Never use airport exchange counters! Just withdrew 5,000 TL from a Ziraat or ING Bank ATM at IST and compared rates:ATM rate: 1 USD = 28.50 TL (only m...

This is a known issue with Wise in Turkey. Their cards are issued by:Belgium for EUR accountsUK for GBP accountsUS for USD accountsTurkish systems oft...

My comfortable-but-not-fancy budget is 1,500-2,000 TL ($50-65) daily:Decent hotel/private hostel room: 800-1,200 TLRestaurant meals + coffee stops: 50...

While most yellow cabs in Istanbul now have card machines, about 40% of drivers will claim the machine is "broken" to avoid paying bank fees. I always...

After living here for 2 years, I've found Turkey ATMs to charge some of the most ridiculous fees. Fibabanka charges 8% atm fees, Ziraat Bank will forc...

Most hostels in Istanbul and tourist areas like Cappadocia accept cards for room payments, but I've stayed at three different hostels this month that ...

As a woman who frequently travels alone in Turkey, I recommend sticking to daytime ATM use when possible. While central areas in Istanbul (like Taksim...

Most Turkish ATMs automatically swallow cards if:You enter wrong PIN 3 timesThe transaction times outThe machine suspects fraudYo...

Ankara metro takes cards, but I got stuck when my foreign card failed at the turnstile. Carry small bills (5-20 TL) for backup. Buy a Ankarakart (like...