Turkey - Multiple currencies from ATMs
 

In her recent detailed and very interesting trip report PegS noted that many of the ATMs that she used on her trip were able to dispense multiple currencies - euro, US$, as well as Turkish Lira.

I'm wondering if anyone else can comment on how widespread this type of ATM is in Turkey?

I have been assuming that I will need to carry a certain amount of euro in cash as most hotels/apartments that we have booked ask for cash and euro seems to be the preferred currency. If it is possible to routinely obtain euro from an ATM I will not need to take as much cash.

From the ATMs of HSBC and İŞ BANKASI you can obtain € .They are very widespread in the city centers.

Hi

For expenses other than your hotel room I would not use any currency other than Turkish Lira. If you're an American (and you think US dollars naturally) visiting England would you pay a merchant in Swiss Francs? It's hard to describe but in the middle of negotiating to purchase an item you will need to do currency conversions. Not easy whilst being harassed by Turkish merchants adept at multiple currency conversions and destined surely to be world bankers in the next life :-d

Thanks for your replies.

That's helpful senozkadir, topping up euros should be possible.

I was actually curious that PegS specifically said that she had found ATMs that dispense multiple currencies and I've not seen that eleswhere.

worldinabag, we will certainly pay our day to day expenses in TLY and obtaining them from an ATM should be routine. My issue was that almost all the apartments & hotels we have booked have expressed a preference for cash & for euro. I can buy them here in advance but if I was confident that they were available in ATMs I would take less.

Once again, thanks for your interesy - Greg

http://www.isbank.com.tr/content/TR/...aspx?c=00&s=00
this is the link showing all the multiple currency dispensing ATMs of İŞ BANKASI

as an ex:
choose İSTANBUL for ŞEHİR(city)
choose HEPSİ for İLÇE/SEMT(area/region)
choose BANKAMATİK(ATM)
choose Döviz Ödeme
and then click ARA(search) button to see all of them

http://www.hsbc.com.tr/tr/sube_atm/sube/atm.asp
this is the link showing all the multiple currency dispensing ATMs of HSBC BANK

choose İstanbul for şehir(city)
leave semt/ilçe blank
tick döviz ödeme
click TAMAM button to see the results

Greg: I was in Turkey this past fall. All the hotels quoted in Euros. But, they took cash...US dollars, Euros or TK Lira. Instead of changing USD to Euros (at an ATM), I took US dollars from home (no conversion fee!!). The hotels/tour companies will convert USD and Euro cash currency to TK Lira. Why lose out on having the currency converted twice.

Thanks BarbAnn,

I don't think I'll be doing any double conversion. My home currency is the Australian dollar and I would not get a good rate from hotels etc. We have a French bank account so I can draw euro from that and any left over euro can be put to good use elsewhere.

My query was just how prevalent are these multi-currency ATMs as it would be convenient to top up in euro from them. Based on what senozkadir says, there should be quite a few.

Just another clarification:
Hotels quoted you in Euros will be happy to take USD or Turkish Lira converted at that days exchange rates. So Cash is cash is the main thing. ATM's there are more ATM's in Turkey than I belive anywhere in Europe, those spitting Euros or USD are little more sledom, as said above at big cities but not every branch.

Happy spending :-)

Murat