`It’s still possible for backpackers to travel on $15 to $20 U.S. per day” says Tom Brosnahan, author of `Turkey: A Travel Survival Kit,’ “especially because the lira has been devalued.”
Turkey draws curious travelers who want to explore the excavations of Troy, the well-preserved classical city of Ephesus or the halls of Topkapi Palace, where sultans for three centuries would wander through the harem in silver-soled slippers.
Author Tom Brosnahan was introduced to Turkey during a two-year term there as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer. He learned to speak Turkish fluently and went on to study Middle Eastern history and the Ottoman Turkish language for eight years. The first edition of his guide was published in 1985. Now an award-winning author, and having completed more than 25 books, he continues to revise and update this 478-page guide. During a recent conversation Tom passed along these insights for budget travelers heading in that direction.
“Student Cards are very useful, museums usually give you a cut, and so do some of the bus companies. There are even student discounts for some flights.” It’s also possible for non-students to purchase economical airfares. Brosnahan went on to point out, “Flights are inexpensive at the moment, as long as you buy the tickets in Turkey.”
If you’re going to travel extensively, consider buying a map before you go. Bronsnahan has discovered, “Most of the maps sold in North America would serve travelers better than most of the maps sold in Turkey.”
Brosnahan warns that it’s better to exchange your money every few days. “The Turkish lira does fluctuate, but it’s mostly down. I’ve stood behind people at exchange places where they’ll get off the boat and change $600 . . . for the whole trip . . . at the end they could get a lot more.” He also suggests, “The best thing to do if you have a bank or credit card is to get it out of a machine.” This is possible in major tourist areas and major cities.
One of the best aspects of travel in this area is the hospitality, although you may find the customs curious. “There’s a standard Turkish hospitality for a visitor in a home. In a village house you’re given slippers. They’ll welcome you in and give you a place of honor in the living room and then everyone in the house will come in and shake your hand. Then, because you are a traveler and will have had a dusty trip, they will bring in some lemon cologne and splash some in your hands. You rub your hands and rub your face . . . then they’ll offer you candy, cigarettes and tea.”
One of the best bargains in the country, at about $2 to $2.50 U.S. per 100 kilometers, is bus travel, and the hospitality has been extended to this service. “You get on the bus and the journey starts and their way of welcoming you is to pass down the bus some lemon cologne. Some luxury lines will also provide you with tea.”
“Virtually everyone who comes back from Turkey raves about how friendly the Turks are”, yet he concedes, “There are Turks who realize that Turkish hospitality is so open that it can be used as a lever to rip you off.”
For example, Brosnahan talked of touts at the bus stations who try to guide you to the buses of their company, “which is a useful service in some ways because the bus stations are big and they’re fairly confusing if you don’t speak Turkish.”
However, Brosnahan warns, “there are times when the touts at the bus companies will tell you that their bus is the next one leaving, and it’s leaving in a half an hour, when there’s one leaving in 10 minutes that may be a newer bus, and it might be a littler cheaper.”
A new scam that Brosnahan will be including in future editions of his guide involves visitors who have been befriended and set up by another foreigner (it can be an American or European, etc.) who shows them the city and buys them food and drinks over a few days. Eventually if they express an interest in buying a carpet their new friend suggests they go where he or she has made a good purchase. The traveler spends, say $400, and arranges to have the carpet shipped. When they get home they find there’s been a switch and the carpet they’ve been sent is a lesser quality, worth only about $150.
After 30 years of travel writing, Brosnahan has found that the best solution for finding a good company for a day tour is to talk to other travelers. Ask, “did you take a tour? Which company? Did you have to sit around drinking tea for two hours while one person bought a rug?”
If there are three or four of you, it might be more economical and less hassle to hire your own taxi. “You’ll miss out on the commentary, but you may also miss out on a two-hour shop stop and another hour lost while you circle in city traffic to pick up or drop off passengers.”
“Turkey: A Travel Survival Kit” (Lonely Planet; $19.95) is available through retail bookstores.
