Money makes the world go round...

There is the saying that holidays in Kemer are holidays in paradise. Probably no wonder the Turkish word for money is "para"... And you do need money for this and that here.

The Turkish currency is now "New Turkish Lira (YTL)" after dropping six zeros in the beginning of 2005. You are no longer a millionaire after changing just one Euro. In daily language use the word million is still often used. There are 100 Kurush to one Lira. The banknotes are 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 Lira, but I have hardly seen a 100 Lira bill so far.

Most shops and other places accept Dollars and Euros but English Pounds could be a problem. You are usually better off to change money and pay specially for small amounts (bus, Taxi, market) in Turkish Lira. Otherwise you get bad exchange rates.

Don't change money in your home country or directly at the airport. The rates are not as high as at the banks or exchange offices in Kemer. You can draw cash money from the ATMs throughout the Kemer region, usually in Turkish currency. Credit cards are widely accepted but be careful when giving your credit card out of hand.

After stopping the high inflation rates of the 1990ies, the exchange rates are about the same since 2002 (1 Euro ~ 1,60 YTL) but there is still a significant price rise, so Turkey is now more expensive than a few years ago. Also the taxes on alkohol and tobacco have risen quite high, you have to pay a lot more for your drinks. Don't miss to shop in the Duty-Free-Shop in Antalya after arrival. You can buy 2 litres of alkoholics and two cartons of cigarettes per adult (and if you don't need it, we will gladly take it!)

Be aware of the different currencies in use (Dollar, Euro and Turkish Lira). Some restaurants don't write the currency on their menu and charge Euros instead of Turkish Lira. Ask before ordering what the real price is.