Does anyone know if it is possible to change Turkish lira in these countries? had problems today in Bucharest and got a rip -off rate and no receipt when I did. Thanks for any help, Ian

In Warsaw there are quite few exchange offices that would take your Turkish Lira. Here's a list of those that have non-rip-off rates:
- at 'Joder' (address: Puławska 49) you'd get 1.7 PLN for 1 TRY [http://joder.kantory.pl/kursy-walut.html]
- at 'Apollo' [http://www.kantor.waw.pl/] in Galeria Mokotów and BlueCity shoping malls and 'Wiek' in Arkadia [http://www.kantor-wiek.pl/arkadia.php] you'd get a bit better rate if you exchange more than the equivalent of 5000/3000 PLN respectively.

Currency from funny countries - including many Balkan countries - should be spent locally, as changing abroad is often difficult, expensive or impossible. Your best bet in Bucharest may be to try guests at the hostels, or hang around the train to Istanbul before it departs...