Turkey is definitely one of the best and most popular travel destinations where tourists love to flock. But over the past few years the country changes drastically, turkey is no longer the affordable tourist destination it used to be. But with a few tips and tricks still, you can enjoy a beautiful Turkey trip on a budget.

Accommodation

Your stay place plays a major part in your budget planning but with wise selection and good choices, you can save a lot on accommodation. The first saving tip that you need to consider is the time of your visit. Peak seasons and low seasons make a huge difference. July to September is high season in Turkey with cheap flights when hotels raise their prices and cost you twice the usual price. The best time to travel on a budget lies between April, May or October and there’s a possibility that you will find special deals. Most of the hotels do not reduce their prices even if you bargain so kick out this thought from your mind. Further walk-in customers are often charged more so it is better to book your accommodation beforehand. For this purpose, you can use booking search engines. Look for hotel discounts and promotions on money-saving sites. In case you’re planning to stay for over a month, rather than staying in a hotel it is better to rent out a self-catering apartment. Also, hotels near popular destinations are high in prices compared to the accommodation at distant places. Mediterranean coasts, Aegean and Istanbul have plenty of affordable hotels. Stick to these places to stay if you are on a budget.

Food and Drinks on Budget

The famous restaurants catering specifically for foreigners charge you a lot more. To attract tourists they claim free entertainment and pick up services but recoup their costs somewhere in menu prices so, stay away from such eatery places. Instead, try the local cuisines as Turkish foods are delicious. Visit the Turkish Lokantas serve traditional Turkish food, a famous place among locals. You can enjoy three-course meals here under the 20 lira. Dishes like pide, soup, shish kebabs, omelets and salads for vegetarians and meat-eaters. However, alcohol prices are high in turkey. The price of local beer may vary from place to place. In resorts like Didim, you can enjoy the beer by paying just 5 lira, while the same beer will cost you double in Istanbul. Do purchase imported drinks such as whiskey, gin or Baileys as they are so high in prices.

Transportation on a Budget

If you’re one of those who think petrol prices in Turkey are low, then you’re wrong. Infact petrol prices in turkey are one of the highest in the world. Thus hiring a car here is not a good option, still if you have to travel by car choose the diesel car. Keep an eye on voucher code sites for package discounts and international flights. Sometimes, there’re some very good deals available on internal flights but the best mode of transportation in turkey is bus. The bus service here is of exceptional quality with amenities like television, coffee, tea, cakes, comfortable seats and frequent stops. Other than long voyage, there’s no shortcoming of using bus in turkey.

Medical Emergencies

Anything can happen anytime so it is better to prepare yourself to cope with any kind of emergencies. Having travel insurance is a great thing but put it above your health just to save some money. During your trip to Turkey be aware when you use medical insurance because, at some places, the medical insurance held by foreigners is nothing but a fraud. Some doctors familiar with English have a verbal agreement with private hospitals from where they receive a commission on every patient they send. When any foreigner came for the treatment they send him to a private hospital. Any foreign patient is like a lottery for them and they prescribed you as many possible tests as they can. Surely, they force you to stay overnight and then hand over you a long bill charged to the insurance company. To avoid such a hassle, you can go to the local hospital. Hospitals in local areas also have English speaking staff and they are cheaper too. They will prescribe you according to your disease and send you home unlike expensive private hospitals. If you’re suffering from minor cold, cough, headache, stomachache or flue you can visit the nearest pharmacy. Chemist provides you international medicine that you’re using back at your home and medicine sold here are much cheaper than visiting doctors.

Some Important Trick to Keep in Mind to save Money during Turkey Trip

Besides the major things, the little cost they don’t bother while paying becomes a big total at the end. To keep your trip in a budget, you need to keep in mind a few tricks at various places. Here are some most highlighted tips to save money.

• Of course, to spend in turkey you need to change your local currency Pounds (for UK travelers) to Turkey’s local currency Lira. But never change money at airports (both UK and Turkey airports) because doing so you will get lower rates. Instead, it is much better to change pounds in the place you’re in, as most of the shop, hotels and restaurants won’t charge commission.
• Tips are always welcome but you need to be aware of who you tip and how often. Some tourists offer tips repeatedly just to get help from staff but it is not recommended when you’re on budget trip. Just tip the hotel staff once at the departure time. Offering tips to bus and taxi drivers is unnecessary. Taxi drivers expect from foreigners to round up the fare as they assumed you rich.
• When you purchased only drinks, there’s no need to tip in restaurants and bars.
• If you’re a few of those who still use traveler’s cheques then stop doing this. There is no need for traveler’s cheques anymore when cashpoints are everywhere. They are considered an inconvenience by businesses and also charged commission. it is also recommended to check your bank prior to departing as some banks just apply fees for withdrawing money from ATM.

Cigarettes are quite expensive in Turkey. Those who are addicted to smoke 20 a day need to pay almost 100 Lira which will exceed your budget