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General
Q: My
friends have already booked there Anzac Day Tours and I would
now like to join them. Is this possible?
A. Providing you let us
know at time of booking that you wish to join your friends or be
part of a group then we will do our best to accommodate you.
However if you make a booking close to Anzac Day then we may
have already allocated hotels and bus groups. Once again we will
do our best to accommodate you but we cannot make any promises
but please ask so we can check it out for you.
Q. Do the prices quoted include Entrance Fees to sites
visited and is their any local payment component for these
tours?
A. Their is no local payment that needs to be paid for these
tours and all our tours include entrance fees to sites outlined
in the itineraries. When comparing the prices of tours across
different companies it is worth making sure that entrance fees
are included as they can mount up especially on longer tours and
what seems like a good price at face value may not really be the
case. For example
in our 16 Day Anzac Tour the entrance fees make up approx £90 of
the overall tour price.
Q: What time do I
need to arrive on the starting day of my tour?
A. The first day of all of
our tours except the 2 day tour is an arrival day and you are
therefore free to arrive at anytime throughout that day. If
your tour starts on the 21st April then please read below
regarding 'Welcome Drinks' for these tours that take place in
the evening. If your tour starts on the 22nd April and you wish
to take part in the Bosphorus Cruise or Gala Dinner then please
read the questions below which relate to that.
Q. I see that you have ‘Welcome Drinks’ in Istanbul on the 21st
April for tours that start on that day (6 days, 8 days & 16 day
tours). Will I arrive early enough to attend these?
A.
If arriving on the 21st April and wish to attend these Welcome
Drinks then we recommend that you aim to arrive at the airport
by about 4pm as this will ensure you have enough time to get to
the hotel, get checked in, meet with your guide and get ready
for the event.
This event is a chance for you to meet your guide and others
in your group but if you cannot get flights it is not essential
that you are there for it.
Q. I want to attend the Gala Dinner on the 22nd April in
Istanbul but I am on a tour starting that day and I want to
ensure I arrive in time to attend. What time would you suggest
I aim to be in Istanbul in order to ensure I can?
A.
If arriving on the 22nd April and wish to attend the Gala Dinner
then we recommend that you aim to arrive at the airport by about
4pm if you are flying as this will ensure you have enough time
to get to the hotel, get checked in and ready for the event. If
making your own way to the hotel then we suggest being there no
later than 6pm.
Q. I am
interested in going on the Bosphorous Cruise and attending the
Gala Dinner, what time do they start and will I arrive in enough
time to attend these?
A.
On the 22nd April we will pick people up from hotels for the
Bosphorous Cruise at 2:30pm and the Gala Dinner will commence at
7.30 pm that evening. You can easily attend both of these but
if you wish to attend the Bosphorous Cruise and you are arriving
on the 22nd then you will need to arrive early. Those
people on tours starting on the 21st April and who have the
Istanbul City Tour on the 22nd will be finished in time to go on
the Bosphorus Cruise as well.
Q. I am booked on the 2 Day Anzac Tour and want to
know where the pick up and drop off points are in Istanbul.
A. The 2 Day Anzac Tour starts on the 24th April and all
customers need to meet at 6:30am at the Samyeli Travel meeting
point outside the entrance to Haghia Sophia in Istanbul. Haghia
Sophia is in the Sultanahmet Area and adjacent to the Blue
Mosque and there is a large carpark there. Please look out for
the Samyeli Travel signs once you arrive.
This point is also where you will be dropped off at the
conclusion of the tour on the evening of the 25th April. 2 Day
Anzac Tour customers are responsible for making their own way to
and from the meeting points.
Q: I am travelling alone and was wondering if you have many
people who travel alone on your tours? Also what are my options
for accommodation?
A:
Every year we have many people
(both male and female) who travel alone on our tours and it is a
great way to meet new people. In regards to accommodation you
can either pay more for a single room on your own or if you do
not mind we can match you up with someone else who is travelling
on their own (same gender) and put you in a twin or triple room
for the lower rate. Please note that this is subject to
availability.
Q: Do I need a Visa to visit Turkey?
A:
It depends on what passport that you are travelling to Turkey
on. New Zealand passport holders do not need a visa and can go
straight to passport control. Other passport holders are
required to purchase a visa from the kiosk near passport control
before proceeding through. PLEASE NOTE: If you do need a
visa then please make sure you look for the visa kiosk first
before going to passport control. Unfortunately this is not
always clear once arriving so do not get into the passport
control line first. The Visa window has all the prices for
visas listed on the front of it so should be clear. Visas need
to be paid for in Cash and can be paid for in Euro, Sterling, US
Dollars or the local currency.
The following site has more information on visas:
http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/details/BorderFormalities/index.html
Q. How many people will be on my tour?
A.
It depends on the number of people on your particular tour but
a group will be no larger than 40 people.
Q: Which currency do I need for Turkey and do I need to Exchange
Money before leaving home?
A.
The most common currency in Turkey
is the TL (Turkish Lira) although other currencies are accepted
in some shops and restaurants. We recommend for ease that you
use the local currency when paying in cash but you can purchase
many things on credit cards also. We advise all our passengers
to carry some cash on them at all times for small purchases and
paying for public toilets etc. At Ataturk International Airport
when you arrive there are a number of ATM machines that can be
used with cards that are set up to be used overseas. You may
like to check with your bank before leaving home if your card is
ready for international use.
Q. Do we need to give our guides and driver a tip at the end of
the tour?
A. Tipping is a big part of life in Turkey and the cost of
your tour does not include any tips or displays of gratitude
towards guides and coach drivers. If you have enjoyed your tour
and the efforts of these people then please feel free to give
them a tip. The amount is entirely up to you and usually one
person will collect these on behalf of the people in your group.
Accommodation
Q: I
notice that some of your tours stay in Edremit away from
Gallipoli prior to Anzac Day. Why is this?
A:
It
is difficult to get good quality accommodation close to the
Gallipoli region and as many of our tours visit the battlefields
on the 23rd April we want to ensure that you have decent
accommodation to stay at and relax prior to the overnight stay
at Anzac Cove on the 24th. Very few companies who run Anzac Day
Tours stay close to the Gallipoli area unless they are offering
a budget hotel/hostel package. The accommodation we use in
Edremit is far superior to anything else we can find in the
Gallipoli/Cannakale area.
Q. If I want to arrive in Istanbul earlier than my tour starts
or stay later after the tour finishes can I arrange
accommodation with your company?
A.
We can
arrange both pre and post accommodation at our hotels in
Istanbul and in Kusadasi (6 Day Kusadasi Tour and 8 Day Bravo)
so if you would like to arrive early or stay later then please
let us know and we can arrange that for you. It is best you let
us know at time of booking but if you decide after booking then
this can still be arranged subject to availability. Please do
not arrive early without telling us and expect accommodation to
be available because we cannot guarantee that. We can
also arrange arrival airport transfers for our customers
booking pre-tour accommodation (Please see section below
regarding Airport Transfers)
Q. I have heard that it is common to leave your passports
behind reception at hotels in Turkey. Is this really the case
and is it safe to do so?
A. By law, hotels are required to register your details
with the authorities and it is therefore common place to leave
your passport with reception and it can be collected either on
departure or once this registration has been done. This is for
your security and your passports are kept safe with reception
staff so there is no need to worry.
Transport & Travelling
Q: I
have heard from friends that the ferry crossings at Gallipoli
can sometimes be very crowded. Will this affect travelling times
and is there any risk of us missing the Anzac Day
Commemorations?
A.
The ferry
crossings between Eceabat (Gallipoli Peninsula) and Canakkale
(Mainland) can be very busy during the Anzac Day period.
Unfortunately our travelling times are dependent on the ferry
running properly and subject to the number of buses trying to
cross so therefore times given are best estimates. We ensure
that on the night of the 24th we leave with ample time to spare
so we can get to the ferry early. We do our best to ensure all
times quoted in itineraries are accurate but due to this being a
busy time delays are sometimes unavoidable.
Q: Do you have toilets on your buses and are there regular
toilet stops during long journeys?
A:
Unfortunately it is not common to have toilets on buses in
Turkey so it is very hard for us to provide. However we will
have regular stops along the way so all passengers can use
toilet facilities.
Q. For those tours that arrive back in Istanbul on the evening
of the 25th April, what time can we expect to arrive there?
A.
The arrival time back in Istanbul will vary depending on how
busy the Gallipoli Peninsula is and the traffic back to
Istanbul. Generally you can expect to arrive back to Istanbul
between 8pm and 11pm.
Airport Transfers
Q.
How far away are the Istanbul hotels from the airport in
Istanbul?
A. There
are two international airports in Istanbul (Istanbul Ataturk
Airport IST and Sabiha Gokcen Airport SAW)
-Istanbul Ataturk Airport (IST) is located on the
European side of Istanbul and 15 km away from our hotels and the
old city center Sultanahmet Area. Most major international
flights arrive at Ataturk Airport.
-Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW) is located on the Asian side
of Istanbul and 60 km away from our hotels and the old city
center Sultanahmet Area. Sabiha Gokcen Airport is used by mainly
domestic flights and budget airlines such as Easy Jet and
Pegasus Airlines.
The map below shows the location of these airports:
Q: Are Arrival
Airport Transfers Available with these tours?
Ataturk International Airport – Most International Flights
9 Day Tour Customers - Tour Start Date: 18th April 2010
If you arrive at Ataturk
Airport from 8am until midnight
then we will meet you and transfer you for FREE to your hotel.
If arriving outside these times or to Sabiha Gokcen
Airport you will need to make
your own way to the hotel or use our optional transfer service
which has a cost involved and is explained below.
6 Day (excluding 6 Day Kusadasi), 8 Day, 16 Day Customers - Tour
Start Date: 21st April 2010
If you arrive at Ataturk
Airport from 8am until midnight
on the 21st April then we will meet you and transfer you for
FREE to your hotel. If arriving outside these times or to
Sabiha Gokcen Airport you
will need to make your own way to the hotel or use our optional
transfer service which has a cost involved and is explained
below.
5 Day Customers -
Tour Start Date: 22nd April 2010
If you arrive at Ataturk
Airport from 8am until midnight
on the 22nd April then we will meet you and transfer you for
FREE to your hotel. If arriving outside these times or to
Sabiha Gokcen Airport you
will need to make your own way to the hotel or use our optional
transfer service which has a cost involved and is explained
below.
4 Day Customers - Tour Start Date: 23rd April 2010
If you arrive at Ataturk
Airport from 8am until midnight
on the 23rd April then we will meet you and transfer you for
FREE to your hotel. If arriving outside these times you will
need to make your own way to the hotel or use our optional
transfer service which has a cost involved and is explained
below. In early April you will be provided with full details of
how to get to your hotel.
Optional Paid
Airport Transfer Service - Ataturk International Airport
If arriving at Ataturk International Airport outside of the
above times of the free airport arrival transfers then you can
either make your own way to the hotel or make use of our
optional Airport Transfer Service. The cost is based on the
number of people we transport from the airport at the same time
as you
Pricing Schedule for Transfers - To be paid in cash on board the
transfer coach.
1 Passenger £30 per person
2 Passengers £15 per person
3+ Passengers £10 per person
Optional Paid Airport Transfer Service - Sabiha Gokcen
International Airport
Easy Jet, Pegasus and Turkish Airlines run flights from London to Sabiha
Gokcen Airport and if arriving on these flights then there is a
set transfer cost of
£15 per person.
This can be paid on board the transfer coach in cash.
Easy Jet Flight Schedule
9 Day Tour
- 18th April
London Gatwick - Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen: Arrival Time 12:20pm
London Luton - Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen: Arrival Time 15:30pm
6 Day, 8
Day & 16 Day Tours - 21st April
London Gatwick - Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen: Arrival Time 12:20pm
London Luton - Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen: Arrival Time 15:30pm
5 Day
Tours- 22nd April
London Gatwick - Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen: Arrival Time 12:20pm
London Luton - Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen: Arrival Time 15:30pm
4
Day Tour- 23rd April
London Gatwick - Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen: Arrival Time 12:20pm
London Luton - Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen: Arrival Time 15:30pm
Pegasus Airlines Flight Schedule
9 Day
Tour - 18th April
London Stanstead - Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen: Arrival Time 18:25pm
6 Day, 8
Day & 16 Day Tours - 21st April
London Stanstead - Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen: Arrival Time 18:25pm
5 Day
Tours- 22nd April
London Stanstead - Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen: Arrival Time 18:25pm
4
Day Tour- 23rd April
London Stanstead - Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen: Arrival Time 18:25pm
Turkish Airlines Flight Schedule
9 Day
Tour - 18th April
London Stanstead - Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen: Arrival Time 04:25am
6 Day, 8
Day & 16 Day Tours - 21st April
London Stanstead - Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen: Arrival Time 04:25am
5 Day
Tours- 22nd April
London Stanstead - Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen: Arrival Time 04:25am
4
Day Tour- 23rd April
London Stanstead - Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen: Arrival Time 04:25am
If you arrive on a different day or at a different time then we
can arrange a transfer for you but there is a cost involved and
it is based on the number of people we transfer at the same
time.
1 Passenger £60 per person
2 Passengers £30 per person
3 passengers £20 per person
4+ passengers £15 per person
Pre-Tour Accommodation & Arrival Flight Transfers
If you book pre-tour
accommodation through Samyeli Travel then we are able to offer
you an airport transfer service as per the details below.
Ataturk International Airport
If arriving 21st April between 8am and Midnight = Free
If arriving 22nd April between 8am and Midnight = Free
If arriving 23rd April between 8am and Midnight = Free
If
arriving outside of these dates and times
we can arrange a transfer for you from Ataturk International
Airport and the cost is based on the number of people we
transport from the airport at the same time.
Pricing Schedule for Transfers
1 Passenger £30 per person
2 Passengers £15 per person
3+ Passengers £10 per person
Sabiha Gokcen
Airport
If arriving 21st April on an Easy Jet or Pegasus Airlines flight
from London = £15
If arriving 22nd April on an Easy Jet or Pegasus Airlines flight
from London = £15
If arriving 23rd April on an Easy Jet or Pegasus Airlines flight
from London = £15
If
arriving outside of these dates or with a different airline then
we can
arrange a transfer for you from Sabiha Gokcen Airport and the
cost is based on the number of people we transport from the
airport at the same time.
Pricing Schedule for Transfers
1 Passenger £60 per person
2 Passengers £30 per person
3 passengers £20 per person
4+
passengers £15 per person
Important Note:
Please ensure we have your arrival flight
details no later than the 7th April 2010 if you wish to use
either our free or paid airport transfer service. If you do not
provide these then we cannot guarantee an airport transfer.
Q: Do
you operate transfers back to the airport at the end of the
tours?
A.
At the conclusion of your tour in Istanbul you can make your own
way to the airport using either taxi or public transport or you
can use our Optional Departure Transfer Service.
On the 26th and 27th of April we have departure transfers
available to Ataturk Airport and Sabiha Gokcen Airport.
In order to arrange an airport transfer for these dates then
please ensure we have your departure flight details by no later
than the 7th April 2010.
Departure Airport Transfers cost a set price of £20 per person
to Sabiha Gokcen Airport and £10 to Ataturk Airport. Departures
will be at set times from your hotel and you will be advised by
your guide of the pick up time that best meets your flight
departure time. These can be paid in cash in the transfer coach
on the way to the airport.
Q: What if I am arriving by another form of transport other than
air. How do I get to my hotel and meet my tour?
A.
If arriving in Istanbul by train, bus, ferry or car then you
will need to make your own way to the Hotel to meet your tour.
You will be provided with the Hotel name and address in early
April so you can easily travel by taxi or metro from any point
of entry to the hotel. Likewise if you are departing Istanbul
by any means other than flying then you will need to make your
way to the relevant port/station at the completion of your tour
but your guide can assist you in ordering a taxi or give
directions via the metro system.
Anzac
Day in Gallipoli and the Overnight Stay
Q. Where do we stay on the night of the
24th April before the Dawn Service?
A:
We arrive at Gallipoli on the evening of the 24th and spend the
night at Anzac Cove. There is temporary seating and a grassed
area that you can sit on. Unfortunately every year people take
up more room than they need to by either lying on the grass or
over a number of seats in the seating area. The main organisers
from the NZ, Australian & Turkish Governments do all they can to
get people to move and make room for those arriving but we
suggest that you should not be shy in asking one of your fellow
countrymen to sit up or take up less room. Unfortunately
seating and organisation at Anzac Cove and the other memorials
is outside the control of Samyeli Travel and other tour
companies and we are not allocated any specific areas for
seating.
We strongly suggest you take warm clothes and maybe even a
sleeping bag and blanket as a minimum. Once you arrive at Anzac
Cove you will not have access to your luggage on the bus so you
may like to take a small pack or bag with you with everything
you will need until you can access your bags again in
Eceabat/Istanbul or Edremit depending which tour you are on.
There are ample toilet and food/beverage facilities at Anzac
Cove and near the Australian and New Zealand Memorials.
Q. Following the Dawn Service at Anzac Cove how do we get to
the rest of the services at Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair?
A. The Dawn Service is
followed by the Australian service at Lone Pine, the Turkish
service at 57th Regiment and the New Zealand Service at Chunuk
Bair. The timings for these change each year but are published
closer to the time and your guide will inform you of these
times. The only way to get to each service is to walk but there
are shuttles available for elderly and disabled visitors to the
area and if you wish to use these then please let your guide
know so they can inform the relevant people and let you know
where to access these services. We recommend that after the
Dawn Service that you begin walking as soon as possible to the
other services and that New Zealanders wanting to get a good
spot at Chunuk Bair head straight there as space is very limited
in that area and it is approx a 1.15min walk from Anzac Cove to
Chunuk Bair.
Q. How will we get back to our buses at the end of the day at
Gallipoli?
A. We have two pick up points for collecting customers.
The first is at Lone Pine and the second is at Chunuk Bair. You
will need to look out for our staff at our meeting point at both
these places and make sure you are ready at the time they say.
All the coaches from all tour companies will make their way up
to the two pick up points in the order in which they arrived the
night before and there is a very short time to get people on the
buses. We ask people to be patient during this time as the
timing of buses is completely out of our control.
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