§         TIME DIFFERENCE

       GMT +2hours.


§         ARRIVAL
Istanbul’s International Airport – Atatürk Airport – is about 25 km from the city centre and 16 km from the Theodosius’ ramparts, which demarcate the south from the historic centre.

On your arrival at the airport, information will be available at the UIA welcome desk (from October 28 to 30, 2010).

§         TRANSFERS FROM THE AIRPORT
It takes around 45 minutes to reach the area where the Swissôtel the Bosphorus is, depending on the traffic.

The cost of the journey is approximately 35 TRY (17 €), depending on the traffic.

DESTINATION PLUS will provide a transfer from the international airport to the congress hotels by minibus (with 8 to 20 seats)- or possibly by bus according to the arrivals - on October 29 and 30.The welcome will be made at the luggage retrieval area.

Reservation of the transfer service from the airport will have to be made jointly with the reservation form (the price per person is €15).

Information about your arrival flight must be provided to DESTINATION PLUS more than one month before your arrival (should you not respect this deadline, DESTINATION PLUS would not be able to confirm the service).


§         CURRENCY
The Turkish Lira (TRY).

Exchange rate on 31/01/2010:

1 TRY = 0,477941 €                  1 EURO = 2,09231 TRY

1 TRY = 0,663404 USD             1 USD = 1,50738 TRY

It is customary to leave tips amounting to about 5-15% of the total amount of the services provided in hotels, restaurants, Turkish baths, etc.


§         BANK / FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Currencies can be changed without commission in bureaux de change, banks or hotels.  Automatic teller machines (ATMs) are available throughout the city. Almost all credit cards are accepted and instructions are available in English.


§         LANGUAGE

Turkish is the national language.

English and German are spoken in hotels, travel agencies, airports and tourist sites.


§         POWER SUPPLY

The electric current supplied is 220V; 50 Hz.

Round, two-pin plug points are available, as elsewhere in Europe. In case you have any devices from the USA, kindly remember to bring a transformer/adapter.


§         SHOP TIMINGS

The most common opening hours for shops are from 9.00 am to 7.00 pm, and most of the shops are opened from Monday to Sunday.

The main shopping malls and department stores are open from 10.00 am to 10.00 pm.

Renowned worldwide for its extraordinary cuisine, the city of Istanbul offers a wide choice of unexpensive restaurants proposing an always fresh product range.
Nights in Istanbul are very lively, particularly the end of the week. Bars and discotheques are open until 2.00 or 4.00 am.


§         SINGLE NUMBER FOR ALL EMERGENCY SERVICES: 112 


§         CLOTHING 
Istanbul is blessed with a mainly Mediterranean climate, characterised by hot and wet summers and winters with an even temperature.
The average temperature in Istanbul is generally between 10°C and 17°C in October and November.

Dress code for the various social events:

-       Opening ceremony and cocktail: lounge/ town suit (the cocktail will be held indoors).
-       Informal evening : Casual wear but bring along something warmer (the reception will be held in a cistern)
-       Gala dinner: Full evening dress (the reception will take place indoors)
-       General excursion: Casual wear but bring along something warmer for the cruise.


§         TOURISM IN ISTANBUL
There are several facets to Istanbul. It is primarily a tourist city bursting with historical monuments, visited by thousands of tourists from the four corners of the world every year, but it is also a modern city with several business districts. In fact, Istanbul is a very lively city with an extraordinary night life.


§         ISTANBUL, A CITY OF CULTURE

Today, Istanbul is Turkey’s main economic hub. It is also a city that fires your imagination, with its rich and unique past. The city's history goes back to the times of ancient Greece. Ever since, it has witnessed several civilisations one after another. The city once belonged to the Roman Empire and then the Byzantine Empire. In 1299, Osman I conquered the Byzantine city. This date marks the beginning of the Ottoman Empire, which chose Istanbul as its capital from 1453 onwards.

Istanbul is both a mirror of Turkey and culturally exceptional. All the area’s provinces and trades rub shoulders with each other here. Two gigantic suspension bridges connect Asian Istanbul with European Istanbul.

An amphitheatre of history, every street in Istanbul has a story to tell. Build on seven hills overlooking the sea, it is an out-of-the-world maze of noisy little streets filled with frenzied activity.


§         TURKEY'S HISTORY AND CULTURE

Turkey is one of the only countries in the world that spans two continents. So far and yet so near, it is a promise of exotic new surroundings.

Its cultural diversity, multiple ethnic influences and cultural traditions have engendered a rich and varied folklore.

Turkey may be summed up by the clichés normally used to describe the Orient: someone nonchalantly smoking a hookah, bazaars spilling with carpets and perfumes, sparkling copperware and jewellery, the faithful being called to prayer from the minarets, whirling dervishes… However, that would mean neglecting another side of Turkey: secular and modern, vibrant and multicoloured, just like its hectic metropolis – Istanbul.