We will be in Turkey as part of a cruise and I was wondering if I should pick up some Turkey lira before we go. I have read that they take Euros and Dollars, but was best to use the turkey lira. Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.
Posted by
Seattle, USA
990 posts
It depends on what exactly you'll be doing in Turkey. You can use credit cards for purchases at tourist oriented businesses, which may be where you're steered by your cruise. Other than that you'll need lira, including at many major museums. You can get lira at any ATM, though. No need to buy some in advance.
Posted by
Chicago, IL, USA
473 posts
In Bodrum, quite a few places in the touristy areas took British pounds and euros. A few took US dollars. In Kusadasi, not many places advertised that they accepted foreign currency. I would suggest just getting the Turkish lira, but take some small US bills as an emergency backup.
Posted by
Los Angeles, CA, USA
4 posts
i was in ephesus for a day last september. they take euros. i would only exchange as much lira as you think you're going to spend if you plan to exchange. then you wouldn't have to spend extra money to convert.
you're probably going to ephesus. it's absolutely beautiful. avoid the rug shop that the tour will probably take you to. it took me over an hour trying to get away from them. i could've spent that time doing something better.
have fun.