Turkish Lira for an Istanbul City Break

Istanbul packs two continents, three empires and several thousand shops into one weekend, and cash keeps it all moving. Buy Turkish lira before you travel with a commission-free provider such as Travel FX and the city opens up from the first simit.

Where cash rules

• Street food: simit, balik ekmek and roasted chestnuts
• Trams and ferries topped up via machines that prefer notes
• Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar stalls
• Tips in restaurants and hammams

Cards have their place

Hotels, bigger restaurants and chain stores take cards readily, so split your spending between the two. A sensible rule for a weekend is cash for anything under the price of a decent meal and card for the rest.

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