Tekirdag » City Info » Travel Tips

Located on the northern shoreline of the Sea of Marmara, Tekirdağ is one of the wonderful cities in European Turkey. It lies 135 km west of Istanbul and enjoys a borderline mediterranean/humid climate. Because of its breathtaking atmosphere, it is worth to visit Tekirdağ once in a lifetime.

City Transport

It is great to explore the downtown area of Tekirdağ on foot, but a public transport system based on minibuses is readily available to serve the best. Public minibuses are run by the city council while private companies operate other minibuses. Tickets are available inside the vehicle on paying cash to the driver. Public minibuses have blue colour and their route numbers are written on the front, whereas private buses have different colours according to their routes. Almost all minibuses have fixed route and schedule and run in 10-minute intervals.

Slowly the rail network in Turkey is improving. The creation of the branch line between Tekirdağ and the Istanbul-Edirne depicts the extension of the national rail network for the first time within the last 40 years in Turkey. There are several modern and comfortable railcars running between Muratlı to north and Çorlu to northeast several times a day.

In Tekirdağ, there are many taxis available for visitors. Taxi drivers are quite honest and disciplined, but some rogues might cheat you. Be careful before hiring a taxi. Note down a cab number written on the side of the car. Before travelling anywhere, ask for switching on the metre and examine carefully that it’s working. Taxi fare is more expensive than fare charged in Istanbul. However, it is easily accessible and provides privacy.

All car rental companies in Tekirdağ provide well-resourced amenities and safety features. It ensures that you feel safe, convenient and comfortable. Choose compact economy cars to luxury or off road solutions, depending on your taste. To ease the process of renting a car in Turkey, many companies provide competitive prices and up-to-date information, ensuring quality and efficiency for all tourists from different backdrops of the world.

Safety

Tekirdağ is a safe city, but be careful travelling to Aydogdu Quarter inhibited by Roma people and recent immigrants from eastern parts of Turkey, particularly at night. Avoid areas that are out-of-the-beaten-path, especially those areas that aren’t close to the shoreline and the downtown. Be careful while travelling if someone offers to take you to a great place with drinks, ladies, disco, etc. Apply your common sense and be conscious.

Useful Information

• Drinking tap water in Tekirdağ is a bit unpleasant to taste because of high mineral content. Prefer mineral water, which is easily available in hotels and restaurants costing around 0.5 TL for a small bottle while 1 TL for a large bottle.
• Turkish medical care is of high quality and medicines are available at affordable rates. After producing a valid travel insurance certificate, some clinics can provide basic assessment and investigations to travellers. In Turkey, many private hospitals are excellent and provide English speaking accompany upon request.
• It is strictly recommended not to wear beachwear other than the beaches. Before visiting religious sites, women have to wear a long sleeved top, long skirt or pants and cover their heads with a scarf or hat.
• Turkish power plugs have 2 round pins running at 200v. It might be difficult for those who have habit of using the large British Standard 3 pin grounded plugs. They need an adaptor suitable for these inset plugs. Some hotels also provide such types of adaptors.
• Many public call boxes in Turkey work by insertion of a call card. These cards are available at small general shops, the post offices (PTT) and some supermarkets. Use metered telephones within post offices, which charge you after your call completes.
• Almost all mobile phones in Turkey can be recognised by their 05 prefix. Turkish SIM cards are easily available in all mobile phone shops at reasonable rates. This reduces worries of using your own service provider’s roaming service.
• Always keep your money in a safe place, not in your wallet or suitcase. Be careful while using ATMs. A 4 digit pin number is required to use ATMs in Turkey.
• Be friendly and respect other culture as well. Talk to locals and learn a few Turkish phrases. Try to know about the country, its culture and customs, where you have planned to visit.

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