Beaches and bazaars
With its vibrant culture of East meets West, stunning coastline and famously friendly hospitality, family holidays in Turkey have been popular for years. Spend your days ordering food straight to your lounger on the beach, try out some of the water sports and activities or enjoy a relaxing day at the spa.
Flight time from the UK to Turkey is approximately 4 hours.
There are no two ways about it – Turkey is hot. Summers top 30°C, with an average of 12 hours of sunshine a day and virtually no rain. The coast is cooled by sea breezes, which are particularly welcome in the mid-summer months. Spring and autumn are good times to go, averaging a thoroughly beach-ready mid-20s with plenty of sunshine and blue skies.
A visa is required to enter Turkey and must be purchased prior to travel through www.evisa.gov.tr/en/. The E-visa can be applied for up to 3 months in advance of your travel date. Please ensure this is applied for prior to travel, as it is no longer possible to apply for a visa on arrival at any Turkish Airport. For more information please visit www.gov.ul/foreign-travel-advice/turkey/entry-requirements.
In restaurants in Turkey it’s common to leave 10-15% as a tip, unless service charge is included – make sure you check your bill carefully. Round up the fare when paying your taxi driver, although it’s not necessary to tip a dolmus driver. In the very popular Turkish baths, you should tip the masseuse between 10-20%.
The official language of Turkey is Turkish. English is widely spoken too, so getting by is easy.
