Planning a Family Trip to Turkey - Turkey with Your Family: From Bustling Bazaars to Historic Sites - page 48

Banks open from 8.30am
through to midday and from
1.30pm to 5pm each weekday,
although daily in tourist areas.
Government offices keep similar
hours, although usually closing
at 5.30pm. In the hotter Aegean
and Mediterranean areas, many
offices close for the afternoon in
the summer. Main post offices are
generally open from 8.30am
through to 12.30pm and 1.30pm
to 5.30pm Monday to Saturday
and from 9am to 7pm on
Sundays, while smaller post
offices will be open on weekdays
only. Some smaller post offices in
tourist areas will open every day.
Car Hire See 'Getting Around',
p. 34.
Climate See 'When to Go',
p. 38.
Credit Cards See 'Money',
p. 37. Always be sure to have the
emergency contact numbers of
your credit card company with
you before you leave in case your
cards are lost or stolen. It is also
a good idea to notify your credit
card company of your visit to
Turkey so it is prepared for any
unusual spending pattern and
does not put a block on your
card's use.
Currency See 'Money', p. 37.
Dentists and Doctors Most
hotels will be able to give you
the telephone number of the
nearest dentist or doctor, and
some even have doctors on call.
For emergency information see
'Insurance and Health - If You
Need Help', p. 43.

Documents See 'Passports and
Visas' and 'Getting Around',
p. 36 and p. 34.
Drinking Laws The separation
of mosque and state in Turkey
ensures that the consumption of
alcohol remain a personal
choice. However, the pendulum
of tolerance for those who drink
has swung back under the cur-
rent government led by Erdogan.
Taxes on imported wines and
spirits went through the roof,
creating a financial disincentive
for anyone with a hankering for
a vodka tonic (for example).
Furthermore, many government-
owned establishments (restau-
rants operated by a municipality,
for example) and those establish-
ments owned by hard-core con-
servatives simply do not serve
alcohol. (In a compromise,
Hünkar Lokantasi, the famous
Istanbul restaurant, only serves
alcohol to foreigners.)
Practically speaking, the legal
age for purchase and consump-
tion of alcoholic beverages is 18,
although people under the age of
18 can drink (non-distilled bever-
ages only) when accompanied by
a parent. Beer, wine, and spirits
are widely available for purchase.
Also, although winemaking was
historically an activity pursued by
non-Muslim natives of Anatolia,
the shift to wine production by
the Turks began shortly after the
establishment of the Republic,
and in the past few years, Turkish
wines have continued to surprise
(and impress).
Driving Rules See 'Getting
Around', p. 34.

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