the Turkish Lira currency before and during your trip. Most of the time, shopping with TL has more advantages than shopping with Euro or Dollar. For example, some merchants sell a bottle of water for 2.5 TL to Turkish people and 1 Euro or Dollar for tourists. Considering 1 Dollar is approximately 20 TL, this pricing is not fair. So we suggest you learn the TL prices and shop with TL. Tipping is also common in Turkish culture. Taxis or hotel workers might wait for some tippings after they carry your bags or open your doors.
Of course, there are a lot of tourist traps in tourist cities all around the world. Sometimes it is better to walk with local people. In that case, our professional guides are ready to show you around and talk about the shortcuts to everything. You can personalize your trip in 2 min with Resfeber's professional guides.