bobbomper

Visited Turkey in 1995 and again last month..Love the country, great place to visit but has anybody else noticed how expensive it has become?

Still, Istanbul and Cappadocia should not be missed! Here are some nice photos:

http://www.travellingbazaar.com/travel%20turkey.html

Bob.

elina

And you are comparing it with what?

propertravel

Hi Bob,
If you are comparing 1995 and 2007 yes it got veryyyy expensive.

But in terms of general traveling in Europe Turkey still is the best deal believe me.
I am off to London in two weeks; paying for a little box of a room 115 GBP I could stay in a suite with a view at bosphorus.

Was in Milan two weeks ago, ohh boy dining out is something luxurious. I dine out almost 5 nights a week here in Cappadocia. A cab ride for 5 min. 20 Euros. You can travel 20 hours on a bus in Turkey

Last 10 years Turkey had 80% inflation and only last few years we have it down to 10%. So it is normal that prices went up.

Gasoline prices are the highest of Europe I belive thanks to our tax system......

Thank you for sharing those nice pictures.....

Happy travelling,

Murat

logos999

The lira has risen by about 10% against the Euro during the last year. Given the enormous turkish yearly inflation rate, it has becomne very expensive now, even for Europeans. Prices for package tours to Antalya didn't increase that much due to competition. If you like to go there, I'd book such a tour from somewhere in Europe.

bobbomper

Yes Murat & Logos999, there have been some major changes in Turkey over the last 10-15 years, from what I saw. As an example, during my visits in 1991 and 95 Goreme was a sleepy village with a few restaurants and donkeys hanging about. Last month I was amazed to see new roads, street lights, traffic lights (which most drivers ignored) and a never ending onslaught on tourist coaches! Although the scenery in Goreme is still as fantastic as ever, the town has certainly lost a lot of it's charm.
I suppose it's the old catch 22 again....tourism brings money but also tourists!

Bob

propertravel

Yes Bobbomper You have explained all well. Regarding traffic lights, I also do not see any use of one set of lights at Goreme.

Take care and regards,
Murat

Raydotman

We are considering a trip to Turkey and like many of you we were there in the 90's when things were a lot cheaper. I see the country's high inflation level mentioned often. If things are so expensive in Turkey how does the average Turk manage to live there?? I am beginning to be afraid we cannot afford a visit.

sinan

Hi Raydotman,

The people who ive in Turkey has "inflation vaccine" that's why we can affort to live here.

Anyway I buy domatoes $2.50 a pound in New York and last friday I came to Kusadasi and bought same tomatoes 1 New Turkish Lira a KILO (a pound is almost = 2 Kilos) Do you call this EXPENSIVE. I think we call in Turkey "CHEAPER then WATER".

If you can not affort to visit Turkey please let me know You can use my house in Kusadasi when ever you want FREE. I am sure some other Turkish people do the same think (STILL)

Have a nice trip in Turkey

Sinan Akdeniz

PIPERPAT

I was quite surprised to find this discussion on Turkey. We returned from an OAT tour there just 3 weeks ago and didn't find it to be expensive at all. We bought lots of very nice souvenirs at good prices and found great places to eat when we were on our own that also weren't expensive. Turkey is a wonderful place to visit and I recommend it highly.

WTnow

Yes Turkey is great and it is VERY INEXPENSIVE!!

I am sure the prices have gone up and things have changed since 1990. Where is that not true?

But we were there this year in high season and it was not crowded nor was it expensive. It has been one of the cheapest places we have visited on our multi year trip around the world.

Bad subject title that is very misleading.

www.soultravelers3.com

logos999

The days Turkey was cheap or inexpensive are long ago. Just during the last year the Lira gained 10% against the €, given the weakness of the $, prices for Americans have risen by about 25% during the last year.

Those are the facts.

Some turkish nationals I know, share the same rather nagative view about the current political situation in that country. Been there too many times, right now there are so many better inexpensive alternatives.

Underhill

Interesting...our German friends used to love going to Turkey because of the relatively low costs.

julies

When we were there this past May we felt prices were just a bit less than in the US.

andrys

Interesting! We went in October 2004 and it was very INexpensive. Unbelievably so, unless we chose hotels that cost more and sometimes we did for a luxury change.

But it's the least expensive trip I've ever taken. Now, Italy, that's another matter!

On the other hand we were not usually in the most tourist-style places and we used the Lonely Planet book as a guide (didn't know about Fodor's at the time!). Our trip was from west to east mostly by land. So we were lucky to see quite a lot of Turkey, in 4 weeks.

If anyone's interested in my photo-report of it, please visit http://www.pbase.com/andrys/turkey

Thanks,

- Andrys
--
http://www.pbase.com/andrys

losttime

I have just bought an apartment in Turkey and it was the low cost that attracted me to area.

The Turkish people do not pay income tax, therefore any item that can generate revenue for the government, ie petrol, is expensive.

So long as you obey the usual rules, get off the tourist trails, don't buy it at the airport, smile and haggle, then Turkey is relatively inexpensive.
Well it is compared with the UK!

propertravel

Hi Losttime congratulations with your new apartment in Turkey, enjoy it.
I would like to correct one missinformation that Turkish People Do not pay income tax !!!! Thats an urban legend. We do pay hell of a lot of income tax more than many other citizens of other countries. But there is a gap of collecting the right tax as black holes excisting still. Ask me about it How much I pay.......

Comparing Turkey with other countries, as an overall result of vacationing in Turkey most probably will be cheaper and better comparing elswhere in Europe for the amount of money spend and what value gained.

I am just back from London from World Travel Market and what I paid for a dinner in London could equal better food & more wine for 3 nights....(altough wine is heavily taxed in Turkey) It is true that government has an easy way to get more income, to tax petrol and related, tobacco, spirits and luxury goods including automotive industry no matter what kind of vehicle.

The hotel room was as big as the bathroom of the hotels I am used to here in Turkey for 110 GBP a night excluding breakfast ! The manager was nice to include continental breakfast to this rate as we were colleagues from the trade....

Due to weak dollar and euro exchange rates this year travel industry suffered losses or losses from the profits and it is already obvious that especially tour and hotel rates are raised for 2008.

Happy travelling,
Murat

logos999

Many hotels must be selling below costs right now given the strong lira. But with the higher hotel prices in Turkey other places become more interesting. Next summer will be tough.

Michel_Paris

I was there in August, and would say that it was cheaper than say..Paris or London. To clarify, we were not staying in large chain hotels (except for one costly mistake in Antalya) but rather small hotels away from main streets. Our nightly costs were probably in the 100-120 lira range.

As an example..one hotel in a small fishing town, just a few rooms, our room overlooked the med, there were no windows in the room so you could hear the waves lapping against the shore...add to that a restaurant seaside...and for ~120 lira for the room. Or another one in Goreme looking out over cave houses of Capadocia...same range.

Meals I also found to be cheap. We could eat well for around 10 lira. Shooping was also fairly inexpensive.

Can't compare to the way it was many years ago, but I found it to be on of the cheaper destinations in Europe. Another indicator may be the fact that there are scores of package deals coming from places like the UK to places like Marmaris

Mike

lincasanova

LOL!!! I opened this thinking it was a thanksgiving meal thread!!

propertravel

Logos999, you have a point there but, it has never been easy for us to be in travel business, for years every season there were another story to draw people back from coming to Turkey and postpone their trip and at the end of all these years ones who came anyway return with fond memories and got great bargain of a vacation, and got more individual services at hotels, restaurants etc.
If it was not bird flue ( as if birds only fly or live in Turkey it was forest fires, bombings, earthquake, PKK, 9/11, exagerrated travel warnings, war with terror or similar names created, turmoil at Middle east, Iraq war, invasion of Kuvait was the first to effect us in 1993 I guess ! People did not even check how far is Istanbul to Bagdat and compare with Athens for example Israeli's, Brits and Gremans were more supportive those period and Russians also explore Turkey and raised to over 4 million in a year especially at Antalya. Finding a hotel room was quite adventurous this summer to tell you the truth.

So we are used to suffering and still find a way to stand upright at all times.....Ofcourse all experienced very hard periods and learn how to survive as well.....

This year "thanks god" went most smooth ( 1999 was a great year despite to unfortunate eart quakes and till 9/11/2001)and only complaint was the raising petrol prices and weak foreign currancy.
13% up from North America which is the best news for myself and I believe for the country as well.

24% up comparing last years visit already in October and over 21 million visited Turkey to date.

73% stock exchange is owned by foreigners, 70.000 British owned a house and even more Germans are some good indications for getting better economy. (I can't believe I am writing all this, my goodness)

Inflation rate is about 9% so an increase of 10% already very normal but generally speaking min. 12 to 15 % plus on everything will be for sure in general services concerned.

I assure you it is still a bargain.

10 YTL entrance fee for such a great site like Goreme open air museum with roots of early Christians and 12 GBP to see 10 rooms of Kensigton Palace-London, or 15 YTL for a palace like Topkapi where the world ruled for 600 years and 15 GBP to see 57 pieces of Tutankomun exhibition in London, 120 Usd. for a Cave Hotel of 30 million years old against 10 squere meter brick walled room for 110 GBP, 10 YTL doner kebab against 7 GBP Big Mac are my latest statistics to share could show we are still a good bargain with extra added values here in Turkey......

One point I am in line with you that we should still be coutious while raising prices we should work harder to deliver better and better services & added values so everyone appreciates every extra penny spend from well earned savings.


Happy travelling and greetings from still sunny Cappadocia (but still cold