Turkey : Schedules, time difference and opening hours
Turkey : Time difference
Turkey is two hours ahead of the Greenwich meridian, which gives an hour difference with France in
with France in summer and 2 hours in winter. When in January it is 11am in Paris, it is 1pm in Istanbul. When in May it is 11 am in Paris, it is noon in Istanbul.
Turkey : Opening hours
Turkey : To see / To do
The administrations and services are generally open from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, as are most museums, but for the latter, the days of closure vary. For more information on the opening hours of sites, museums and monuments, consult their websites. Hours may vary during the high or low season.
Turkey : Enjoying yourself
Cafés and restaurants usually close around midnight; some cafés and bars at 2 a.m.; other bars and discotheques at 4 a.m. Some büfe close at 6 a.m. and others are open 24 hours a day, such as triperies, which offer the famous kokoreç day and night. In Istanbul, you can eat at any time. In small towns and villages, however, this is not at all the case, and you'll need to plan to dine before it gets dark, at the risk of going to bed hungry.
Turkey : Take a break
Coffee and tea shops open early in the morning and close late in the evening. Indeed, the Turks frequent tea rooms and bars in the evenings indiscriminately. They drink a choice of tea, cappuccino or a pint of beer. Bars usually open at 4:00 p.m. until late at night.
Turkey : (To) please yourself
Officially, Turkish stores are open from 9am to 8pm. In seaside resorts or tourist cities like Istanbul, stores tend to stay open all day, including Sundays. In practice, the opening hours of shops are more subtle... It all depends on the neighborhoods and the types of shops. Bazaars are closed on Sundays, but not supermarkets which often close at 10pm. Bakkal, the famous Turkish grocery stores, close at midnight every day; some are open 24 hours a day. Alcohol is sold in specialized bakkals, which have "Tekel" on the sign. They are open every day from 1pm to 1am. They can legally serve alcohol only until 10 pm. But hidden under the coat or in a handbag, some shopkeepers agree to sell you alcohol after the hour. It is often possible to have a reduced assortment of alcohol in the night bakkal and a wider choice in the supermarkets.
Turkey : Get out
In the country's major cities and seaside towns, nightlife is in full swing and you can party, drink and dance the night away. Bars are usually open from 4 pm to late at night. Discotheques and night bars welcome customers from 11pm to early morning.
