Planning a Family Trip to Turkey - Turkey with Your Family: From Bustling Bazaars to Historic Sites - page 36

Railway (TCDD. www.tcdd.gov.
tr ). Almost all start and finish
at Istanbul, leaving from
Haydarpa@a Station ( b +90 216
336 04 75 ) and Sires Station
( b [phone] ) at regular
intervals.
The trains link Ankara and
the main cities in the Black Sea,
Marmara and Aegean regions.
There are a few express routes,
the most notable of which is the
Haydarpa @ a-Adapazarı service
that runs regularly from Istanbul
and stops at various stations in
the region.
In the major cities such as
Istanbul there is also a light rail-
way network and trams , which
connect the main areas such as
Sirkeci Station, right in the heart
of the city at Eminönü, the loca-
tion of the Bosphorus cruise
trips, with Taksim Square and
Sultanahmet Square.
A similar service is operated
in Ankara. The southwest of the
country is not served by rail
because of the mountainous
terrain.

marked 'Visa' before you go
through Passport Control. You
can buy a visa on presentation of
your passport. It lasts 90 days
and costs £10 sterling, although
more if you go to a consulate.
Alternatively, you can go to the
Turkish Consulate General in
London ( www.turkishconsulate.
org.uk ) or Turkish Diplomatic
Missions in other countries to
obtain one prior to travelling.
The visa takes the form of a
sticker that is stuck to a page in
your passport. If there is more
than one person travelling on a
passport, such as is often the case
with a family, then each person
is liable for the fee. The visa is
intended for leisure travel only.
While travelling in Turkey you
should carry your passport as a
means of identification, although
take care to safeguard it against
theft. Turks have compulsory ID
cards, which they must carry
with them at all times and for-
eigners are expected to carry ID.
A photocopy of your passport is
acceptable. Make sure you have
at least six months' validity
remaining on your passport
before you travel as you could be
refused entry otherwise.

Entry Requirements &
Customs
Passports & Visas

British and many other world-
wide passport holders will need a
visa to enter and subsequently
travel around Turkey. It can be
obtained on landing at your cho-
sen airport or port of entry. For
instance, at Istanbul's Atatürk
Havalimani International
Airport ( www.ataturkairport.com )
simply look out for the kiosks

Customs - Arriving in Turkey &
Going Home

There are restrictions on what you
can bring into Turkey as well as
what you can take home with
you. Coming in you are permit-
ted to bring no more than 200
cigarettes and 50 cigars, plus 200
grams of tobacco with you,

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