I am going to kusadasi on holiday and need advice on foreign exchange. I have a visa debit card & a revolut card. Is it safer to transfer some money to the revolut card and use that card to withdraw lira from the ATM in kusadasi. Should I purchase turkish lira before I leave ireland, can I add turkish lira to my revolut card before I go, esp if the current rate is good? Is it worth using euro over there? Whats the best course of action to take. Thank you!
Holiday money for Turkey
- Thread starter Snowblaze
- Start date
Yes, as you can freeze the card after withdrawal. At lot of ATM's will apply a local charge, however I have found that 'Sekerbank' is totally free even when withdrawing Euros.
No.
Yes, expect around 10 Lira to the Euro with Revolut, 9.6 or so on the street in Kus. Don't have to do it before you go, ie. you can do it while there as well.
No, unless you are buying gold/diamonds, then the vendors will usually insist on Euro/GBP/USD.
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No, even the visa requirement is gone.
I'm assuming your reply is somewhat sardonic, but just in case and for clarity for @Snowblaze , there is no reason to bring Euro with you
and if you don't keep your wits about you, you will be screwed in every way whatsoever all over Kusadasi.
No, I'm just saying it as I have always found it myself in many parts of Turkey. Lovely people, go out of their way to help and are fantastic with children and older people. I've been there many times, as have many Irish people. I never bring anything but Euros with me, and get as good if not better rates than doing so with banks, cards, etc. Sorry if others have had bad experiences, but can only say it as I've seen it.
Not a bother @noproblem , Kus is famous for being way, way, way, overpriced and practically EVERYTHING is fake. While I also find the natives very friendly they will happily take 5,000TL for an item that is worth 50TL.
I have been going there for quite some time and have befriended a few locals. I also hire a car each time and have gone to some of the outlying villages and towns, which is an eye-opener to just how expensive Kusadasi and other tourist spots like Bodrum/Marmaris etc. really are. These resorts are all 'currency priced' and do not reflect the real value to be had elsewhere.
The minimum wage in Turkey is ~2,800TL a month ie. ~ €280.
So in Kus. at say a street cafe, a fillet steak meal with all the trimmings is around 120TL, sound good at €12. But would you pay over 17% of your min wage weeks pay for a roadside cafe steak meal here?
Go out of town and see what 120TL would get you, I'm not joking when I say a family of four would eat and drink well for it. But I reckon you know that already.
While I have never felt threatened in Turkey, I still do not like carrying hard cash.
I have been going there for quite some time and have befriended a few locals. I also hire a car each time and have gone to some of the outlying villages and towns, which is an eye-opener to just how expensive Kusadasi and other tourist spots like Bodrum/Marmaris etc. really are. These resorts are all 'currency priced' and do not reflect the real value to be had elsewhere.
The minimum wage in Turkey is ~2,800TL a month ie. ~ €280.
So in Kus. at say a street cafe, a fillet steak meal with all the trimmings is around 120TL, sound good at €12. But would you pay over 17% of your min wage weeks pay for a roadside cafe steak meal here?
Go out of town and see what 120TL would get you, I'm not joking when I say a family of four would eat and drink well for it. But I reckon you know that already.
I have never found the need to bring hard cash with me, especially now with 'Revolut' which, so far, has always given me better rates than any bank or change outlet and not just in Turkey. I buy TL on my Revolut card, so that gives me a TL account/balance and draw down on that as needed. I only withdraw TL from ATMs, for incidentals and say going somewhere rural etc.
While I have never felt threatened in Turkey, I still do not like carrying hard cash.
You don't really need to add Turkish lira to your Revolut account. If you don't it will just subtract the appropriate amount from your Euro balance.
I remember that, i was told bring £5, and and torn or wrinkled £5 were rejected, if you only had a £10 or a £20, no change was given. A table at the airport where you paid it, no till drawer, no receipts, just a big pile of £5 notes on a table. Comical stuff.
And then the lads who would unceremoniously grab your bag and carry it to the bus for you whether you liked it or not and then expect a big tip.
They're still at it and a lot of them are smaller than your 10KG cabin bag.And then the lads who would unceremoniously grab your bag and carry it to the bus for you whether you liked it or not and then expect a big tip.