Hey guys,
Leaving for Turkey in a few hours so would appreciate a quick response. Seeing how acceptable euros are, do you recommend I carry coins? Or will the rate be bad, even if they're accepted? I have a mountain of coins from trips to Eurozone countries and was wondering if they can be used.
cheers
Ansh
Hi Ash,
I'm in Turkey at the moment.
If you're sticking to the tourist towns/cities then you'll be ok to use euro's. Prices tend I be quoted or can be quoted in either Lira or euro.
The exchange rates I can't really comment on, however, I have made a couple of large transactions over here and the USD to Lira conversation has generally been very fair.
Good luck with your trip.
They can only be exchanged at banks,not change offices and ,whilst people do give them as tips,the poor waiters etc. have to gather up 5/10/20 at a time to swap with a tourist into a Euro banknote to the take to the bank to change into TL.
So if you see waiters walking lop-sided you know why haa haa :)
So basically no,don't bring them is the best answer.Save them for your next Eurozone trip.
If you buy something with Euro's your change would be given back in TL unless the vendor is unlucky enough to have a few € coins he wants to get rid of.Rarely would you find a shopkeeper willing to take coins.
When we were in Turkey they exchange € = Lira 1 to 1, but the Lira was only worse 50 € cent, so people paied twice the price for the convinience.
The fewer times you change currencies, the less you will lose. There's usually no point going home currency - euro - lira.
Templeton - For the past several years I've seen signs in a lot of places saying they accept 1 euro for two lira. However, the current official rate today is 2.86 TL for each euro, so you'd be losing by using them at the declared rate..
If you really want to lose the Euros you have, you can get a decent rate of exchange at the back of the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. Walk right through from Divan Yolu Caddesi and you'll see the exchange booths. DON'T use the ones out on the main street.
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