Hi everyone,

We went to a restaurant called La Scarpetta in Etiler. Since I don't speak Turkish, I couldn't review the menu properly. When they brought the itemized bill (the pink 'Adisyon' slip), I was completely shocked! The total was 96,200 TL!

Looking at the bill, they charged 90,000 TL (almost $2,800 USD) just for two bottles of sparkling wine. When we protested and they realized we didn't speak the language, they casually crossed out the 96,200 TL total with a pen and just wrote down 52,000 TL!

I have a couple of questions for locals or anyone who knows the legal system here:

1. Can I report this to any official authority, consumer protection agency, or tourist police in Turkey? 2. Is there any real chance to hold them accountable and teach this restaurant a lesson so they stop doing this to other tourists?

Any advice or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated!

I recently visited Turkey for the first time and it was eye opening.

I'm from the UK and you guys are far more advanced than us.

From my limited observation in your country I witnessed discipline, respect, tolerance, hospitality, honesty, adaab, cleanliness and so much more.

Turkish people and your country is amazing.

Honestly I wish we could send everyone in the UK to do a sort of training in Turkey about how to live and keeping values.

I understand there is political unrest so not everything is perfect and is maybe one of the few points the UK might do better on, but I saw in spite of the volatility and instability within your economy, the common person continues to strive, remains good and makes the most of every day.

I lived amongst the common people and frequented the markets, engaged with normal people and this is what I saw.

3 days Instanbul and 3 days Konya.

I love Turkey. Perhaps in another life I would have moved there to settle down.

Perhaps one day I might be able to.

Edit: this has been insightful. I meant no disrespect by my post. Some of what I said was poorly worded too. It was just an appreciation post.

Note to self, positively**** DO NOT SAY ADAAB

And people are so friendly!

Merhaba arkadaşlar. Ben bir bulgaristan türküyüm ve sınıra yakın yaşayan diğer bütün bulgarlar gibi sık sık Edirne'ye alışverişe geliyordum ama artık anladım ki bundan bir kâr edinemiyorum, hatta alışverişimi Bulgaristan'da yapsam daha ucuza çıkar. Geçen gün bir restoranda ailecek basit bir öğlen yemeği bulgar parasıyla yaklaşık 300 levaya çıktı. Bu parayı Türkiye'de yaşayan ortalama bir Türkün ödemesi muhtemelen imkansız olurdu ve ödeseydi gelecek beş ay sadece makarna yemek zorunda kalırdı. Kısacası Türkiye'de türklerin bu şartlarda yaşamak zorunda olmaları beni çok üzüyor. Ne olacak bu halimiz?

Bu fiyatlar ne?

Sabiha Airport to topkapi cost me 5000 Turkish Lira. £80 fuc**ING pounds.

The meter said 4000 then the driver added some bullshit fees like tolls and bridges.

What a horrible start. And the people haven't been to welcoming and friendly.

Hope this changes but very disappointed. What used to be a great city and heard so many good stuff but such a sour start.

Yıllardır ülkeden uzak kalmamın ertesinde,doğu illerinden Erzincandan geçerken merkezde durduk.Burası,babamla birlikte önünden geçerken oturup yemek yediğimiz bir yer ve tanıyanlar haber verebilirler.Büyük bir keyifle menüdeki en pahallı kuzu etini sipariş ettik ve doğal taze kuzu eti yiyeceğimiz için de biraz keyifliydim açıkçası.
Yemek geldi ve Yaklaşık 700 lira ödediğim hesaptaki kuzu eti tabağının yarısından fazlası bildiğiniz Kuyruk yağı.

Bikaç tane eti yedim ve garsonu çağırıp sordum ve normal dedi.
Sorumlu kimse onu çağırdım ve kendisine en pahallı kuzu etini sipariş ettiğimi ve porsiyonun yarısının yağ olduğunu söyledim fakat sorumlu bayan bana aynen şöyle dedi “ bu çok normal birşey ve bir gariplik görmüyorum “
Ben kendisine “ eğer yağ yemek isteseydim kuzu eti sipariş etmezdim dedim fakat bayan son derece pişkin şekilde “ Başka bir şey varmıydı yardımcı olabileceğim dedi 😀
Hadi ben memleketden yıllardır uzak kaldım bilemeyebilirim ama hakem olarak siz söyleyin,bu normalmi yoksa gurbetçi yabancıyız diye bildiğiniz ayak üstü tıklattılarmı bize hesabı ?

My partner and I booked a balloon flight in Cappadocia last minute after our original tour was cancelled for weather. Because we booked late, we paid a premium.

Our second tour was then cancelled for "technical difficulties." We later talked to three other groups who got the same explanation on the same morning. Cancelled customers have to rebook, and rebooking happens at higher prices because demand has piled up. We can't prove that's the motive, but the pattern made it feel deliberate. Locals we spoke with, including people running other tourism businesses, said it's a known issue and described the system as a black market.

Istanbul felt similar. We were on guard the whole time about pickpockets and scams, which is tiring on a vacation. The restaurant reviews also didn't add up. Many places in the old town have 4.8+ stars and 5,000+ reviews, and the food at the ones we tried was mediocre every time. The ratings clearly don't track quality there.

We loved a lot about Turkey, and this is about the tourist-facing layer, not the country. For anyone planning a trip:

If you book a balloon flight, how do you avoid getting stuck in this loop? Does booking early, using a specific operator, or paying a deposit with a refund policy help?
How do you find good restaurants when the ratings can't be trusted?
Has anyone else had a cancellation like this, or found operators who handle it honestly?

Efes'in orada içtiğim kahve (tadı güzeldi)

Gate changed on my flight like 10 mins before boarding or something. I’d love to give more details but there was no email, WhatsApp message, text message, airport announcement in English (should be pretty common for an *international* airport).

Flight gets missed bc boarding had ended and you know who was at their boarding counter? Literally no one. Other people missed it too, including Turks that you know, live in Turkey and understand the airport much better than I do.

I can pay double for a flight later in the evening to get to my location after the busses stop running and pay for an uber now I guess. What a primitive airline, how do you make delta look like an S tier airline in comparison.

Yeah I’m ranting but I’m actually serious, is Turkish airlines the only reputable airline in Istanbul / Turkey?

Hi everyone, peace to all.
I’m an Armenian living in the Czech Republic, and I’m planning a road trip through Eastern Turkey: places like Kars, Erzurum, Muş, Erzincan, Van, and the surrounding areas. My main interest is the history of the region.
I’d love to hear from people who actually live there. Which city or village are you from? Are there any Armenian churches, monasteries, cemeteries, bridges, or other historical sites nearby? If so, are they well preserved, abandoned, or in ruins?
Are there any Armenians living in your town today? Have your grandparents or older relatives ever told you stories about Armenians who used to live in your area?
I’m not looking for arguments or political debates. I’m genuinely interested in hearing personal experiences and local perspectives.
Thank you!

My trip to Istanbul felt less like a vacation and more like a chaotic adventure movie.

I helped lost strangers at the airport before getting lost myself. I chased ferries, almost took a taxi across half of Turkey, randomly hopped on buses with no destination in mind, explored parts of the city I'd never planned to visit, got adopted by incredibly kind locals, survived post-concert transportation chaos, and somehow still made it to the airport on time.

Along the way I drank enough ayran to qualify as a local, walked countless kilometers, discovered hidden corners of the city, met amazing people, and collected enough stories for several future trips.

Istanbul tested my patience, my navigation skills, my sleep schedule, and occasionally my sanity — but it also reminded me how much kindness exists in the world.

I arrived as a tourist, left with unforgettable memories, and somehow ended up with a standing invitation to stay with a Turkish family whenever I return.

10/10. Would get lost again. 🇹🇷❤️ See you again this year

Was looking into:

Istanbul

Cappadocia

Mardin

Also, which transportation mode is the best for traveling between these countries?

Just checked into our hotel in Kusadasi which is allegedly 4 stars but our room is absolutely tiny and there seems to be some kind of black mold in our shower. I was not the one to book this hotel but definitely expected nicer conditions for the price we are paying. Is this the average price for a room here? I’m considering asking to move to a different room tomorrow.

I’m from Saudi Arabia, and my great grandmother was from Izmir, my mom was very close to her so she wants us to visit her city. What is the general idea of that city, how are the people and is it a fun place to be?

Also some heard someone say that it’s known that people of Izmir have pretty eyes color like they were famous for it. Is true or just some lore?