If you hire a car in Turkey a British driving licence is fine, you do not need to apply for a European one before entering Turkey. Most Turkish car hire companies are pragmatic and have no problem with the UK version. I recommend that you keep your passport and driving licence with you if you are driving a hire car just in case you meet a road block. Once the police realise you are a British tourist, they will wave you on!
Turkey has a very simple tourist visa system. No forms or fuss. You simply pay £10 per head at the airport and they will stamp your passport, enabling you to come and go for a maximum of three months. After that you can purchase a new visa. If you are considering living in Turkey you will need a residents visa that is more complicated…
In Orhaniye there are a number of shops within easy walking distance of the villa that sell most fresh foods and beer and wine. If you want anything delivered, simply call Ihan, who owns one of the shops, and he will deliver your shopping directly to the villa by his car.
Parking in Marmaris is limited. Try and park in Otoparks as illegally parked cars may be towed away, or their drivers fined. In Marmaris there is car parking at Tansas supermarket. Or, fork right at the second main turning on the main road that runs along the back of Marmaris (turn right at lights by garden furniture shop and take the immediate left, watching out from traffic coming at you from the right). Follow this road for half a mile or so, across a set of lights and there is an Otopark on both the right and left shortly after the lights. We use the one on the right – where you will probably be asked to leave your keys as the owner regularly moves around and double parks vehicles to make best use of the space.
The first rule of the road in Turkey is to expect the unexpected! Here are some other tips that may help you:
On roundabouts traffic gives way to the right. However you may be expected to stop half way round.
If an oncoming vehicle flashes you, it means the driver intends to keep moving and you should stop or make way i.e. the opposite of what it means in the UK.
If a vehicle intends to turn left, it may indicate left, but then pull over to the right to allow traffic to pass before turning. So don’t be surprised if a car tries to overtake you when you are indicating to turn left. Although it is not standard practice now you can still sometimes get caught out.
Please take care at night; not everything that moves have lights.
Feel free to make your presence heard by using the horn. Everyone else does.
If you are unfortunate enough to have an accident or if your car is damaged you must call the police before moving the vehicle. Without a police report the insurance is invalid. You must also contact the car hire company immediately. If you have a camera with you, take pictures.
The driver will need to carry passport and drivers license along with vehicle documentation. The jandarma (traffic police) stop cars as a matter of routine. As soon as they realise you are tourists they are likely to wave you on.
It is compulsory to wear front seat belts and advisable to use rear seatbelts too, if fitted.
The speed limit is 50kph in built up areas. On open roads it is 90kph. Speed checkpoints are common and speeding drivers will be fined on the spot. (101 ytl, reduced to 75Y ytl if paid immediately – based on our experience in April 2006).
The legal drink-drive limit is one small beer or one glass of wine.