• General Information
• How to get Istanbul
• About Turkey
• About Istanbul
• Official Airline

Official Language
The official language of the conference will be English

Invitation Letter
If requested by the participants, an official invitation letter will be sent by the Congress Secretariat. Such solicited invitations, however, will not offer any payment of expenses, such as fees, travel or hotel accommodation for the Conference.

Official Carrier
Turkey's national flag carrier, Turkish Airlines, became one of the fastest-growing airlines among the European carriers in terms of capacity and traffic growth in 2007. Turkish Airlines has been ranked as a four-star airline by Skytrax. With its fleet of 102 aircraft, last year THY carried almost 20 million passengers across a network comprised of 107 international and 32 domestic destinations.

Turkish Airlines continues to offer more services and destinations to its passengers by joining the Star Alliance team.

Visa & Travel Information

Visa: Citizens of many countries in the world do not need visa while traveling to Turkey or it is possible to obtain a visa upon arrival at the airport for a reasonable fee.

* In any case, it is advised to check from a Turkish consulate in your country to determine whether or not if you need a visa before your departure to Turkey.

Travel Information: Istanbul is located at the crossroads of East and West and offers easy air connections and is served by more than 300 airlines to hundreds of cities around the world.

Transportation

From Atatürk International Airport to the city

Taxi: Taxis are available around the clock and operate by the meter. The trip takes between 35 and 75 minutes, depending on traffic.

Bus: HAVAS Company operates regular shuttle bus transportation at half hourly intervals from 06:00 till 24:00 hours. The trip to Taksim takes between 45 and 75 minutes, depending on traffic .

Metro: A light metro system operates from Atatürk International Airport to Aksaray, where shuttle bus is available to Taksim. In addition, there is also a connection in Aksaray station to the tram, which operates via Sultanahmet to Kabatas. In Kabatas is an underground metro system available to Taksim

Private Airport transfers: Please contact the Conference Secretariat and provide the arrival and departure details.

Sabiha Gökçen International Airport to the city

Taxi: Taxi´ s are available outside the terminal. It can be quite expensive if you intend travelling all the way to central Istanbul.

Bus: HAVAS Company services departs at least hourly from Sabiha Gökçen International Airport to Taksim.

Private Airport transfers: Please contact the Conference Secretariat and provide the arrival and departure details.

Driving Licence
Most international driver´ s licenses are recognized in Turkey . Car rental companies require a valid national or international licence. Remember to keep to the right-hand side of the road and wear your seat belt at all times.

Work Hours and Holidays
Banks are open weekdays from 8:30 to12:30 and from 13:30 to 17:00. However, there are some banks which continue to serve during lunch breaks. ATMs (Automatic Teller Machines) are open 24 hours and are located throughout the city and surrounding areas. Almost all ATMs have a language key to enable you to read the instructions in English.

Museums Museums are generally open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 to 17:30 but closed on Monday. Palaces are open the same hours but are closed on Thursday. For specific information on museums, please visit http://www.kultur.gov.tr/EN

Shops and bazaars are normally open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 to 19:00, but closed all day on Sunday. However most stores in shopping malls and crowded streets are open seven days a week, including lunch breaks. You can find restaurants or cafes open virtually at any time of the day or night.

Time Zone
Turkish Time is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT +2).

Post Offices
Post offices are painted bright yellow and have PTT (Post, Telegraph, and Telephone) signs on the front. The central Post office is open Monday through Saturday from 09:00 AM to 05:00 PM.

Climate
The climate of Istanbul is mild. The weather during September is predominantly dry and sunny, with temperatures ranging between 25°C / 28°C during the day and 18°C / 23°C at night.

Insurances
The congress fee does not include insurance. All participants should arrange for their own insurance in their country of origin.

Electrical Appliances
The electrical supply is 220 volts, 50Hz. The connection for appliances is European plug (2 pin plug). Visitors who have flat 3-pin or other plugs, are advised to bring an appropriate adaptor or check availability with their hotel in advance.

Tipping
Tipping in the more expensive restaurants is expected, with around 5 to 10 percent being the usual amount. Taxi drivers do not have to be tipped. Hotel porters will expect a tip of around 2 to 3 percent of the cost of your room.

Currency
The monetary unit is the Turkish lira (TL), which comes in bank notes of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200.

Credit Cards & Cheques
Visa and Master Card are widely accepted at hotels, stores, shops and restaurants.

American Express Cards and traveler's cheques are rarely accepted.

VAT
Value-added tax is nearly always included in quoted prices.
Certain shops are authorized to refund the tax free.

Safety & Security
The streets of Istanbul are considerably safer than their counterparts in the United States or Western Europe .

Fine Dining
The Turkish cuisine, which is one of the richest in the world, appeals to the eye as well as to the taste. Turkish food that is found today in Istanbul is truly a living synthesis of Eastern and Western cultures, and enjoys a very traditional background, enriched both by the sophisticated cuisine of the imperial palaces and the everyday eating practices of the common people.

In addition to the many restaurants that serve traditional and international menus to satisfy the varied tastes of their guests, many nightclubs, cafes and bars offer fine menus along with a wide range of entertainment choices.