Getting Turkish Lira

masterboy123

Traveling to Turkey next week and I am wondering where could I get Turkish Lira at a good conversion rate? Do AnPost have it?

Thanks

StreetLight

An Post only do US dollars and UK sterling.

You need to pick a bank, but if you're travelling next week - be quick. When I got my Lira from Bank Of Ireland a few years ago, they had to order it and make an appointment for me to collect it a few days later.

phormium

If you have a credit union account you can order directly from Fexco and pick up in you local credit union, usually pretty much next day if ordered early. Not sure about rate but certainly convenient.

masterboy123

I checked AnPost foreign exchange rates, lira is there but not sure if they keep it available or need to order.

I don't have Credit Union account, just with AIB. Is it possible to get from Fexco to my AIB? Or directly from AIB?

cdeb

Easiest to use an ATM out there I'd say

masterboy123

ATMs are going to charge extra fees. I just found good rates at Debenhams and they have the currency on site.
Thanks everyone.

tedpan

cdeb wrote:

Easiest to use an ATM out there I'd say

ATMs are fine if you're going to take out money once or twice due to the charges.

The best thing is to use your Visa debit or even better a revolut card, both better rates than getting money exchanged here or in Turkey.

masterboy123

Thanks for the tip. What about using credit card to pay at shops?

tedpan wrote: »

ATMs are fine if you're going to take out money once or twice due to the charges.

The best thing is to use your Visa debit or even better a revolut card, both better rates than getting money exchanged here or in Turkey.

phormium

Debenhams do foreign ex! Well you learn something new everyday

tedpan

masterboy123 wrote:

Thanks for the tip. What about using credit card to pay at shops?

Totally fine too although some banks charge for foreign transactions. I'm with AIB and there's no charges on credit cards either.

Nearly everywhere accepts card so you will be fine and lira is so weak at the moment you'll find it cheap.

Sonny noggs

Bring back some Turkish delight.

tedpan

Sonny noggs wrote:

Bring back some Turkish delight.

Yep! Lokum and Baklava please

masterboy123

And their rates are usually better!

phormium wrote: »

Debenhams do foreign ex! Well you learn something new everyday

masterboy123

I am with AIB too. Thanks for this info.

tedpan wrote: »

Totally fine too although some banks charge for foreign transactions. I'm with AIB and there's no charges on credit cards either.

Nearly everywhere accepts card so you will be fine and lira is so weak at the moment you'll find it cheap.

Gael23

An post do other Currencies apart from sterling and Dollars but you get them in a preloaded card, not in cash. That said not sure if Turkish Lira is one.

Credit union would be where I would go

meolwan

You will get a better rate exchanging your money in Turkey. If you are going to a tourist area most places will except Euro. But I would only use Euro on the first night or until I got Lira. Most hotels and restaurants will exchange Euro, Sterling or Dollars to Lira for you but just shop around.

odyssey06

Make sure to have some euros in your wallet.
Dunno if they still do it, but there was a bit of a racket a few years back where you had to buy a tourist visa on arrival in the airport using dollars, euros or sterling. Most of the cash I had was turkish lira!

meolwan

odyssey06 wrote: »

Make sure to have some euros in your wallet.
Dunno if they still do it, but there was a bit of a racket a few years back where you had to buy a tourist visa on arrival in the airport using dollars, euros or sterling. Most of the cash I had was turkish lira!

You can get your visa online now much easier. Last time I got one it cost $20 print it at home before you go.

Gael23

Are those commission free currency outlets good or best avoided?

EagererBeaver

Get a Revolut account.

coylemj

Gael23 wrote: »

Are those commission free currency outlets good or best avoided?

As with An Post here, 'commission free' is a smokescreen to hide poor exchange rates. An Post is never the best for FX, ever, they always set their rates between AIB and BoI.

killbillvol2

tedpan wrote: »

Totally fine too although some banks charge for foreign transactions. I'm with AIB and there's no charges on credit cards either.

Nearly everywhere accepts card so you will be fine and lira is so weak at the moment you'll find it cheap.

AIB do charge for non Euro transactions, it's just not very transparent. It's 1.75% in Europe and higher for the rest of the world. And their VISA exchange rate isn't great either.

Gael23

coylemj wrote: »

As with An Post here, 'commission free' is a smokescreen to hide poor exchange rates. An Post is never the best for FX, ever, they always set their rates between AIB and BoI.

With AIB you have to have an account with them to get foreign currency,

tedpan

killbillvol2 wrote:

AIB do charge for non Euro transactions, it's just not very transparent. It's 1.75% in Europe and higher for the rest of the world. And their VISA exchange rate isn't great either.

It's far better than local exchanges in Turkey. As I said before, Revolut would be the best option.

scudzilla

Just another tip for you, do not let your card out of your sight

We flew into Dalaman last October, we bank with BoI but i had about 150euro in my AIB account, now this account had not been used for a good 4 months.

Get off plane in Dalaman and stop in Duty Free and buy 90euro worth of Amber Leaf, lady takes card, puts it in machine under desk, i put in pin, goes through all grand, i get card and head off.

Few days later i just happen to check the online AIB banking, sure the 90 quid had gone out, along with 4 payments of 12.99 to Netflix for the next day and an attempt for a card payment of 70euro.

Only time that card had been out of my sight, or used for the previous 4 months was the airport

masterboy123

Thanks for the heads up.

Did you manage to get your money back?

I suppose credit card is better to use as it's bank money and they usually revert back the transaction.

scudzilla wrote: »

Just another tip for you, do not let your card out of your sight

We flew into Dalaman last October, we bank with BoI but i had about 150euro in my AIB account, now this account had not been used for a good 4 months.

Get off plane in Dalaman and stop in Duty Free and buy 90euro worth of Amber Leaf, lady takes card, puts it in machine under desk, i put in pin, goes through all grand, i get card and head off.

Few days later i just happen to check the online AIB banking, sure the 90 quid had gone out, along with 4 payments of 12.99 to Netflix for the next day and an attempt for a card payment of 70euro.

Only time that card had been out of my sight, or used for the previous 4 months was the airport

masterboy123

Ah, Debenhams closed early today.

Any idea if AIB keep Turkish Lira in the bank? Or need to order it?

scudzilla

masterboy123 wrote: »

Thanks for the heads up.

Did you manage to get your money back?

I suppose credit card is better to use as it's bank money and they usually revert back the transaction.

Oh yeah, seen the transactions and just left it, hardly anything in that account, contacted bank when i got back and they just refunded it, no questions asked, was expecting a fight but no, same day back in account

JCX BXC

Just a warning, card is not widely accepted at the resort's in smaller shops and most restaurants.

tedpan

JCX BXC wrote:

Just a warning, card is not widely accepted at the resort's in smaller shops and most restaurants.

Not sure about the resorts but I go to turkey quite regularly and use card in every restaurant I go to. It's been years since I found somewhere without a card machine.

masterboy123

I am carrying few hundreds of euros also in cash. Any recommendation for currency exchange in Sultanahmet area?

tedpan

masterboy123 wrote:

I am carrying few hundreds of euros also in cash. Any recommendation for currency exchange in Sultanahmet area?

They have ATMs and exchanges all over the place in Sultanahmet, you definitely will not have any issues in Istanbul...