DC --> Ankara travel newb help
May 8, 2015 5:19 AM   Subscribe

My sister-in-law is getting married in Ankara, Turkey in August. I plan to go, but need help with making travel arrangements or just general Ankara help.

The wedding is in early August. I'd be flying from Washington DC, and taking the direct Dulles—> Istanbul flight, and hop to Ankara, on Turkish Air. Are there any tricks to getting a good flight deal? How can I get insurance for the air travel portion, in case I need to cancel? How much time should I plan for a layover in Istanbul, with enough time to go through customs & immigration?

I’ll probably stay at the hotel the wedding is at, but what are my options for getting from the airport to downtown?

I know the Lira is the Turkish currency, but is the Euro accepted any place? Or should I just leave my Euros at home?

I’m undecided about staying in Istanbul - I’ve been there before many years ago and would love to visit again, but for time/money, I’m not sure…

I really know nothing about Ankara, so any other advice would be much appreciated (including where to maybe get some good tahini bread...mmm)
posted by raztaj to Travel & Transportation around Turkey (4 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: If you have a U.S. passport, you will have to buy a visa to enter Turkey upon your arrival. Last time I was there it was USD25 cash only so have some U.S. money in your wallet when you arrive.
posted by three blind mice at 5:30 AM on May 8, 2015


Best answer: Your flight from IAD will land at Ataturk airport on the European side of Istanbul - do you know if the Turkish Air flight will be from Ataturk or from Sabiha Gokcen on the Asian side? That will obviously have a big impact on your layover plans. Whenever I plan flights with two different airlines, I try to have at least a full day layover, because no one has your back if something goes wrong. And Istanbul is so worth a layover!

Turkey Travel Planner doesn't have the slickest website, but it is full of really good information! In my experience a lot of tourist-oriented places accepted Euros or even priced their services in exclusively in Euros, but Ankara is not a particularly tourist-oriented city.
posted by mskyle at 5:56 AM on May 8, 2015


Best answer: Buying a Visa when you enter is now unnecessary - you can go online to buy one at https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/.
posted by dobi at 6:00 AM on May 8, 2015 [3 favorites]


Best answer: For getting a good flight deal on Turkish Airlines, don't use a flight search engine like Kayak, but instead just book directly though their website. Drastically lower prices. Should definitely cost less than $100, depending on when during the day you're flying, quite possibly less than $50.

For Airport - downtown, which takes about an hour, you can either take the public EGO bus (number 442 I think) which runs between 6am and 11pm to the Kizilay (downtown) area and cab it from there, or for a slightly nicer experience you can have a driver meet you at the airport and take you to your destination. I book mine through BTO and always have had a nice experience. Costs about ~$40. I don't reccomend a cab (not because cabs in Ankara are bad - in fact they are very polite, always use the meter, and generally know their way around) because with the long distance it will get quite expensive.

For getting around from your hotel, the hotel will help you find a cab. People who work at hotels speak english, but cabbies almost never do, so ask the hotel person to explain your destination to the driver.

Leave your Euro at home unless you're making a different European stop on your trip. Just get Lira from an ATM when you arrive, there are tons everywhere and I have never had an issue.

General Ankara notes: The only really must-see attraction is Anitkabir, which I 100% reccomend because it is amazing. I also like the Anatolian Civilizations Museum. One of the best things about Ankara is the food. Some of my favorite restaurants are Tavaci Recep Usta for incredible grilled meats, Mesur Kayseri Tepsi for manti dumplings and dolma, and Mado is nice for baklava and the Turkish speciality, chewy ice cream.

If you don't feel like doing an Istanbul stop (though you should, because Istanbul is amazing) another option is Cappadocia, where you can see the cool rock formations. It's about a three hour drive, and if you don't feel like renting a car, your hotel can hook you up with a tour package. If you go your own, I have to do a plug for my favorite cave hotel, Fresco, although there are a ton of great places.

If you'll have a smart phone while you're here, download Foursquare. It's hugely popular among Turks, so it's ratings and reccomendations are very reliable.

Feel free to memail me if you have more questions or god forbid any problems while you're here. I live here and am happy to help.
posted by BusyBusyBusy at 6:33 AM on May 8, 2015 [1 favorite]


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