Local Tip
For cash, compare the exchange offices along Anafartalar Caddesi in Ulus before handing anything over, and carry your passport: offices must log its number for any exchange above US$100. The 442 airport bus stops in Ulus.
Where to change money in Ankara
Licensed exchange offices (döviz bürosu) usually give more lira than a bank counter, say Turkey Travel Planner and Turkish Travels (November 2025). Rates differ, so check a few boards and count the notes before you walk off.
- Anafartalar Caddesi, Ulus Ankara's old centre has a cluster of exchange offices along Anafartalar Caddesi and around the jewellers' bazaar. Local press reported long queues there on the eve of Kurban Bayramı in May 2026, so avoid the day before a public holiday.
- PTT post officesMost branches of the state post office change money. Dollars and euros are safest; Turkey Travel Planner says larger branches may also take sterling.
- Bank branchesCounter rates generally trail the exchange offices and the process is slower, so a bank is mainly useful for its cash machine.
Changing money at the airport
Esenboğa (ESB) has round-the-clock Travelex desks, including one airside in international arrivals and one landside in international departures. Wise and Turkish Travels both call airport exchange poor value, so use it only to tide you over. The airport's website lists bank ATMs, most of them in the domestic terminal.
ATMs and cards in Ankara
Many Turkish bank ATMs charge foreign cards a withdrawal fee on top of anything your own bank takes. ATM Fee Saver (March 2026) and YouTrip (August 2026) both rate Halkbank, ING and PTT machines among the cheaper and Yapı Kredi, Akbank, Garanti BBVA and QNB among the dearest, though they disagree about Ziraat and charges shift, so check the fee shown. Always settle in Turkish lira: a sterling figure on an ATM or shop terminal means it is converting at its own, usually poor, rate. Keep lira for markets, small shops and dolmuş minibuses.
Paying for transport in Ankara
EGO confirmed in November 2025 that Mastercard, Visa and Troy bank cards work on its buses, privately run public buses, the Metro, Ankaray and Başkentray. At fares in force since 23 August 2026, a bank-card ride is 46 TL with no transfer discount, while a ride on the Başkent Kart travel card (often still called AnkaraKart) is 40 TL, with 20 TL transfers; top it up at metro-station machines, online or in the app. The 442 airport bus runs via Ulus and Kızılay to the AŞTİ coach station for 150 TL and takes contactless cards. Fares change often.
Good to know
- Take your passport: Turkey's exchange rules (Ministry of Treasury and Finance) require an office to record its number for any exchange worth more than US$100 or the lira equivalent.
- The posted rate is the whole price: offices may not add any commission or fee without Ministry permission, must issue a slip for each exchange and must display at least dollar and euro rates; ask for the sterling rate if it is missing.
- The UK Foreign Office says US$50 and US$100 bills may be refused over counterfeiting fears, and warns against strangers offering to change money.
Key Areas in Ankara
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Exchange bureaux, banks and cash machines, as mapped by OpenStreetMap. The map loads only when you ask for it.
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Ankara travel money FAQ
Where is the best place to exchange money in Ankara?
Start with the exchange offices clustered on Anafartalar Caddesi in Ulus. Bank counters usually pay less, and PTT branches suit dollars and euros. Bring your passport for anything over US$100.
Can I get Turkish lira at Esenboğa Airport after a late flight?
Yes: Travelex's desks never close and there are bank ATMs. Rates are weak, though, and the 442 bus takes contactless cards, so you can reach the Ulus exchange offices without cash.
What does it cost to tap a bank card on Ankara's buses and metro?
It is 46 TL a ride at EGO fares in force since 23 August 2026, with no transfer discount, against 40 TL on a Başkent Kart; your own bank may also charge a fee per tap.
Checked September 2026. Fees, fares and opening times change, so check locally before relying on them. Sources: EGO Genel Müdürlüğü · Ankara Esenboğa Airport · Travelex Turkey · T.C. Hazine ve Maliye Bakanlığı · UK FCDO · Manşet Ankara
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