Best places to exchange
- Hotel reception: WORST rate — typically 10-15% below mid-market
- Airport exchange counters: poor — 5-10% below mid-market
- High-street döviz büfesi (exchange office): best — within 1-2% of mid-market in Kaleiçi
- ATM withdrawal in TRY: 5-8% markup + your card's foreign transaction fee
- ATM withdrawal in EUR: 5-10% markup but no exchange happens (direct EUR)
How much cash to bring
For a 1-week stay: €300-500 cash should cover all incidentals + transfer + tipping. Most accommodation, transfers, restaurants and big shops take cards. You only need cash for street food, small shops, taxis, tipping.
Card payment tips
Almost all hotels, restaurants, shops and our SooTransfer take card. Watch for "DCC" (dynamic currency conversion) — when the card terminal offers to charge in EUR/USD/GBP instead of TRY. Always decline DCC — your bank gives a better rate than the terminal.
ATM strategy
Use bank-branded ATMs (Garanti, İş, Akbank, QNB Finansbank) — not the unmarked airport/tourist ATMs which charge €4-8 per withdrawal. Withdraw in TRY (not EUR) for the best effective rate. Maximum per transaction is usually 4,000-5,000 TRY.
💡 SooTransfer accepts cash in EUR / USD / GBP / TRY plus card and bank transfer. No need to pre-convert.