Should I bring euros or dollars to Antalya, Turkey?

With a Kazakhstan BCC card, USD or EUR accounts can be linked, but not a lira account. BCC may charge no fee, yet the Turkish ATM owner can apply its own withdrawal fee; the cash-withdrawal exchange rate may also differ from the rate for card purchases.

A traveler who stayed in May 2026 said shops and markets refused old dollar bills, and a hotel guide tried to give her change for new euros in old dollars; her 2006 notes stayed unused. She also wrote that last year dollars were taken at par with euros, whereas this year 25 dollars bought only 20 euros, and advised getting new euro notes from a bank before the trip — especially if you are going to a 'German' hotel. She had read news that Turkish banks now accept all notes but had not verified it in practice.

In July 2026 a participant warned that shops have not taken cash euros or dollars for about five years — only lira — so it is worth carrying some lira. They also advised watching the calculation, as a seller may take euros at the dollar rate or give change in lira at a poor rate.

Avoid €500 notes: in July 2026 participants advised not to bring them, and in August another added that a €500 note is unlikely to be exchanged unless the purchase is large.

Avoid exchanging money for lira at the airport: in July 2026 participants said both dollars and euros get a low rate there, while exchange offices in Antalya itself offer a normal rate. Many ended up bringing euros and changing them into lira at a city exchange office.

There is also the opposite view. In July 2026 several participants said dollars were slightly more favorable than euros, though the gap is small; in late September this was repeated. Around the same time a traveler saw a euro-to-dollar rate of 1.25 at an exchange office in the old town — at that rate dollars come out ahead. Others replied that on average the difference is minor and that Turkish sellers recalculate prices at their own rate whatever the currency.

In early July 2026 participants wrote that paying in euros works out cheaper: dollars and lira are accepted too, but because prices are converted from euros, the total comes out slightly higher. Another participant added that if you need lira, you can buy something at a Waikiki store and get your change in lira at a fair rate.

In late June and mid-July 2026 participants recommended euros as the least hassle: there is no split into 'old' and 'new' notes that might be refused, and duty-free prices are listed in euros. One of them said the difference between exchanging euros and dollars is negligible.

If you bring dollars, take modern-issue notes with a security strip. In late June participants warned that old dollar bills may be refused or exchanged with a fee; in August 2026 another participant said old notes are sometimes accepted, though reluctantly. According to them, travelers departing Russia can buy new-series dollars before the trip at Unistream bank.