A family reunion brought us to Istanbul, Turkey. Before arriving, we had plans to travel throughout the country. However, our plans quickly changed, because we didn’t want to leave Istanbul. We compiled 2-month’s worth of travel tips and favorite experiences into this Istanbul Travel Guide.
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Official Name: Republic of Turkey
Capital: Ankara
Government: Presidential governmental system
Regions: Marmara Region, Black Sea Region, the Aegean Region, the Mediterranean Region, the Central Anatolia Region, the Eastern Anatolia Region, and the Southeastern Anatolia Region.
Population: 79.5 million
Language: Turkish (official), Kurdish
Currency: Turkish Lira
Payment Culture: Cash and credit cards. When buying food and goods from street vendors, markets, and bakeries, you’ll typically pay in cash. If you’re at a restaurant or bar, you can usually pay with a credit card.
Tipping Etiquette: Only tip in cash. In restaurants and cafés, you can tip 5-10%. In Taxis, you don’t have to tip; simply round up the bill. In hotels, you can tip porters and room service 5 TL. Read more about tipping in Turkey here.
Water Quality: Drink filtered water only.
