Symposium registration fee does not include your hotel reservation.
The Symposium Office has reserved blocks of rooms for Symposium participants at various hotel venues. Special rates have been negotiated by Symposium Office with each of these hotels. Room Booking will be done through hotels. Please note that the October is the high season for Istanbul, please try to reserve in advance. Symposium Office cannot be held responsible for any erroneous reservations.
Details would be avaible soon!
Visas and Travel Documentation
Regulations governing international travel vary substantially across the globe; therefore, it is recommended that you contact governmental ministries and departments overseeing travel from your country and the Turkish Consulate to obtain current information and documentation required to travel to Turkey. It is suggested that this should be done well in advance as a part of your planning to attend the Symposium. If your government or institution requires an official letter of invitation from IAPS 2009 Symposium, please contact us by e-mail or post. The basic legal procedures to be followed to travel to Turkey as a tourist are simple. A valid passport is sufficient to enter Turkey from most countries (EU, USA, Canada, Australia, etc) whereas a VISA is required for citizens from other countries. For any further information, please contact your nearest Turkish Embassy or travel agent. List of countries requiring a visa, and application instructions are provided at
www.mfa.gov.tr.
Most visitor visas are obtainable for a fee on arrival at the airport. Please check with your travel agent whether you require an entry visa to Turkey.
Money, Taxes and Tipping
The national currency of Turkey is New Turkish Lira (YTL). There are no problems with credit cards in shops, restaurants, gas or petrol stations and hotels. ATM's (Automatic Teller Machines or cash dispensers) are very common. Exchange facilities are available at Atat�rk Airport (in Istanbul) and Esenboga Airport (in Ankara). At almost all restaurants, service is included, but it is a common practice to leave a 5-10% tip, as it is with taxi drivers. Cinemas and theatres will have staff to show your seat - here 50 cents is the norm. Tipping is not obligatory anywhere, but it is at least expected in bars or cafeterias. However, if you leave a small tip it shows your appreciation of the service - a good rule of thumb here is 10 to 15 % per round of drinks.
Laptops and Internet
If you are bringing any electrical equipments to Turkey (e.g. laptop computers, travel irons, etc.) you should bear in mind the voltage and type of plug used here. Turkey uses the 220V voltage level and a frequency of 50Hz. Check that your electrical equipments will work with this voltage. You may also need a plug adapter. Turkey uses plugs with 2 round pins. Plug adapters are available at stores selling electrical goods. If you have your laptop with you, the chances are that you will want to be using a modem to connect to Internet. Turkey uses the RJ-11 telephone jack also used in USA, most of Europe and many other countries. A simple adapter should solve the problem if you are coming from a country which does not use this type of jack. Internet is now widespread in Turkey and there are tens of different Internet Service Providers (ISP's). Access is available via the basic switched telephone network, the digital ISDN network, the high speed ADSL protocol and various satellite and television systems. For most travellers, the normal analogue telephone network is sufficient.
Opening hours
Most shops are open between 10.30 and 19.30 on weekdays. During the summer months, many establishments will stay open much later in the evening. Larger establishments, department stores and supermarkets will stay open all day, Saturday and Sunday included.