When travelling throughout Europe and Asia, it can be difficult to keep track of the different plug types and the necessary adapters required. In a country like Turkey, which straddles both continents, it can be even more confusing!
Here is everything you need to know about electricity ratings, the power grid, plug types, and travel adaptors for Turkey.
Voltage Rating and Turkey Plug Types
The standard voltage in Turkey is 220 V, with a standard frequency of 50 Hz. This means that when journeying from a place like North America that uses 120 V, you may need a voltage converter.
The type of plugs and sockets found in Turkey are Type C or Type F so you will definitely need an adaptor or travel plug to plug your appliances and devices into the wall socket if your country uses a different plug type. For reference, the UK uses Type G while North America uses Type A and/or Type B.
Type C plugs have two round prongs while Type F has two round prongs with two earth clips at the side.
Because most people travel with multiple devices, consider getting a power strip or power bar, so you can plug it into your adaptor and charge everything at once. But, be sure that you do not get a power strip that has a surge protector. A surge protector contains electronic circuitry and it is likely to fry if plugged into a 220 V socket.
Can Your Current Electronics be Used Safely With an Adaptor?
Some of your electronics can be used safely with an adaptor alone while others will require a voltage converter.
Things like laptops and some smartphones that have power adapters attached to their AC cords, usually appearing as a rectangular box, may not need a converter. Check your manual to see what it can handle.
If you find that it says something like “Input: AC 100-240V” than it is okay to be plugged directly into your Turkey travel plug.
If it reads something like “Input: AC 100-125V” than you will have to plug this device into a voltage converter and then plug that into your adaptor.
How Reliable is the Power Grid in Turkey?
Foreign travels may have many questions about the reliability of the power grid in Turkey. Given much-publicised outages in 2015 and again in 2017, the concern is understandable. Unfortunately, these outages were due to downed lines or generation problem that could not easily have been predicted.
Generally speaking, however, the power grid in Turkey is reliable. Over a decade ago, power outages were commonplace and a part of life in Turkey, now, if they do occur they are likely to be planned outages for maintenance and improvement purposes and will only be out for a few hours.
Most large hotels in major cities have auxiliary generators on hand to keep the lights on should an outage or blackout occur.
Should the power go out during your stay in Turkey, do not panic. Ask a local or your hotel front desk staff what is happening. If it is a scheduled outage, they can fill you in on the details and let you know when power will be returned.
The best thing you can do is just ride it out. Try to keep cash on hand so if power is out for any length of time you are not without financial resources. Remember, it can take a while to get ATMs or wifi back up and running. AND, do not forget to protect your devices. Unplug all of your personal electronics and turn off any lights you were using to protect from surges and avoid overloading the grid when power is finally restored.
Using the Electricity in Your Hotel Room
Some hotel rooms have energy-saving devices installed in their rooms. Typically you can find them right next to the entrance. These devices may require you to insert your room keycard into the slot, and leave it there, to supply energy to your room including lights, television, ceiling fans, and the electrical sockets.
Because you will take the keycard with you when you are not in the room, electricity will be off and the hotel can save costs. Even if you were to turn everything off when you leave, devices that are plugged in but not turned on will still draw a small amount of power.
This means that it is best to do the charging of all your devices when you are in the room or overnight while you are sleeping. If you simply must charge your devices while you are out, there are a few things you can try.
Hotel rooms that have a minibar or fridge will leave the electricity on to those outlets so check others in the room to see if you can find electricity without the card in the device.
In some instances, the keycard is just a piece of plastic so using a thick, stiff piece of paper like a business card can ensure that your room still gets electricity. Simply plug in your device and turn off everything else.
Of course, if your keycard contains a computer chip or requires a keyfob, the paper trick isn’t going to cut it. In this instance, you’ll simply have to power up when you are in the room.
Don’t Forget Your Vaccines
Travelling to Turkey can be very exciting and you’re probably eager to get over there and soak up the sun. But before you head on over to the sun and sea, you need to make sure you have the correct travel vaccines.
There are plenty of nasty diseases in Turkey including Hepatitis and Typhoid which can leave you bed-bound and sick for weeks.
Get your Turkey travel vaccinations today and ensure you spend your holiday enjoying the sun and not being stuck in the hospital!
