Icmeler Online Holiday Forum & Reviews - Turkey

We are having a break from Icmeler this year (boo hoo ! ) ) and going to Side. Could anyone advise me if the facility of drawing British pounds out of an ATM and getting a good deal on Turkish Lira in a shop or restaurant is the same in Side as it is in Icmeler.

Thanks.

What bank are you with?

there are still a lot of exchange places in side
not all of the restaurants and supermarkets will change money its much more use the exchange places for that sort of thing
im sure there are atm machines too
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We went to Side three years ago and used the hotel and one of the exchange places to change our money, it seemed a lot more expensive than in Icmeler. Most of the rates were just above what you would get in the UK.

Rew wrote:We went to Side three years ago and used the hotel and one of the exchange places to change our money, it seemed a lot more expensive than in Icmeler. Most of the rates were just above what you would get in the UK.

my brother went there last year and prices are very expensive

Hi , Side is very popular with German Tourists and as such everything Side is geared to the Euro. The GBP is not half so popular and prices are consiserably higher than in Icmeler. Nice place but much less going on. I suspect you will rush back to Icmeler next holiday

changing money inside the hotels will not get you such a good rate as outside
and as the previous post said side is mainly for germans and that whole area is more into the euro and everything is calculated from there
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I knew we should have booked for Icmeler !!!!! We knew it was mainly German/Russian and had already prepared ourselves for the usual hassle that involves (towels on sunbeds etc). However, we didn't realise it was a lot dearer or that the locals wouldn't be as helpful (ie by exchanging money). We just hope that they are still as friendly and entertaining as in Icmeler. We don't want to spend two weeks sitting around wishing we were a few hundred miles along the coast.

By the way, we are with HSBC so I don't know if this makes things easier as it has a lot of branches in the UK and Turkey. It looks like it means drawing GBP out from an ATM (if this is possible) and risk it in an exchange place or just drawing YTL out and being stung for bank commission. Any ideas ?????

Thanks in advance for your help.

It depends on where you are stying in Side but most of the shops and restaurants are all priced up and accept Euro's. There was only a hand full of bars and restaurants that actually displayed there prices in Lira.

there will be a lot of HSBC atm's in side that you will be able to draw pounds out of
or you should be able to
normally they let you take euros, pounds, lira and dollars
the turkish people are lovely where ever in turkey you go but there will be a lot of germans, russians and scandanavians around you
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Just got back and on the 13th may exchange rate was 2.53 in most places and the HSBC ATM will give you sterling
hope this helps

2.53 in resort is really good hope this keeps up
cant wait to get there
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Its very different to Icmeler and we were surprised to see most items were priced in euros not lire and sterling came a long way down the list. They really didnt want sterling at all .Also did a trip to the market and the managvat water falls(Probably got the name wrong) And we couldnt believe the market prices,tried to haggle them down but no luck.Got the distinct feeling we were not really wanted. We stayed in side old town in a type of Fawlty Towers and had a laugh and very near the beach which was lovely. But always worth having a look at somewhere else!Hope its ok for you

gh1878 wrote:
By the way, we are with HSBC so I don't know if this makes things easier as it has a lot of branches in the UK and Turkey. It looks like it means drawing GBP out from an ATM (if this is possible) and risk it in an exchange place or just drawing YTL out and being stung for bank commission. Any ideas ?????

Thanks in advance for your help.

HSBC charge you 2% (minimum £1.50 maximum £5) for using a foreign ATM even if you withdraw sterling, so you need to factor this in.

Thanks for all your replies. In conclusion, are we best to take GBP out of the (HSBC) ATMs and go to an Exchange bureau and get YTL or get Euros ? What I am saying really is do we get a better deal in the bars, restaurants and shops paying in YTL or Euros ?

Thanks.

to be honest it depends what the menu is priced in
you will get the best deal if you pay in that currency as they will use that price as a base and calculate the other currencies price from there
hope this helps
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