Icmeler Online Holiday Forum & Reviews - Turkey

Ok im totally confused should I take cash or travellers cheques or use the resort ATM's I need an Idiots guide please
all I can confirm is a few days before we go on the 29th June 2012 I will have £1000 IN MY BANK IN THE uk what next ? ty in advance ....

Different strokes for different folks, I think. There's no failsafe way to guarantee you will get the most from your money.

The best suggestion i've heard, and what we are doing for September, is change enough money to lira to do you for a day or 2 (shop around for the best prices of course) and take the rest in Sterling travellers cheques as the "buy over the counter" rates seem to be better in Icmeler, exchanging them in the place with the best rate at that time. The supermarket below the ICR offices at the main square seem to always offer a good rate. Ask around though, you might find better.

Agree with Caltonian. Travellers cheques and some lira is the best option for me

Been about a dozen times now and have never known any one to take travellers cqs.
£50 worth of lira and the rest in English bank notes.
Keep your wad with your passports in the safe deposit boxes.
The best rate will always be cash.

Same as teac532s & Caltonian...enough Lira to last a couple of days and the rest in american Express Sterling travellers cheques. I do take some sterling cash which I only use if I have to and also take the emergency credit card. I've always got the same rate for travellers cheques as I would for cash but I feel more at ease having the security with the cheques.

south coast hero,
I know everyone thinks they are immune to theft, and in Icmeler probably correct, BUT why tempt fate
Take Travellers cheques in Sterling, you get the same exchange rate as cash, with NO charges, also they are insured , so you get your money back.......I do take some Sterling cash, but only enough for barter bargains i.e.
£10 sterling instead of 35lira......and then only the amount i can afford to loose should it be stolen.....
But as Caltonian say's each to his own.
Steve

Hi there. A lot of people over at moneysavingexpert .com seem to highly rate pre-paid cards such as the Travelex Cash Passport Globe or the FairFx currency card.
When i go in September i will take a quantity of Turkish Lira, Sterling, and the rest on the Travelex Cash Passport Globe.
Hope this offers you some extra options.
Have a great holiday.
Darren

I take a small amount of lira, and now take my Halifaix Clarity Credit card with me there is no charge for withdrawal only a small charge for cash advance that works out about £3.00 for the fortnight, i also get a better rate than the resort

We take travellers cheques plus enough in Turkish Lira to last us the first day, as some hotels hold your passport for a while to get a copy of it, which can take several hours to get back.
Also with regards to taking cash for bartering, do sit back and look at the offers.
Last year we noticed at a few places that they were offering say 3 t-shirts for £10 and next to it the price in lira, and the lira price was cheaper than £10!!!
Chris & Anita

I keep all my holiday money in the wifes purse,that way I never seem able to spend anything.

Gene

Hi Chris and Anita,
Sorry to sound pedantic but "bartering" means exchanging goods without using money. Getting to an agreeable price to buy goods is called "haggling".
Ray

Raynard wrote:Hi Chris and Anita,
Sorry to sound pedantic but "bartering" means exchanging goods without using money. Getting to an agreeable price to buy goods is called "haggling".
Ray

Ok Raynard, I stand corrected!
Chris & Ania

Chris221273 wrote:Last year we noticed at a few places that they were offering say 3 t-shirts for £10 and next to it the price in lira, and the lira price was cheaper than £10!!!
Chris & Anita

We bought some beautiful towels and bath mats in the shop near the Blue Fox last year and didn't have enough lira on us so we paid in sterling. They told us to pop in next time we were passing and if we gave them the lira they'd give us the sterling back, which they did

stevew wrote:south coast hero,
I know everyone thinks they are immune to theft, and in Icmeler probably correct, BUT why tempt fate
Take Travellers cheques in Sterling, you get the same exchange rate as cash, with NO charges, also they are insured , so you get your money back.......I do take some Sterling cash, but only enough for barter bargains i.e.
£10 sterling instead of 35lira......and then only the amount i can afford to loose should it be stolen.....
But as Caltonian say's each to his own.
Steve

Fair point stevew,are you saying you can change travellers cheques in the small supermarkets or does it have to be a hotel or bank ?

Hi, You can change your cheques at most small supermarkets, no charge, just check for best rate and you only need your passport once. When you purchase your Sterling cheques, some banks/suppliers change 1% commission,
The account I have doesn't and I have free travel insurance aswell.
Enjoy Steve

stevew wrote:Hi, You can change your cheques at most small supermarkets, no charge, just check for best rate and you only need your passport once. When you purchase your Sterling cheques, some banks/suppliers change 1% commission,
The account I have doesn't and I have free travel insurance aswell.
Enjoy Steve

Ok Steve thank you.Something for me to have a think about.
Even Heroes can live and learn (LOL)

always take cash and spread it around whilst travelling
also goes straight in the safe when we get to apartments
xx

Katiehutchinson_1991 wrote:always take cash and spread it around whilst travelling
also goes straight in the safe when we get to apartments
xx

Wise words.

We take 50% Cash and 50% TC's as a safety net as they are insured. As Katie recommends spread the cash around when travelling as a precaution, my wife carries so much in her purse, and so much on her person, I do the same, so much in a wallet in my bag, so much in a wallet in my trousers and notes in various pockets.

We have always got the same exchange rate for cash and TC when changing although there were a couple of places that didn't take TCs most do.
Dave