Should I bring euros, dollars, or Turkish lira to Istanbul?

If you don't want to carry euro or dollar cash, you can use a bank card and withdraw Turkish lira in Istanbul. The discussion specifically mentions Ziraat ATMs as a no-fee option; keeping some lira cash on hand as needed is convenient.

If you're choosing between euros and dollars just for exchanging, travelers report there is usually no meaningful difference in practice, so it makes sense to bring whichever one is cheaper for you to buy at home.

There is a specific market/small-shop quirk: if a price is marked in euros and you pay without first changing money into lira, some sellers may treat dollars and euros as 1:1. In that case, dollars can be more convenient.

It's better to avoid $50 bills — like old-series dollars, they can cause problems at exchange offices.

At least one exchange office in the Grand Bazaar offers a direct dollar-to-euro rate without converting through lira. Elsewhere, the rate is likely calculated via lira.

When paying with euros or dollars in some stores, change is given in lira at the current exchange rate — handy if you don't want to find an exchange office. This works in stores like US Polo and Nike, and the rate tends to be favorable.

Older dollar bills are sometimes exchanged with an extra fee, whereas euros tend to cause fewer issues. If bringing dollars, opt for newer-series banknotes.

Euros and dollars are accepted almost everywhere in Istanbul, so there's no need to exchange in advance. The only caveat: avoid 500€ notes, as they can be refused or difficult to exchange.

A practical approach is to buy euros or dollars at home and exchange them for Turkish lira once you arrive in Istanbul. Exchange offices are widely available.

You can also fly with Turkish lira already in hand — they're accepted everywhere. But euros and dollars work directly in many places too, so either approach is fine.