Have noticed that many members are worried about how much to take to spend in Turkish resorts, and think that this is to some extent due to some members bragging on this forum and others, about how much they blow on their holiday. Quite frankly our family struggles to just afford the airfare and accommodation prices so we have to operate on a very tight budget when on holiday, and my husband and I, now both in our fifties, have worked all our lives, so how others can afford to be so extravagant is beyond me .
The thing is most Turkish people don't earn in a month what some holidaymakers get through in a week in Turkish resorts, so of course it is possible to have a great time on a tight budget, as long as you use your common sense. Firstly try to book self-catering so that you can buy cheaply at local supermarkets or markets and prepare your own food most of the time, packing picnics for the beach etc., and when eating out use the smaller establishments away from the seafront frequented by the locals for the food here will not only be cheaper but of a better quality as well. And considering that one of the most expensive items will be alcohol, if you like a tipple buy it in from the supermarket where the savings will be enormous compared to drinking out at bars/clubs every night. Day trips can also eat into your budget so take advantage of the local dolmus's to get around to different resorts/places, or price the buses to further destinations before booking an expensive organised trip.
And if you are going self-catering pack as many unperishables as you can e.g. tea, coffee, dried pasta, rice, breakfast cereals, etc., for even the cheaper airlines allow you a considerable amount of hand luggage as well as hold luggage.
So go ahead, enjoy, and then give yourself a pat on the back when you return for not having followed the tourist crowd when in Turkey but having discovered the real Turkey as well as not getting seriously in debt.
X
Good post,ardath,my husband has a good job and I work part time so we are not on a tight budget but I do not believe in wasting money for the sake of it,I would rather have a weekend away or a few days out with the money I can save.T.
I agree Ardath, you certainly can enjoy a holiday to Turkey with a tight budget, I dont even think you would need to to bring things like pasta or rice with you as you can get these things very cheaply in the big supermarkets. Obvioulsy if people want to spend lots of money while they are on holiday then that is their choice but if people really don't have the money to do that then can still have a great holiday without spending too much as well.
Excellent post, ardath - as has been said, what people can, or choose to spend on holiday is obviously down to their wishes and circumstances, but it is good for people to know that you can do it on a budget if you want, or need to. Certainly we've never spent half as much as some people seem to, yet we still manage to have a fab holiday and don't skimp on things. I certainly wouldn't think of it as penny-pinching, and sometimes it can all be part of the fun of the holiday to seek out the smaller, cheaper places to eat and drink, often where the locals go. Having a picnic with fresh local produce - perhaps bought from the market, where the fruit and veg is especially good in Turkey - is also good fun.
The trouble is that many holiday makers seem to equate the amount they spend with how much they will enjoy their holidays and then ultimately come home disappointed.
I mean some of my happiest recollections of holidays were spent in caravans in Wales and Morecambe!
To be honest kids don't need to be hauled around 'water parks' or 'theme parks', in my experience they are just as happy, if not moreso, mucking around on the local beach or around the pool, making friends with other kids. And expensive excursions are mainly spent on board a coach either feeling travel sick or bored. So my advice is to 'buck the trend' and save money at the same time, whilst enjoying Turkey in the same way that the locals do. Go on your own excursions using local transport exploring nearby places, and eat as the locals eat. A rule of thumb is to never ask the advice of hoteliers or those touting for business in a resort on where to go and what to do, try travelling to a nearby small town or village a bit off the tourist track and hopefully find someone who speaks English who can advise you without being on the payroll of an excursion company etc. This demands some effort, but as a previous poster said, it can be fun.
We have been doing this for years and would recommend it to everyone, regardless of their surplus incomes, because as a result we have made lasting friendships with people from many destinations abroad whom we regularly correspond with.
X
I mean some of my happiest recollections of holidays were spent in caravans in Wales and Morecambe!
To be honest kids don't need to be hauled around 'water parks' or 'theme parks', in my experience they are just as happy, if not moreso, mucking around on the local beach or around the pool, making friends with other kids. And expensive excursions are mainly spent on board a coach either feeling travel sick or bored. So my advice is to 'buck the trend' and save money at the same time, whilst enjoying Turkey in the same way that the locals do. Go on your own excursions using local transport exploring nearby places, and eat as the locals eat. A rule of thumb is to never ask the advice of hoteliers or those touting for business in a resort on where to go and what to do, try travelling to a nearby small town or village a bit off the tourist track and hopefully find someone who speaks English who can advise you without being on the payroll of an excursion company etc. This demands some effort, but as a previous poster said, it can be fun.
We have been doing this for years and would recommend it to everyone, regardless of their surplus incomes, because as a result we have made lasting friendships with people from many destinations abroad whom we regularly correspond with.
X
ardath wrote:To be honest kids don't need to be hauled around 'water parks' or 'theme parks', in my experience they are just as happy, if not moreso, mucking around on the local beach or around the pool, making friends with other kids.
Absolutely, I have never felt the need to find "entertainment" for my children, they love playing on the beach and splashing in the pool and they find it really exciting to get on a dolmus to go somewhere new. Kids are pretty good at entertaining themselves if left to it anyway.
i agree x my daughter has a right strop if we take her away from the pool lol!!!
i really agree with this ardath ! we are now in our 50's and its just me and my husband to worry about now. when our 2 boys were young, we went everywhere self catering, as it was so much cheaper than hotels, plus with kids you knew you could give them what they liked to eat. a hotel buffet could be a potential nightmare for some parents! you used to always get at least 20kg luggage and the same for the boys, so i would load up with their favourite cereals,crisps,snacks etc. i also used to freeze cheese,bacon and butter and pack it in the suitcases. it sounds incredibly tight now but it was the only way we could afford to have foreign holidays.we always ate out at night but we had breakfast in the apartment and bought rolls and cold meat etc. at the supermarket for lunch. anyone with children knows they want to eat all day and without taking crisps,biscuits ect. for snacks it can cost a fortune, even self catering. we have more "disposable income" now, but they were still the best holidays we had.(now i'm getting all nostalgic!)
Brilliant post... I for 1 struggle all year round to pay for a holiday... myself and 3 children, then with the spending money on top it can become very frightening when reading posts from people who say you need at least 100-140 pound spending per day... ive been to turkey a few times, packing our cases with super noodles, packet soups and also buying bread, cheese etc from local super markets... and just eating out at night times. sadly though the prices for icecreams and pop can be rather expesive..
well done for high lighting this ardath..x
well done for high lighting this ardath..x
The reason I highlighted this is because some members on this forum as well as 'Tripadvisor' have been voicing fears about being able to afford a holiday in Turkey due to the amounts some other members say they get through in a week/2 weeks.
When we were in Marmaris/Icmeler last year we saw some holidaymakers throwing their money around as if there was no tomorrow but the majority were like ourselves, trying to save money rather than waste it.
Just wonder if those who boast the most about what they spend are actually paying for it on plastic and then having to deal with the debts that ensue when they get home?
When we were in Marmaris/Icmeler last year we saw some holidaymakers throwing their money around as if there was no tomorrow but the majority were like ourselves, trying to save money rather than waste it.
Just wonder if those who boast the most about what they spend are actually paying for it on plastic and then having to deal with the debts that ensue when they get home?
Couldnt agree more about costs Ardath. Bushbaby i did exactly the same as you bringing cheese, bacon, teabags, the small mini boxes of cereals, pringles even some dilutable juice a couple of years ago.
Last year i didnt have lots of spends and had to ration money. For this year as there was only 3 of us going i thought i'd try AI think we paid about £2300 for July, youngest daughter (now 14) we got for half price. Which was a good price, as self catering even with booking direct with the owner and 4 X flights can cost £1500, then you have your spending money on top, i reckoned we spent £700 on mainly food and drink last year that was eating out night, having the odd breakfast and going to tansas or local shop to buy a loaf etc.
So hopefully it will work out ok, and i still intend on eating outside every other night or something.
Also the odd night time we went to the kebab shops and 6 of us had kebab and chips with a can of fizzy stuff for 60 lira which was excellent compared to 100 lira or more in a restaurant and that was with no starter and one drink each.
Also its not really necessary as others said to go on trips, just go on the wrong Dolmus like we've done a few times by accident and you discover places lol.
HAve fun all
Bev
Last year i didnt have lots of spends and had to ration money. For this year as there was only 3 of us going i thought i'd try AI think we paid about £2300 for July, youngest daughter (now 14) we got for half price. Which was a good price, as self catering even with booking direct with the owner and 4 X flights can cost £1500, then you have your spending money on top, i reckoned we spent £700 on mainly food and drink last year that was eating out night, having the odd breakfast and going to tansas or local shop to buy a loaf etc.
So hopefully it will work out ok, and i still intend on eating outside every other night or something.
Also the odd night time we went to the kebab shops and 6 of us had kebab and chips with a can of fizzy stuff for 60 lira which was excellent compared to 100 lira or more in a restaurant and that was with no starter and one drink each.
Also its not really necessary as others said to go on trips, just go on the wrong Dolmus like we've done a few times by accident and you discover places lol.
HAve fun all
Bev
i hope my posts didnt come across as smug this was not my intention at all i apologize if i offended anyone.the point i was trying to convey was there is a vast gap in prices in touristy prices and local prices which to my own cost i have learned over the years.
the only trouble is and i know people will disagree with this is when staying in some hotels and apartments the management and staff can be awkward about eating in and like to se you spending at the bar and this can often cause an uneasy atmosphere.a particular hotel in the icmeler area once asked us to provide receipts from our evening meals if we ate out under the ruse that they could submit them to their tax office,we learned that they were keen to know what we were spending elsewhere,another when iwent alone to visit family accused me of leaving my husband at home so i could go out and chase young boys in the bars and then told all the other tourists staying there not to assosiate with me because of this luckily a kind couple brought this to my attention and i checked into another hotel .Any way theese were just a couple of isolated incidents and there is good and bad everywhere
I agree that this can happen, when we stayed in apartments in Marmaris the management were none too happy when we decided to cook for ourselves in our room rather than spend money at the bar/restaurant.
However, in order to avoid this happening again, this year we have booked a rental property with 'Owners Direct', and the owner is an English man living in the UK whom we have been in regular contact with and is happy to assist us in any way. Do try websites on the net that advertise rental properties in Turkey or any other destination abroad. Staying in hotel complexes obviously means that the management will be trying to sell you something, either food, drink, or excursions. Some staff are also bullied by management to get guests to spend money, so don't be too hard on them, earning a living over there isn't easy. But it is not a ploy we ever succumbed to. We believe in supporting the local economy but feel that this can best be done by recommending the area we visited to others.
However, in order to avoid this happening again, this year we have booked a rental property with 'Owners Direct', and the owner is an English man living in the UK whom we have been in regular contact with and is happy to assist us in any way. Do try websites on the net that advertise rental properties in Turkey or any other destination abroad. Staying in hotel complexes obviously means that the management will be trying to sell you something, either food, drink, or excursions. Some staff are also bullied by management to get guests to spend money, so don't be too hard on them, earning a living over there isn't easy. But it is not a ploy we ever succumbed to. We believe in supporting the local economy but feel that this can best be done by recommending the area we visited to others.
I stated at a hotel in Bitez where they started to get really rude to me and my friend becasue we didn't stay at the hotel and ate out every night. Luckily we have never had any problem with apartments, but surely that is the idea of a self catering apartment, that you can cook in the apartment!
Sadly there are some managers and members of staff in the 'hospitality and service industry', not only in Turkey but other countries, including the UK, who need to learn that 'good will' makes more money than 'the hard sell'. Guests who return to the same hotel/apartments year after year do so because they have not been hassled by staff but made to feel welcome and comfortable.
Basil Fawlty may have been invented as a comedy character but to be honest we have met a good few characters like that on our travels.
Basil Fawlty may have been invented as a comedy character but to be honest we have met a good few characters like that on our travels.
Idris, i can confirm it happened to us last year. We stayed at the apartments the year before ate there every couple of nights. But then 2009 we only ate there maybe twice, because the girls and us wanted to try different places.
So we toddled off, every night the waiters said are you eating here we said no, going to blah blah or somewhere else. They took the huff good style and the girls still had the odd plate of chips there at dinner time and a drink. So we did spend money, but no where near like some of the bills people were settling, 400 lira for 3 people for a nghts, i'd have asked for discount. plus couldnt have afforded that much by a long chalk.
Then the owner collared us and said why arent you eating here, and we just said the same thing too many restaurants to choose from.
Possibly i've got cynical because of going to Turkey for a few years now, so take a lot with a pinch of salt. Still love the place though.
Bev
So we toddled off, every night the waiters said are you eating here we said no, going to blah blah or somewhere else. They took the huff good style and the girls still had the odd plate of chips there at dinner time and a drink. So we did spend money, but no where near like some of the bills people were settling, 400 lira for 3 people for a nghts, i'd have asked for discount. plus couldnt have afforded that much by a long chalk.
Then the owner collared us and said why arent you eating here, and we just said the same thing too many restaurants to choose from.
Possibly i've got cynical because of going to Turkey for a few years now, so take a lot with a pinch of salt. Still love the place though.
Bev
Bragging, Boasting, I don't know who that is aimed at but I hope it is not me, people ask what do you spend/need, I tell them what I actually spend, yes it can be done much cheaper if you are on a tight budget.
My records show for the last 3 years my daily spends have averaged as follows:-
2007 £109
2008 £111
2009 £123
In 2002 it was £80
The above is for a family of four, two adults, two teenagers.
Mostly we eat in for Breakfast but occasionally go out, we take with us none perishables, have the odd sandwich and beer in the apartments. We eat lunch out 50% of the time and go out every evening. We do a trip every 3 or 4 days, use the water taxi instead of the Dolmus to Marmaris and Turunc
I have actually realised from discussions with others I tip far two much and that will be reduced this year, we occasionally have the special in a restaurant but don't go looking for them, during the day we tend to drink at the apartment bar rather than go into the apartment for a drink as I enjoy meeting and chatting to other holiday makers and the bar is the main meeting place.
I think if we were on a very tight budget we could easily reduce the cost by 25-40% a day.
In the end like most we save hard all year for our holiday, every penny we can save is there to ensure we can have the type of holiday we want without constantly watching the pennies.
Finally I don't use plastic however it is available in case of an emergency.
Dave
My records show for the last 3 years my daily spends have averaged as follows:-
2007 £109
2008 £111
2009 £123
In 2002 it was £80
The above is for a family of four, two adults, two teenagers.
Mostly we eat in for Breakfast but occasionally go out, we take with us none perishables, have the odd sandwich and beer in the apartments. We eat lunch out 50% of the time and go out every evening. We do a trip every 3 or 4 days, use the water taxi instead of the Dolmus to Marmaris and Turunc
I have actually realised from discussions with others I tip far two much and that will be reduced this year, we occasionally have the special in a restaurant but don't go looking for them, during the day we tend to drink at the apartment bar rather than go into the apartment for a drink as I enjoy meeting and chatting to other holiday makers and the bar is the main meeting place.
I think if we were on a very tight budget we could easily reduce the cost by 25-40% a day.
In the end like most we save hard all year for our holiday, every penny we can save is there to ensure we can have the type of holiday we want without constantly watching the pennies.
Finally I don't use plastic however it is available in case of an emergency.
Dave
I think the original post was to reassure people that you can manage to still enjoy a holiday in Turkey even if your spending budget is not as high as some people mention,it wasn't meant to offend anybody.T.
Obviously people have different opinions on this one but at the end of the day it is down to family budgets isnt it and what people can or cant afford.
People work hard all year for their holiday,some budget all year round, go off on holiday and just want to have a good time without putting too much effort into it and who do not want to worry about the costs. For example, escaping from the kitchen sink, not thinking of what to cook, not worrying about weekly shop, etc etc. They want to go away with this extra hard earned money they have saved and enjoy eating out in the evening, doing trips if they want to, drink premium drinks, buy something they like. They are happy to "blow" it all on that holiday and come back thinking what a brilliant time has been had.
The other side of the coin is people who are struggling a bit to get their holiday spends together and who have to budget very carefully whilst they are there. They decide to take "rations" to help ease the pressure. They might prefer, or may have to, rely on shopping locally and cooking occasionally, rustling up snack lunches etc. and watching every penny. They might prefer not to do trips and are happy to laze at the pool/beach especially if they have younger kids who are happiest when they are just splashing around.
Whatever way, it is done to suit individual family circumstances and in my eyes that 's fine. The main thing is to go away and enjoy your holiday and family time best you can and come back thinking that was money well spent!!!
People work hard all year for their holiday,some budget all year round, go off on holiday and just want to have a good time without putting too much effort into it and who do not want to worry about the costs. For example, escaping from the kitchen sink, not thinking of what to cook, not worrying about weekly shop, etc etc. They want to go away with this extra hard earned money they have saved and enjoy eating out in the evening, doing trips if they want to, drink premium drinks, buy something they like. They are happy to "blow" it all on that holiday and come back thinking what a brilliant time has been had.
The other side of the coin is people who are struggling a bit to get their holiday spends together and who have to budget very carefully whilst they are there. They decide to take "rations" to help ease the pressure. They might prefer, or may have to, rely on shopping locally and cooking occasionally, rustling up snack lunches etc. and watching every penny. They might prefer not to do trips and are happy to laze at the pool/beach especially if they have younger kids who are happiest when they are just splashing around.
Whatever way, it is done to suit individual family circumstances and in my eyes that 's fine. The main thing is to go away and enjoy your holiday and family time best you can and come back thinking that was money well spent!!!
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