Buying Spirits in Istanbul
 

Will be in Istanbul precruise this summer and plan to purchase some spirits for our cabin. Since Turkey is a Muslim country, is there a large availability of liquor stores?

many dedicated liquor stores and liquor also available in 7-11 type stores.

Nothing to worry about. Turkey is a secular country.

I'll never forget out Turkish guide, when asking about our preferences for provisioning our gulet (wooden yacht). When he got to alcohol, his face just fell when we told him we didn't need any. No free booze for him!

One more thing, will I do better price wise buying duty free before I leave at the airport?

Can't say either way but the one bottle of Absolut I bought in a store in Istanbul was on the expensive side.

If you decide to buy duty free, buy it on a plane. Always cheaper than duty free on land.

Have a great trip!

Plenty of liquor stores....We are drinking muslims :-)

If you are arriving Turkey by air, in Istanbul airport duty free has large selection of spirits and much cheaper than on the market. We have high taxes on alchoalic beverages thanks to the administration....

Happy travelling,
Murat

I thought you could only buy duty free at the airport you are leaving from, not at the arrival aiport?

There are some airports where you can buy duty-free on arrival. Cairo, Larnaca (Cyprus), Mexico City and Istanbul come to mind off the top of my head.