The Shady Side of Turkey

For our Easter break, we decided to take a trip to Turkey. Now, don’t get me wrong – the country is absolutely stunning and brimming with history. But, we did run into quite a few situations that left us feeling a bit sour.

On the flip side, we did meet a couple of genuinely sweet people who really helped us along the way. But, oh boy, the number of cringeworthy moments was just off the charts. For the first time ever on my travels, I found myself really tired of being scammed and taken advantage of.

It’s pretty common for tourists to be seen as walking dollar signs in many countries. It’s something you just have to accept, and usually, you might get charged a little more than the locals. But, man, Turkey was on a whole different level! 😅

Travel card

During our Easter break in Turkey, we faced some unexpected challenges with Istanbul’s transportation cards. Here’s a breakdown of the two main options available:

1. Istanbul Kart: This card costs 70 ₺ (around 9 Euros, though this can vary with inflation). You can top it up as needed and pay for each ride (10-30 ₺ or 1-4 Euros per ride). The best part? It can be used by more than one person. More about getting an Istanbul Kart.
2. Unlimited Istanbul Transportation City Card: Aimed specifically at tourists, this card is for single-person use only and offers unlimited rides for a set period (1, 2, 5, 7, or 15 days). Prices start at around 35 Euros for a one-day card if purchased at a machine, and it’s slightly cheaper if bought online. More details on the Unlimited Istanbul Transportation City Card.

Now, here’s where our story takes a turn. We landed at Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, and right before the metro, we wanted to buy an Istanbul Kart since we knew we’d mostly be walking and didn’t need an unlimited day pass. To our surprise, the machines at this airport only sold the Unlimited Istanbul Transportation City Card. We ended up buying a 5-day pass, which was quite a hit to our wallet. We calculated that we’d need to commute more than 100 times to break even!

Imagine our frustration when we discovered that at any other metro stop, there were two types of machines: one selling the regular Istanbul Kart and the other the Unlimited City Card (the machines are different colors, by the way).

We felt a bit cheated, forced to buy the more expensive card as tourists who had just landed and had no other means to travel into the city. Interestingly, I later checked and found that Istanbul Airport had both types of machines available, so this issue seems to be specific to Sabiha Gökçen Airport.

Grocery stores in tourist areas

Avoid shopping in stores that don’t display price tags. This is especially common in tourist areas, where tourists often end up paying more for groceries. Unfortunately, we learned this the hard way.

We went into a small store, and I picked up two Cokes and a bag of chips. The cashier told me the total was 100 ₺. While I was getting ready to pay, my boyfriend added one more bag of chips, and suddenly the price jumped to 200 ₺. The math didn’t add up, but we paid anyway.

Later, back at our hotel, I did a quick Google search and found that in a chain supermarket, we should have paid less than 100 ₺ for everything. So, a lesson learned: Always check for price tags and compare prices if you can.

Cash withdrawals

To be honest, I never thought much about ATM fees until I visited Istanbul and tried a few ATMs. I quickly noticed that each ATM had different fees, with some going up to a whopping 10%! After some trial and error, I did find a few that allowed free withdrawals.

While this might vary depending on your location and card, I found reports suggesting that HSBC, Ziraat Bank, Kuveyt, and Paribas are some of the banks that don’t typically charge ATM fees. However, it’s best to check this for yourself to ensure it’s still the case.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Withdraw in Local Currency: Always choose to withdraw in the local currency (Turkish Lira) without opting for a currency conversion at the ATM. This usually results in a better exchange rate since the conversion will be handled by your bank or card provider back home, rather than the ATM, which often has unfavorable conversion rates.
• Check for Fees: Before making a withdrawal, check if the ATM displays the fee information. If it seems too high, cancel the transaction and try another machine.
• Do Some Research: Look up which banks tend to have lower or no fees and try to use their ATMs whenever possible.

Restaurants

It’s a well-known fact that the closer you are to a tourist spot, the more expensive the food will be. While we accepted this and were often too lazy to venture further into the city, the price gap still surprised us.

For a normal, non-fancy dinner for two in a tourist area, we paid around 2000-3000₺ (60-80 Euros). This is a pretty standard price in big European cities. However, one day we decided to try a local kebab place and paid just 180₺ (5 Euros) for two kebabs.

The price difference was so huge that it took us by surprise. So don’t be lazy like us, as it is worth exploring local eateries away from the tourist hotspots to get a more authentic and affordable dining experience. Plus, you get to enjoy delicious local food at a fraction of the cost!

Photo session

We love doing photo sessions in local outfits whenever we travel, and Turkey was no exception. Typically, we have several pictures taken, pick a few favorites, and get them in both digital and sometimes printed formats.

However, this time, we encountered a bit of a challenge. We visited several stores, but none of them were willing to give us digital versions of the photos unless we bought at least 10 pictures. We only wanted digital versions of the ones we liked as we like to print mixtiles for our wall, so we prefer digital copies.

Unfortunately, we ended up being “forced” to buy 10 copies, even though we didn’t want that many. It was a bit frustrating.

High cost of tourist attractions

One of the biggest surprises for us was how expensive tourist attractions in Istanbul and Ephesus were. In fact, I’d say they were some of the most expensive I’ve encountered.

There are actually two pricing tiers: one for locals and one for foreigners. While I’ve seen similar practices in other countries, the price difference here was staggering – 7 to 10 times higher for foreigners! Adding to this, due to the instability of the lira and high inflation, prices for tourists were shown in Euros with disclaimers that only the lira would be accepted. This meant that if you paid in cash, the conversion rate was set by whoever sold you the ticket.

Usually, when I travel, entry fees for major attractions are around 20-30 Euros (e.g., Colosseum 18 Euros, Eiffel Tower 14-22 Euros, Taj Mahal 12 Euros, Edinburgh Castle 17-22 Euros). However, in Turkey, we found the costs significantly higher:

• Hagia Sophia: 25 Euros for non-Muslims, plus another 25 Euros for the museum where all non-Muslim artifacts are displayed – totaling 50 Euros.
• Topkapı Palace: 45 Euros.
• Ruins in Ephesus: 65 Euros.

The difference in pricing was quite a shock, especially since we didn’t expect the attractions to be so much more expensive than other famous sites around the world.

Leaving your documents

One thing we encountered in Turkey that was quite concerning was the policy for renting audio guides at tourist attractions. The ticket offices demanded that we leave our ID or passport with them until we returned the device. While this might be their way of preventing theft, I strongly advise against ever leaving your documents with a third party.

Here’s why:

1. Legal Issues: In many countries, it’s illegal to be without your identification documents at any time. You could face legal problems if you’re stopped and can’t produce your ID.
2. Risk of Loss: There’s no guarantee that your documents won’t be misplaced. Losing your passport means you’d have to deal with the hassle of visiting your embassy to get a replacement, which can be time-consuming and stressful.
3. Identity Theft: If someone copies your details, they could potentially steal your identity. This could lead to serious issues like fraudulent loans taken out in your name and other forms of identity theft.

For these reasons, never leave your documents unattended or with a third party. The convenience of an audio guide is not worth the potential risks. Always keep your important documents safe and with you at all times.

Taxis

While we generally used public transport during our trip to Turkey, there were a few times when we needed a taxi. We mostly relied on Uber, but we noticed some discrepancies that we hadn’t encountered in other countries.

For example, I ordered a taxi through the Uber app, which quoted a fare of 80₺, but I ended up paying 120₺. This kind of inconsistency never happened to me elsewhere.

Another incident occurred when we ordered a taxi from the train station to Ephesus. The driver accepted the ride in the Uber app for 100₺. However, when he found out we were going to a tourist spot, he canceled the ride. When we tried to catch a taxi from the street, the price was 200₺. Later, when we wanted to return from Ephesus, the quoted fare was 300₺.

Here are some tips I found online:

1. Check the Route: Always check the route the driver is using. There’s a high chance they might take a longer route to increase the fare.
2. Agree on Price: Before entering the taxi, agree on the price or ensure the taximeter is zeroed when you get in.
3. Use an App: It might be safer to use an app like Uber, as you can dispute the charge later. However, be aware that some drivers might cancel rides if they find out you’re heading to a tourist spot.

Other Known Scams

At some point, being taken advantage of became so ridiculous that we started Googling to see if it was just us or a more general complaint. To our surprise, we hadn’t experienced half of the scams going on in Turkey. Here’s a quick recap of what we found and what you should be aware of:

• Bars with Lonely Strangers: Be cautious if a friendly stranger invites you to a bar. You might be taken to a very expensive place and left with a huge bill.
• Shoe Shiner Brush Scam: If a shoe shiner drops their brush, don’t pick it up. If you do, they might insist on giving you a “free” shoe shine and then charge you for it.
• Learn to Say No: In local culture, engaging with a vendor or solicitor, even slightly, signals interest. Don’t feel obligated to apologize or explain—just say no or walk away.
• Paying in Cash: If you’re paying in cash, like in a taxi or with a street vendor, make sure you know what each Lira banknote looks like (color, design, etc.). Count out each note in front of the vendor when it’s time to pay and count your change immediately.