Antalya is increasingly card-friendly, but cash still matters for taxis, small restaurants, beach bars and street vendors. Here is the honest 2026 picture — what to bring, what to exchange, and where to skip the queues.
Should I bring EUR, USD or GBP?
EUR is most widely accepted (every hotel, most restaurants and our drivers take EUR cash at daily rate). USD and GBP are accepted at hotels and major restaurants, but with worse rates than EUR. TRY is best for taxis, small shops and tipping — withdraw on arrival rather than bringing in advance.
ATM rate vs airport exchange
Antalya Airport ATMs (Garanti BBVA, İş Bankası, Akbank, Ziraat) give the bank mid-rate plus a small foreign-transaction fee from your card issuer. Exchange counters at the airport typically show a 4-8% spread. Always pick ATM unless your card has bad foreign fees.
Which cards work?
- Visa + Mastercard — accepted everywhere card payment exists
- American Express — accepted at major hotels and luxury restaurants, rarely elsewhere
- Apple Pay / Google Pay — works at almost every POS terminal in Antalya
- Contactless TRY card payments are now the default — many small shops are card-only
Best tourist SIM card
Three operators — Turkcell (best coverage in resort regions), Vodafone (cheapest tourist packs), Türk Telekom (best for Kaş / Kalkan rural). Tourist packs: 20-30 GB + unlimited calls for €15-€22 valid 30 days. eSIM available for all three — Airalo offers good rates if you prefer not to swap physical SIM.
How much cash to carry day-to-day
500-1,000 TRY in cash per day is plenty for tipping, taxis and casual meals. Anything bigger goes on card. Keep €100-€200 in EUR for hotel deposits and emergencies.