Inspired by our recent post on Turkish road trips? Then you might want to take on board a few more Turkish driving tips – particularly for driving in the country’s biggest city, Istanbul.
There is a very appropriate saying when it comes to Turkish driving habits: ‘westerners die by accident, Turks live by accident’. When you experience Turkish driving ‘skills’ for the very first time, this phrase will undoubtedly be marked indelibly on your mind.
While Istanbul has a set of traffic laws that are comparable to even the most cautious of northern European states, most Turks are oblivious to them. Preferring to think that their faith offers all the insurance they require, they do not waste time by obeying speed limits or parking regulations.
On the latter subject, if you take your car to Istanbul, you will soon realise that parking is something of an art form in itself. You will find out of order parking meters, shop and stall owners who don’t take kindly to cars being parked in front of their merchandise, policemen who impound cars for a variety of sound and less sound reasons, and the so-called ‘car park mafia’, who ensure your vehicle is roughly in the same condition as when you left it – as long as you pay them.
But while driving in Istanbul may not seem like a holiday, it is a remarkable city and a great place to start a road trip across Turkey. Oh yes, and make sure you take out a European vehicle recovery policy before you go – we offer cover to the west of the Bosphorus.
Breakdown Cover from 
