Fast Facts

American Express -- Türk Expres is the official representative of Amex Travel Related Services in Turkey, at Cumhuriyet Cad. 47/1, 3rd floor, Taksim (tel. 0212/235-9500). The worldwide customer assist service center number is tel. 00800/4491-4820. Amex also provides a toll-free number within Turkey for Global Assist (tel. 0312/935-3601).

Area Codes -- The three-digit area code for the European side of Istanbul is 212; for the Asian side, dial 216.

Babysitters -- Most of the larger hotels provide some type of child-care service for a fee, be it an on-site nanny or a babysitter referral.

Business Hours -- Banks are open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to noon and 1:30 to 5pm. Government offices are open Monday through Friday 8:30am to 12:30pm and 1:30 to 5:30pm. Official hours of operation for shops are Monday through Saturday 9:30am to 1pm and 2 to 7pm, but I've yet to find a store closed at lunchtime, or a shop outside of the Grand Bazaar or the Egyptian Spice Market closed on Sundays. Museums and palaces are generally open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30am to 5 or 5:30pm, while the closing day for palaces is Tuesday, Thursday, or both. Museum opening hours are generally extended by an hour or two in summer; note that museums generally also stop selling tickets up to an hour prior to the official closing time. While most official offices close for bank and religious holidays, there is no hard and fast rule over shops closing for these holidays. During Ramadan, however, many shops and businesses close early, while many restaurants either close down completely or offer limited menus at lunchtime.

Courier Services -- The post office (PTT) offers an express mail service (acele posta servisi), although you may feel safer with old reliables such as DHL (tel. 0212/444-0040), Federal Express (tel. 0212/444-0505), TNT (tel. 0216/425-1700) or UPS (tel. 0212/444-0033). The latter has a convenient office location at Küçük Ayasofya Cad., Aksakal Cad. 14, Sultanahmet.

Dentist -- Istanbul seems to have developed its own dental tourism niche. If the city's new Dentistanbul franchise is any indication, you should have little worries in an oral emergency. If Dentistanbul (tel. 0212/444-0-DIS or 0212/327-4020; www.dentistanbul.com) in Besiktas can't solve your oral problems, then the Koç American Hospital in Nisantasi (tel. 0212/311-2000) and the International Hospital in Yesilyurt (tel. 0212/663-3000) can provide emergency dental services in an English-speaking atmosphere. For a selected list of private practitioners, log onto http://turkey.usembassy.gov/docistanbul.html.

Drugstores -- Pharmacists in Turkey are qualified to provide some medical services beyond filling prescriptions, such as administering injections, bandaging minor injuries, and suggesting medication. Local pharmacies (eczane) operate on a rotating schedule so that one is always open; each posts the address of the one whose turn it is in the window (Nöbetçi or "on night duty").

Electricity -- The standard is 220 volts, and outlets are compatible with the round European two-prong plug. You may be able to leave your hair dryer at home, as most hotel rooms come equipped with at least a weak one. Visitors from America and Canada with electronics that need to be recharged will need an adapter, a transformer, or both, depending on the appliance.

Emergencies -- Local emergency numbers are fire tel. 110, police tel. 155, and ambulance tel. 112. Emergencies may also warrant a call to Medline (tel. 0212/444-1212, 24 hr. a day), a private company equipped to deal with any medical crisis, including ambulance transfers (cost varies according to distance), lab tests, and home treatment. The International Hospital also provides ambulance services.

Hospitals -- For optimal local emergency care, put yourself in the hands of one of the reputed private hospital facilities: the new Koç American Hospital, Güzelbahçe Sok., Nisantasi (tel. 0212/311-2000); Metropolitan Florence Nightingale Hospital, Cemil Aslangüder Sok. 8, Gayrettepe (tel. 0212/288-3400); the International Hospital, Istanbul Cad. 82, Yesilköy (tel. 0212/663-3000); the German Hospital, Siraselviler Cad. 119, Taksim (tel. 0212/293-2150); and the Balat Jewish Hospital, Hisarönü Cad. 46-48, Fatih (tel. 0212/635-9280) are just a few of the establishments with reliable English-speaking staff. Don't forget that payment is required at the time of treatment.

Laundromats -- All hotels provide laundry and dry-cleaning services, seeing to it in the process that they make a huge profit on the transaction. Indeed, even in Sultanahmet, laundry is becoming big business. The Turkish word for a laundromat is çamisirhane. You can drop your soiled clothing at Popup Internet and Laundry (Divanyolu, Evkaf Sok., Yapi Hani 5/2; tel. 0212/458-1997; open Mon-Sat 10am-8pm). On the other side of the Golden Horn, a couple of laundry/dry cleaners are near the Pera Palas Hotel, but the prices don't warrant circumventing the hotel service.

Language -- English, French, and German are widespread, and increasingly so are Russian, Japanese, and even Korean. For the linguistically challenged, it may not be so unusual to encounter some minor language barrier (including, surprisingly enough, established restaurants), but the inherent willingness of the Turks to help combined with a little sign language and a lot of laughs will almost always do the trick. See appendix B for a glossary of useful Turkish words and phrases.

Legal Aid -- Foreigners and tourists get the benefit of the doubt in most every run-in with the law, but some things you just can't talk your way out of. For real trouble, contact your embassy or consulate for assistance and ask for their list of private law firms catering to English-speaking foreigners.

Liquor Laws -- For a predominantly Muslim country, it might be surprising that alcohol is even sold in Turkey. The truth is, drinking alcohol is not an issue: Some do, some don't, although the current government is certainly discouraging consumption by setting sky-high taxes on wine, beer, and spirits. In most restaurants (but not all) alcohol is readily available, and theoretically you have to be at least 18 to purchase or consume it.

Mail -- The PTT, hard to miss with its black and yellow signs, offers the usual postal services, in addition to selling tokens (jeton) and phone cards for the phone booths located in and around the post office and in most public places. Postcards cost 35Ykr to Europe and 70Ykr to all other continents. The PTT also has currency exchange and traveler's check services; in major tourist areas PTT kiosks are strategically located for emergency money needs. For express deliveries or shipping packages, the PTT operates an acele posta servisi (or APS), but for your own sense of security, you'd better stick with the old reliable UPS or DHL.

Newspapers & Magazines -- For local and national information, the Turkish Daily News gives a basic rundown of the day's headlines. If you have access to the Internet, log onto the website of Zaman, www.zaman.com, the bilingual website of the Turkish language national paper. For local listings, the Guide Istanbul and Time Out Istanbul contain essential listings for tourists. Both are available at newsstands; the former is provided free at some hotels.

Passports -- The websites listed provide downloadable passport applications as well as the current fees for processing applications. For an up-to-date, country-by-country listing of passport requirements around the world, go to the "International Travel" tab of the U.S. State Department at http://travel.state.gov.

For Residents of Australia: You can pick up an application from your local post office or any branch of Passports Australia, but you must schedule an interview at the passport office to present your application materials. Call the Australian Passport Information Service at tel. 131-232, or visit the government website at www.passports.gov.au.

For Residents of Canada: Passport applications are available at travel agencies throughout Canada or from the central Passport Office, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G3 (tel. 800/567-6868; www.ppt.gc.ca). Note: Canadian children who travel must have their own passports. However, if you hold a valid Canadian passport issued before December 11, 2001, that bears the name of your child, the passport remains valid for you and your child until it expires.

For Residents of Ireland: You can apply for a 10-year passport at the Passport Office, Setanta Centre, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 (tel. 01/671-1633; www.irlgov.ie/iveagh). Those under age 18 and over 65 must apply for a 3-year passport. You can also apply at 1A South Mall, Cork (tel. 21/494-4700) or at most main post offices.

For Residents of New Zealand: You can pick up a passport application at any New Zealand Passports Office or download it from their website. Contact the Passports Office at tel. 0800/225-050 in New Zealand or 04/474-8100, or log on to www.passports.govt.nz.

For Residents of the United Kingdom: To pick up an application for a standard 10-year passport (5-year passport for children under 16), visit your nearest passport office, major post office, or travel agency or contact the United Kingdom Passport Service at tel. 0870/521-0410, or search its website at www.ukpa.gov.uk.

For Residents of the United States: Whether you're applying in person or by mail, you can download passport applications from the U.S. State Department website at http://travel.state.gov. To find your regional passport office, either check the U.S. State Department website or call the National Passport Information Center toll-free number (tel. 877/487-2778) for automated information.

Police -- To reach the police, dial tel. 155.

Restrooms -- Public restrooms (WC, or tuvalet) are located all around town, in addition to those in public buildings such as museums. "Toll money" in Istanbul costs about 25Ykr, which occasionally includes a bonus handful of toilet paper. Flushing the toilet paper can sometimes be hazardous to the plumbing; when this is the case, you will usually see a sign above the tank requesting that you dispose of it in the nearby wastebasket.

Smoking -- A local saying goes something like this: "Eat like a Turk, smoke like a Turk," which roughly translates to "don't expect anyone to comply with nonsmoking laws." In theory, smoking is prohibited on public transportation, in movie theaters, and in airports, and discussions are under way for a national law banning smoking in all public places. Until that happens, this might be a good time to work on tolerance, and remember to pack Visine and to sit upwind at outdoor cafes.

Taxes -- A flat 18% VAT (value-added tax) is incorporated into the price of almost everything you buy, although news is that this will be lowered to 8% for tourist services. While generally included, note that some hotels charge this tax over and above room rates. Taxes for luxury goods are higher, as is the tax on alcoholic beverages (the current government frowns on such un-Islamic vices).

Time Zone -- All of Turkey adheres to Eastern European Time (EET), which is Greenwich Mean Time +2. To make it easier: When it is noon in New York, it is 7pm in Istanbul. Daylight saving time, when clocks are set 1 hour ahead of standard time, is in effect as Eastern European Summer Time (EEST), from 1am on the second Sunday in March to 1am on the first Sunday in November.

Tipping -- Gratuities are a way of life in Turkey and are often expected for even the most minor service. Try to keep coins or small notes handy and follow these guidelines: Give the bellhop 50Ykr to 1YTL per bag; leave at least an additional 10% of the restaurant bill for your waiter; reward your tour guide with 10€ to 20€ for a job well done; and give the attendant in the Turkish bath 3€ to 5€ before the rubdown. Shows of appreciation are also expected from your chambermaid, your barber or hairdresser, and an usher who has shown you to your seat.

Water -- Water is an integral part of Turkish culture; when the French were perfecting the art of camouflaging fermenting bodily odors with perfume, the sultans were basting in spring water in a sky-lit marble chamber and doted on by a handful of naked members of the harem. But the reality is that the water you bathe in is not necessarily the water you want to drink. It certainly won't kill you if you do. But take it from someone with an iron constitution -- it will definitely slow you down. Do yourself a favor: Drink bottled water and wash fruits thoroughly before eating.