Is Turkey on Your Holiday Menu this Year?

According to the Ministry of Tourism, close to two million Brits visited Turkey in 2007 and it may have surpassed Spain in the popularity ratings for British tourists. 

Most holidaymakers heading for Turkey are looking for the traditional beach and water sports holiday.  However, visitors to the country should be aware of current travel advice and advisories issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) before setting off.  Incidents can happen in any part of the world, and although most travel in Turkey is safe there have been recent incidents of kidnappings in the Mount Ararat area. (The FCO recommends against all but essential travel to this area at the current time, but check for updates).

Be aware that smoking has been banned in Turkey at all stadiums, playgrounds, and other outdoor venues as well as on all forms of public transport.  Cafes, restaurants and bars will also be subject to the smoking ban as of July 2009.  Fines are handed out to those caught violating the smoke-free areas.  Also, check that your passport will be valid for a minimum of six months on the date that you enter Turkey and will still have three months life left on it by the time you leave. 

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is not valid in Turkey for emergency medical treatment - so it is very important to take out comprehensive travel insurance.  Trying to get away with the cheapest travel insurance you can find is not a good idea.  Just as with your car insurance, we advise reading the small print to check the levels of cover.  For example, some cheap policies may not cover emergency medical repatriation.  Let’s hope you never need it but if the worst should happen it could be very costly.

Visit our Travel Guide for Turkey which contains a link to the FCO website for the latest travel advisories as well as tons of very useful information to keep you from inadvertently getting yourself into trouble!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 13th, 2008 at 5:51 am and is filed under Europe, Holiday Destinations, Travel News .

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