Turkey is one of the most popular holiday destinations for Brits, but many people make a mistake when it comes to exchanging their money that can make their trip more expensive
Turkey is fast becoming a favourite holiday spot for Brits, with its sun-soaked resort towns and bustling cities like Istanbul drawing in millions of us each year. In fact, a whopping 4.4 million UK tourists jetted off to Turkey in 2024 alone, making it the eighth most popular destination for British holidaymakers. While it’s still playing catch-up with hotspots like Spain, France, and Greece, the number of visitors is on the rise each year, and it could soon break into the top five.
But there’s one common blunder many Brits make when heading to Turkey that can make their holiday pricier than they bargained for. With just one simple change, you could save a pretty penny on your trip.
A Turkey travel guru named Katherine has shared some insider tips for those planning a trip to Istanbul in a TikTok video, but her top piece of advice applies no matter where in the country you’re headed.
She warns against exchanging your local currency for Turkish Lira before you set off, as you could end up getting a poor exchange rate and spending more dosh than you planned.
Instead, she suggests swapping your cash for Euros or Dollars first, then taking that to Turkey and changing it into Turkish Lira once you’re there.
She explained: “Never change Lira in your home country or the airport in Turkey. Instead, bring Euros or Dollars and exchange small amounts [while you’re here], because Turkish Lira is pretty unstable.
“The best exchange spots [in Istanbul] are the Grand Bazaar or Istiklal Street. I always go to the one right across from the Swarovski store at Istiklal.”
Whilst that money-saving tip works throughout the nation, Katherine’s additional guidance focuses specifically on getting around Istanbul.
She advised that you should never pay for public transport using your credit card or contactless payment, as you’ll face a staggering 40% surcharge. Instead, you should purchase a travel card known as an Istanbulkart, which is available at any metro station.
Lastly, Katherine cautioned against hopping into “random airport taxis,” as you could end up paying five to ten times more than the journey should actually cost.
Taxi applications such as Uber, Bitaski, and InDrive offer far superior alternatives for travelling around the city, as you can opt to pay through the app.
Turkey travel guidance
When travelling to Turkey with a full British citizen passport, the passport must expire at least 150 days after the date you arrive and have at least one blank page inside.
You can visit Turkey for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa, whether you’re visiting for business or tourism. Longer stays require a short-term residence permit. If you’re considering taking money to Turkey for exchange, it’s crucial to understand the currency rules.
While there’s no cap on the amount of foreign currency or Turkish Lira you can bring into Turkey, you’re restricted from taking Turkish Lira equivalent to more than $5,000 USD out of the country.