MAIL AND SHIPPING IN TURKEY
The Turkish for "post office" is Postane. Post offices are tinted bright yellow and have "PTT" (Post and Telegraph Organization) signs on the front. The center post offices in larger cities are open Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 9 pm, and Sunday from 9 to 7. Smaller ones are free Monday through Saturday between 8:30 and 5. Turks use franking devices in post offices rather than postage stamps. The latter is still available at post offices but is mainly sold to philatelists and nostalgists. Cases and boxes are usually sold in kiosks not far from post offices.
Mail posted from Turkey can take from three to 10 days, or more, to reach a goal in Europe or abroad. Be warned that the mail service is erratic and that you may come home long before your postcards do.
Postage rates are continuously adjusted to keep pace with inflation. It costs about $2 to send a letter from Turkey to the United States. Shipping a 10-pound rug home via outside mail will cost about $40 and take from three to five months.
If you want to get mail in Turkey, and you're uncertain where you'll be staying, have mail forwarded to Postrestant, Merkez Postanesi (Central Post Office), in the town of your choice.
Mail posted from Turkey can take from three to 10 days, or more, to reach a goal in Europe or abroad. Be warned that the mail service is erratic and that you may come home long before your postcards do.
Postage rates are continuously adjusted to keep pace with inflation. It costs about $2 to send a letter from Turkey to the United States. Shipping a 10-pound rug home via outside mail will cost about $40 and take from three to five months.
If you want to get mail in Turkey, and you're uncertain where you'll be staying, have mail forwarded to Postrestant, Merkez Postanesi (Central Post Office), in the town of your choice.
OVERNIGHT AND EXPRESS SERVICES
The main couriers (DHL, FedEx, UPS, etc.) have offices in Istanbul, but it will probably take three days for a package to reach the United States or the United Kingdom.
SHIPPING PARCELS
Some shops and sellers in bazaars will offer to order to ship goods to you, but where possible, it's better to carry your shopping home with you—even if you have to pay for extra baggage. Most packages sent from Turkey through the postal service do finally arrive at their destination but be informed there is a risk they may become damaged or lost in transit. (Unscrupulous sellers have also been known to trade out the thing actually purchased for a cheaper one of poorer quality.) Other alternatives, such as courier services or shipping businesses, are quicker and more good but often very expensive.