Car rental Istanbul, Turkey
Car rental in Istanbul and driving in Turkey
Major international car rental companies are all represented at Istanbul Airport and they are located in the Arrivals Hall of the International Terminal just after the baggage reclaims area. The minimum age requested to rent a car is 21 years for smaller car groups, but for more prestigious cars it can be even 27 years. Usually also 2 years of valid driving license is required. Road conditions and driving standards in Turkey are quite poor, although the highways can be of good quality. Road accidents are common due to the too enthusiastic driving style of local people. Speed limit in urban areas is normally 50 km/h, while on all other roads away from built-up areas is 90 km/h and on the highways it is maximum 120 km/h. To avoid any possible unexpected damage cost, we offer businesscars Super cover to reduce your excess. In addition businesscars Super Cover also covers damage to windscreens, tyres and the underside of the rental car. Unfortunately there is a great shortage of parking spaces in Istanbul, and the few existing lots are fairly expensive.
Travelling to Istanbul by Air
Istanbul Atatürk International Airport (IST) is situated on the European side of Istanbul, approximately 28km west of Istanbul. It is one of the Top 10 busiest airports in Europe handling over 26 million passengers on average per year. In 2009, Istanbul Atatürk Airport was ranked as the second in the category “Best Airport of South Europe” in the World Airport Survey. The airport consists of two terminals and an underground passage of approximately 15-minutes walk connects the modern International Terminal with the older Domestic Terminal.
Business information
In Istanbul business hours are officially Monday to Friday 08:00-17:00 but it is still common to work up to 10 hours per day in some sectors
. Banks normally operate during the same hours. On hot summer days many government offices and similar businesses are closed in the afternoon. Business partners are addressed by their first names. Business dress is formal and conservative; especially women have to dress particularly conservatively. Thanks to its favorable geographical position, Istanbul is a very popular destination of conferences and business events. Further details about upcoming events in Istanbul can be found at the following link: http://www.conferencealerts.com/istanbul.htm
About Istanbul
Istanbul, although it is not be the official capital of Turkey, is still the country’s financial, commercial, cultural and historic center, forming a bridge between Asia and Europe. Istanbul - formerly Constantinople - is a lively metropolis with an extremely rich history dating back to more than 1,500 years ago. It has a population of over 11 million inhabitants and with this high number of residents it is one of the largest cities in the world. Nowadays this vibrant city itself generates more than half of all of Turkey’s trade and more than 20% of the Turkish GNP.
More information about Istanbul can be found on Wikitravel: http://wikitravel.org/en/Istanbul
Climate of Istanbul
Istanbul's climate tends to be a Mediterranean one, although it is affected by climatic variations due to its geographical position on the Marmara Sea and the Bosporus. Summers in Istanbul are hot and humid, the temperature between June and September stays around 28°C but on the hot summer days in July and August it can raise up to 35°C. Winters are cold, even with heavy snowfalls but with temperatures around freezing point. Springs and autumns are usually sunny and pleasantly warm. Rain occurs all year round and Istanbul is also quite a windy city.
Time zone of Istanbul
GMT 2 (GMT 3 from last Sunday in March until last Sunday in October)
