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Post Office
The main/post office is open 24
hours a day, 7 days a week
including holidays. Services
Include: Public telephones-local
and international. Telegraph
Local, international and express
mail. Telephone token and card
sales.
The parcel post office is
located beneath the post office
and is open from 09.00-17.00.
Services include: Parcel pick up,
local and international parcel
services.
Public
Telephones
There are many national and
international public automatic
telephones in numerous locations
in and around Bodrum. Public
telephones are opareted using
telephone cards, which can be
purchased at the post offices,
Marina or at special booths or
shops next to the telephones. To
call outside the Bodrum area but
still in Turkey; dial (0) first,
dial area code and number. To
call internationally; dial (00),
then dial international country
code, area code and number.
Turkish area codes and
international country codes are
posted in the telephone booths.
In the smaller villages around
the peninsula where automatic
public telephones may not be
found telephone calls can be
made from the local post offices,
PTT, during business hours or
from the military police
stations (Jandarma) in case of
emergency.
Shopping Hours
09.00-17.00 Monday to Saturday.
During the summer months most
shops stay open until late
evening and are open 7 days a
week.
Traffic Regulations
Traffic on Turkish roads keeps
to the right. Road signs are
those used internationally.
Attention is required at all
times on all roads due to heavy
use by pedestrians and slower
traffic. Speed limits: 90 kph on
highways 40 kph in town. Bodrum
streets in summer can become
quite congested and parking may
be difficult. It may be more
convenient to leave your car at
your hotel or in one of the
local car parks and either walk
or take a taxi.
VISA
Nationals of the following
countries can enter Turkey with
a valid passport, but without a
visa; Australia, Bahamas,
Bahrain, Barbados, Belize,
Canada, Turkish Republic of
Cyprus, Djibouti, European
Community countries (except UK,
Ireland, Italy), Fiji, Finland,
Iceland, Iran, Jamaica, Japan,
Qatar, Kenya, Kuwait,
Liechtenstein, Malta, Mauritius,
Monaco, Morocco, New Zealand,
Norway, Oman, Romania, St.Lucia,
San Marino, Saudi Arabia,
Seychelles, Singapore, South
Korea, Sweden, Trinidad and
Tobago, Tunusia, United Arab
Emirates, USA, Vatican City,
Malaysia, Chile, S.Africa.
Nationals of all
other countries require a visa,
which can be obtained from the
nearest Turkish Embassy or
consulate.
Nationals of UK,
Austria, Italy, Poland, Ireland,
Hungary can obtain entry visas
at border gates.
Museum &
Archaeological Sites
Castle of St. Peter Hours:
Summer 08.00-12.00 . 15.00-19.00
Closed on Mondays. The Mausoleum
open all year round 08.00-12.00,
13.00-17.00. Closed on Mondays.
Ancient Theatre & Myndos Gate
open 24 hours, free of charge.
Market
Days
Farmers and vendors
come from the surrounding
villages to offer their goods
for sale in Bodrum. Inexpensive
fresh produce can be bought in
the colourful vegetable market.
Bargains in clothing, fabrics
and household goods can be found
in the dry good markets on
Friday only. Both markets are
located behind the bus station .
Other local markets include:
Milas - Tuesday, Mumcular -
Sunday, Turgutreis - Saturday
Tips for Travelers
Currency
Regulation
Limits: There is no limit
on the amount of foreign
currency that may be brought
into Turkey, but not more than 5
5,000 worth of Turkish currency
may be brought into or taken out
of the country.
Exchange slips: The
exchange slips for the
conversion of foreign currency
into Turkish lira should be kept,
since you may be required to
show these when reconverting
your Turkish lira back into
foreign currency, and when
taking souvenirs out of the
country (to prove that they have
been purchased with legally
exchanged foreign currency).
Customs
Regulations
On
Entry
- The following items may
be brought into the country
duty free
- personal effects of
the tourist.
- one TV, one colour
pocket TV (maximum 16 cm
screen), one
TV-tape-radio
combination, one video
recording camera and 5
video cassettes (blank);
5 records, 5 tape
cassettes or compact
discs.
- one video player,
cine-projector (8 mm)
and 10 rolls of film
(blank), one slide
projector.
- one pocket computer
(maximum main memory
capacity Ram 128k.
Byte), electronic
playing devices (without
cassette - keyboard).
- one transistor radio
and portable radio -
tape player (its
specification to be
determined by the
Ministry of Finance and
Customs), one Walkman or
pocket tape recorder,
one portable compact
disc player.
- Binoculars (one
pair, except night
binoculars)
- harmonica, mandolin,
flageole, flute, guitar,
and accordion (only one
of each type, maximum 3
musical instruments).
- personal sports
equipment.
- necessary medical
items.
- bicycle, baby buggy,
toys.
- 200 cigarettes and
50 cigars.
- 200 grams of tobacco
and 200 cigarette
papers, or 50 grams of
chewing tobacco or 200
grams of pipe tobacco,
or 200 grams of snuff
- (In addition to the
above allowances, it is
possible to purchase 400
cigarettes, 100 cigars,
and 500 grams of pipe
tobacco from the Turkish
Duty Free Shops upon
entering the country).
- 1.5kg. coffee,
1.5kg. instant coffee,
500 grams of tea.
- 1 kilo chocolate and
1 kilo sweets.
- 5 (100 cc) or 7 (70
cc) bottles of wines
and/or spirits.
- five bottles of
perfume (120 ml max.
each).
- one portable
typewriter.
- one camera with 5
rolls of film.
- First aid, and spare
parts for the car.
- Other items
necessary during the
journey.
- Valuable items and all
items with a value of over $
15,000 must be registered in
the owner's passport upon
entering Turkey, for control
upon exit.
- Antiques brought into
the country must be
registered in the owner's
passport to avoid
difficulties on exit.
- Sharp instruments
(including camping knives)
and weapons may not be
brought into the country
without special permission.
- The bringing into the
country, trade, and
consumption of marijuana and
all other narcotics is
strictly forbidden and
subject to heavy punishment.
- Gifts, not exceeding 500
DM in value and not for
trading purposes, may be
brought into the country
duty free. In addition,
gifts not exceeding 500 OM
in value may be posted to
Turkey duty free, if the
date stamped by the sending
post office falls one month
before, or one month after
the following holidays:
Seker Bayrami, Kurban
Bayrami, Christmas, and New
Year's.
Note:
Cellular Telephones entering the
country must be accompanied by a
certification form showing
ownership. Ownership must be
documented in the passport of
the owner and will be checked on
entry and exit. For more
information contact the Ministry
of Transportation, General
Directorate at Tel: (312) 212 35
72 - 212 60 10 (10 lines), Fax:
(312) 221 32 26 or write to
Ulastirma Bakanligi Telsiz Gn.
Md. Emek - Ankara.
On
exit
- Gifts and souvenirs: for
a new carpet, a proof of
purchase; for old items, a
certificate from a
directorate of a museum is
necessary.
- Exporting antiques from
Turkey is forbidden.
- Valuable personal items
can only be taken out of the
country providing they have
been registered in the
owner's passport upon entry,
or providing they can show
they have been purchased
with legally exchanged
currency.
- Minerals may only be
exported from the country
with a special document
obtained from the MTA
(General Directorate of
Mining Exploration and
Research). Etüdler Dairesi
06520, Ankara
- Tel: (312) 287 3430
/1622, Fax: (312) 285 42 71
Tax Refund
You Can Receive a Tax Refind
for the Goods You Purchased In
Turkey!
- Refunds will be made to
travellers who do not reside
in Turkey.
- All goods (including
food and drinks) are
included in the refunds with
the exclusion of services
rendered.
- The minimum amount of
purchase that qualifies for
refund is 5.000.000 TL.
- Retailers that qualify
for tax refunds must be
"authorised for refund."
These retailers must display
a permit received from their
respective tax office.
- The retailer will make
four copies of the receipt
for your refund, three of
which will be received by
the purchaser. If
photocopies of the receipt
are received the retailer
must sign and stamp the
copies to validate them. If
you prefer the refund to be
made by check, a Tax-free
Shopping Check for the
amount to be refunded to the
customer must be given along
with the receipt.
- For the purchaser to
benefit from this exemption
he must leave the country
within three months with the
goods purchased showing them
to Turkish customs officials
along with the appropriate
receipts and! or check.
- There are four ways to
receive your refund:
- If the retailer
gives you a check it can
he cashed at a bank in
the customs area at the
airport. If it is not
possible to cash the
check upon departure or
if you do not wish to
cash it then, .e
customer must, within
one month, send a copy
of the receipt showing
that the goods have left
the country to the
retailer who will,
within ten days upon
receiving the receipt,
send a bank transfer to
the purchaser's hank or
address.
- If the certified
receipt and check are
brought back to the
retailer on a subsequent
visit thin one-month of
the date of customs
certification, the
refund can be made
directly to the
purchaser.
- Retailers may
directly refund the
amount to trustworthy
customers upon purchase
- The refund may be
made by the organisation
of those companies that
are authorised to make
tax refunds.
Additional information:
Ministry of Finance and Tax
Dept. General Directorate,
(Maliye Bakanligi, Gelirler
Genel Müdürlügü) KDV Subesi
06100, Ulus - Ankara
Tel: (312) 3103880/725 - 728 -
735, Fax: (312) 311 45 10
Health
Regulations for Pets
For those who wish to bring
domestic animals into the
country the following are
required:
- Pets have to be 3 months
and older
- An International
Certificate of Health issued
within 15 days before the
travel
- The Identification Card
- Vaccination Card
Note:
If you have an official
certificate, you may bring one
cat, one bird, one dog and 10
aquarium fish into the country.
To get information for the
importation of pets, please see
the Consular Services.
Motorist Rules
General: Those who wish to
enter the country with their
vans, minibuses, automobiles,
station wagons, bicycles,
motorcycles, motorbikes,
sidecars, buses, motor coaches,
trailers, caravans or other
transport vehicles, will have to
provide the following
documentations:
- Passport.
- International driving
license.
- Car license (document
where all details related to
the car and the owner's name
are registered). If it is
somebody else's vehicle a
power of attorney should be
provided.
- International green card
(Insurance card). The TR
sign should be visible.
- Transit book "Carnet de
passage" (for those who want
to proceed to the Middle
East).
Period: The vehicle can
be brought into Turkey for up to
6 Months. The owner should
declare on the opposite form,
the date of departure at the
border gate and should
absolutely ve the country at the
date declared. If for any
important reason the staying
period has to be ended, it is
necessary to apply to;
- The Turkish Touring and
Automobile Club (Türkiye
Turing ve Otomobil Kurumu)
1. Sanayi Sitesi Yani,
4.Levent, Istanbul, Tel
(212) 282 81 40(7 lines).
Fax (212) 282 80, or to
- The General Directorate
of Customs (Gümrükler Genel
Müdürlügü), Ulus Ankara Tel
(312) 310 38 80,310 38 18,
Fax (312) 31113 46, before
the end of the period
declared.
In
Case of Accident: The
accident should be reported to
the police or gendarme. That
report has to be certified by
the nearest local authority. The
owner should apply to the
customs authority with his
passport and report.
If the vehicle can be
repaired, it is necessary to
inform the customs authority
first and take the vehicle to a
garage. If the vehicle is not
repairable and if the owner
wishes to leave the country
without his vehicle, he has to
deliver it to the nearest
customs office, and the
registration of his vehicle on
his passport will be cancelled.
(Only after the cancellation can
the owner of the vehicle leave
the country.)
Following an accident, you
can telephone:
- Trafik Polisi (Traffic
Police), Tel :154,
- Jandarma (Gendarme), Tel
:156.
For more information, contact
the Touring and Automobile
Association of Turkey.
Formalities
for Private Yacht Owners
Yachts require a Transit Log
and may remain in Turkish waters
for up to two years maintenance
or for wintering. There are
certain ports licensed by the
Ministry of Tourist the storage
of yachts for a period of two to
five years. For further
information and regulations
contact the marina concerned.
Upon arriving in Turkish
waters, yachts should
immediately go for control of
the ship to the nearest port of
entry which are as follows:
Iskenderun, Botas (Adana),
Mersin, Tasucu, Anamur, Alanya,
Antalya, Kemer, Finike, Kas,
Fethiye, Marmaris, Datça,
Bodrum, Güllük Didim, Kusadasi,
Çesme, Izmir, Dikili, Ayvalik,
Akçay, Çanakkale, Bandirma,
Tekirdag, Istanbul, Zonguldak,
Sinop, Samsun, Ordu, Giresun,
Trabzon, Rize, Hopa.
Port
Formalities: All the
required information concerning
the yacht, yachtsmen, members,
intended route, passports,
customs declarations, health
clearance, and any obligatory
matters must be entered in the
Transit Log.
The Transit Log is to he
completed by the captain of a
yacht under a foreign flag or
amateur sailor acting as captain
of the vessel.
The Transit Log is completed
upon first entering a Turkish
port and, generally, it is
necessary to contact the Harbour
Authority before leaving. For
information on tax-free fuel,
contact the Marina Harbour
Office.
Note:
If you have a certificate from
the Tourism Ministry Yacht
Harbour, you may take petrol at
no charge, provided you possess
an official marina license.
Formalities
for Private Plane Owners
General: When coming to
Turkey, international air routes
should he followed. Private
planes may stay for up to three
months in Turkey with tourist
status, but for longer periods
permission should be obtained
from
- The General Directorate
of Customs (Gümrükler Genel
Müdürlügü), Ulus Ankara,
Tel: (312)
3103880,3103818,Fax: (312)
311 1346
The airports of Ankara,
Adana, Istanbul, Izmir, Antalya,
Trabzon and Dalaman have ties
for private planes. It is also
possible to hire planes and
helicopters in Turkey.
For further information,
apply to:
- The Civil Aviation
Department of the Ministry
of Transport (Ulastirma
Bakanligi, Havacilik Gen.
Müd.). Bosna-Hersek Cad.,
No: 5 - 06338 - Emek,
Ankara. Tel: (312) 212 67
30, Fax: (312) 212 46 84,
TIx : 44659 Ga-tr.
Underwater
Diving
Diving for purposes of sport,
with proper equipment and in
non-restricted areas, is
permitted. Foreign divers should
have official documentation of
their specifics and training and
must be accompanied, when
diving, by a licensed Turkish
guide.
The limit for diving with
diving gear is 30 metres. For
educational purposes, this limit
is extended to 42 metres. Dives
exceeding 30 metres must be
carried out with proper diving
and medical equipment. In arder
to protect Turkish
archaeological and cultural
values. It is strictly forbidden
to transport Turkish antiquities
or natural specimens.
Postal System
Turkish post-offices are
easily recognized by their black
PTT letters on a yellow
background. Major post offices
are open from 8:00 a.m. till
12:00 p.m., Monday/Saturday, and
9:00 a.m. till 7:00 p.m.,
Sunday. Small post-offices have
the same hours as the government
offices.
Postal charges vary for
different services depending on
destination. Post restante
letters should be addressed
"postrestant" to the central
post-office Merkez Postanesi, in
the town of your choice. You
have to show your identification
card to collect your letters.
All PTT branches have the
facilities to exchange money at
the current international
exchange rates, as well as
international postal orders and
travellers' cheques. There is
also an express postal service
(APS) operating to 90 countries
for letters , documents and
small packages. A wide variety
of special stamps are available
in all PTT centers for
philatelists.
To phone from PTT telephone
booths, which are extensively
found in all areas; telephone
cards , and tokens (";jeton") in
three sizes are used. Local,
inter-city and international
calls can be made from all PTT
offices. Besides these main
offices there are also mobile
PTT services in the touristic
areas. For the area codes of
major cities and touristic areas
in Turkey, please see the "Area
Codes" list. Foreign countries
area codes are indicated in the
International Telephone Codes
list.
Some important service
numbers are;
- 155 Police
- 112 Emergency
- 110 Fire
- 118 Unknown Numbers
- 161 PTT Information.
Tourist Health
Turkish Tourist Health
Society (Turizm Sagligi
Dernegi-Hacettepe Üniversitesi
Tip Fakültesi Plastik ve
Rekonstrüktif Cerrahi Ana Bilim
Dali, Sihhiye 06100 ANKARA Tel:
(312) 311 93 93-310 98 08)
perfoms the functions below, to
provide the travellers in the
entire country, mainly in the
touristic regions, with proper
health care:
- to secure food hygiene
- to prevent environmental
pollution
- to ensure hygiene and
healthy working-conditions
in touristic establishments.
Working Hours
Government Offices
Monday-Friday (8:30-12:30) ,
(13:30-17:30)
Saturday-Sunday (closed)
Banks
Monday-Friday (8:30-12-00) ,
(13:30-17:00)
Saturday-Sunday (closed)
Shops
Monday-Saturday (9:30-13:00) ,
(14:00-19:00)
Sunday (closed)
Istanbul Covered market:
Monday-Saturday (8:00-19:00)
Sunday (closed)
During summer months, the
government offices and many
other establishments in the
Aegean and Mediterranean Regions
are closed in the afternoon.
These fixed summer hours are
determined by the governing
bodies of the provinces.
Other
Practical Information
Local
time:
GMT+3 hours (April-September)
GMT+2 hours (October-March)
Time
Differences:
Argentina -5, France -1,
Netherlands -1, Australia +8,
Germany -1, Saudi Arabia+1,
Austria -1, Greece 0, Sweden -1,
Egypt 0, Italy -1, Switzerland
-1, England -2, Japan +7, Spain
-1, USA -7 (EST) -10 (WEST)
* These time differences are for
the period October-March;
however, they may show variances
according to each country's own
time-saving adjustments.
Petrol:
Super (peremium) - Unleaded (at
some places). Normal (regular) -
Diesel.
Electricity:
220 volts AC/50 Hz. all over
Turkey. (Industrial:380 V) Plug:
European round/ 2-prong plug.
Water:
Although tap vater is safe to
drink since it is chlorinated,
it is recommended to get advice
from the concemed authorities of
the places resided.
Weights and Measures:
1 inch = 2.54 centimeters
, 1 centimeter = 0.3937 inches
1 yard = 0,9144 meters, 1 meter
= 1.0936 yards
1 mile = 1,6093 kilometers, 1
kilometer = 0.6214 miles
1 pound = 0,4536 kilograms, 1
kilogram = 2.2046 pounds
Area:
1 acres = 0,4047 Hectares,
1 hectare = 2.471 acres
Capacity:
1 UK gallon = 4.546 litres, 1
litre = 0.2199 UK gallons
1 US gallon = 3.7831 litres, 1
litre = 0.2643 US gallons
Newspapers and Magazines:
Foreign newspapers and magazines
are available in big cities and
tourist areas. Also there is a
Turkish daily newspaper, Daily
News, published in English.
Tipping:
At various establishments like
hotels, restaurants, Turkish
baths, barbers and hairdressers,
tipping at a rate of 5%-15% of
the total is common. Taxi and "dolmus"
drivers on the other hand, do
not expect tips or even rounded
fares.
Visiting a mosque:
Five times a day, the "müezzin"
calls the faithful to prayer in
thi mosque. Before entering a
mosque, Muslims wash themselves
and remove their shoes. Foreign
visitors should also remove
their shoes and show the respect
they would any other house of
worship and avoid visiting the
mosque durin prayer time. Women
should cover their heads and ams,
and not wear miniskirts. Men
should not wear shorts. (In
certain famous mosques, overalls
are provided for those not
suitably dressed.) |
FETHIYE
BODRUM
MARMARIS
ANTALYA
