Turkey has swiftly become a very popular travel destination in 2022. I’m sure with travel restrictions easing up and the fact that traveling again looks promising for 2023, the hype will still surround Turkey.
Turkey is a diverse country with beautiful natural surroundings, vibrant architecture, delicious cuisine, and a wide variety of tourist attractions. These attractions include taking a hot air balloon during sunrise over the city of Cappadocia, visiting ancient ruins, or shopping at Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.
Turkey has also been ranked among one of the cheapest travel destinations in the world, making it an extremely desirable destination for people traveling on a budget.
In 2018 Turkey welcomed approximately 38 million travelers. We are sure to see these types of stats from 2023 onwards.
However, when traveling to Turkey, important questions remain such as ‘How to travel to Turkey from the US?’ and ‘How to travel in Turkey?’.
Let’s answer these questions.
What Is The Most Effortless Way To Travel To Turkey From The US?
Traveling to Turkey from the US is not hard. Remember to consider these things when you are busy booking your trip:
Do US Citizens Require Visas?
Firstly as a US citizen, you will need to obtain a Turkey visa. This can be achieved in minutes by applying through Atlys for your visa to Turkey.
How To Travel To Turkey?
The next thing is flights. The best way to travel to Turkey from the USA is by airplane.
Many international airports in the United States offer flights from the United States to Turkey. Turkish Airlines offers non-stop flights that usually land in Istanbul.
And boy, sometimes finding affordable flights can be challenging however, here are a few tips for booking the most affordable flights.
1. Use Skyscanner
This website is a great tool when booking flights to save money. Skyscanner has a notification option where they can let you know when the prices of your desired flight start decreasing.
2. Being flexible with dates
Being flexible allows you to explore the cheapest options for flights. Consider traveling during the low season as this is generally when airfares are at their lowest.
Weekday flights are usually less expensive than flights on Fridays and Saturdays.
Another thing to consider is to not travel during major holidays such as Easter or Christmas as airlines usually increase the prices of their flights during those times.
3. Try using CheapAir
This website compares over 917 million airfares across thousands of markets in every region of the world – they aim to help you book your next international flight at the lowest possible rate.
According to their data, the best time to book a flight for Europe/Asia is 120 days before your trip.
What Are The Covid Requirements For Traveling To Turkey?
So let’s discuss the elephant in the room – what are the traveling to Turkey Covid requirements?
As of 1 June 2022, all Covid restrictions have been lifted. Passengers are not required to present a negative PCR test or proof of vaccination.
However, Covid-19 is still present all around us, and these Turkey travel requirements can change at any given time. Therefore you must keep up to date with the travel restrictions for Turkey. Some airlines may have their own travel restrictions, so make sure you are clear on what those restrictions are.
It is also recommended to make sure you have sufficient travel insurance as anything can happen during your stay.
What Type Of Transportation Can I Use In Turkey?
So let’s answer the question: ‘How to travel in Turkey?’.
It is actually quite simple to get around in Turkey. There are many transportation options available to you in Turkey.
Car rentals are available throughout Turkey and if you prefer to drive yourself this is a good option for you.
You can travel around Turkey using their bus, metro, ferry, and tram system. The buses run everywhere, even cross-country and it is quite a safe and reliable method of transportation. However, tickets need to be pre-purchased to use these modes of transport or you need to buy a fare card that allows you to put money on the card and travel whenever you like.
Using trains is also a very popular mode of transportation for travelers on a budget.
If using buses isn’t for you, that’s okay, you will find taxis almost everywhere in Turkey. Taxis will be able to take you anywhere you want to go. However, be very careful of metered taxis as they have been known to scam travelers by running the meter up or charging more than the meter indicates.
Since 2021 Uber has also been widely available in most parts of Turkey. So you can just order an Uber on your app and don’t have to try to hail a cab in the busy streets of Turkey.
Lastly and probably the most loved cab-hailing app in Turkey is BiTaksi. You can find this app on both the Google Play store and the Apple store. This app offers the same payment and ride options as Uber.
What Are The Cheapest Ways Of Traveling In Turkey?
The cheapest way to travel in Turkey is by using public buses, metro, ferry, or tram systems. If you can live with most of these options not having AC then this is the best way to travel on a budget.
Conclusion
Turkey is a great place to travel to from the US as the Turkey travel requirements have been lifted since June 2021.
Consider using the tips mentioned above to make sure you get the best price for your airfare.
When traveling in Turkey there are a lot of options for transport such as buses, trams, metros, trains, taxis, uber, or BiTaksi. However, when you are traveling on a budget the buses and train rides will be the most affordable option.
Will you be booking your trip to Turkey in 2023?
