Compare the latest Turkish lira exchange rates from the UK's best currency providers
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You receive ₺12,380.11 | Exchange rate 50.6344 | Insured delivery £5.50 | Buy Now |
| John Lewis Travel Money ❯ | ||||
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You receive ₺12,380.11 | Exchange rate 50.6344 | Insured delivery £5.50 | Buy Now |
| Waitrose ❯ | ||||
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You receive ₺12,335.66 | Exchange rate 50.556 | Insured delivery £6.00 | Buy Now |
| eurochange ❯ | ||||
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You receive ₺12,335.66 | Exchange rate 50.556 | Insured delivery £6.00 | Buy Now |
| NM Money ❯ | ||||
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You receive ₺12,268.08 | Exchange rate 50.59 | Insured delivery £7.50 | Buy Now |
| Manor FX ❯ | ||||
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You receive ₺12,211.93 | Exchange rate 50.3564 | Insured delivery £7.49 | Buy Now |
| Travelex ❯ | ||||
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You receive ₺12,169.64 | Exchange rate 49.672 | Insured delivery £5.00 | Buy Now |
| ABTA Travel Money ❯ | ||||
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You receive ₺11,924.10 | Exchange rate 48.4621 | Insured delivery £3.95 | Buy Now |
| Tesco ❯ | ||||
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You receive ₺11,824.00 | Exchange rate 48.459 | Insured delivery £6.00 | Buy Now |
| Morrisons Travel Money ❯ | ||||
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You receive ₺11,557.39 | Exchange rate 48.1558 | Insured delivery £10.00 | Buy Now |
| Currency Online Group ❯ | ||||
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You receive ₺11,535.14 | Exchange rate 47.0822 | Insured delivery £5.00 | Buy Now |
The lira has been the official currency of Turkey since 1923 after it was introduced by the newly-formed Turkish government in the aftermath of World War I. In recent times, the lira has experienced periods of extreme volatility due to economic and political instability, which have caused its value to plummet and led to a significant devaluation in the Turkish lira exchange rate.
If you're travelling to Turkey, it's important to shop around and compare currency suppliers to maximise your chances of getting a good deal. We can help you to find the best Turkish lira exchange rate by comparing a wide range of UK travel money suppliers who have Turkish lira in stock and ready to order online now. Our comparisons automatically factor in all costs and commission, so all you need to do is tell us how much you want to spend and we'll show you the top suppliers who fit the bill.
Compare before you buySome of the best travel money deals are only available when you buy online. By using a comparison site, you're more likely to see the full range of deals on offer and get the best rate.
Order onlineAlways place your order online, even if you plan to collect your currency in person. Most supermarkets and high street currency suppliers offer better exchange rates if you order online beforehand.
Combine ordersIf you're travelling with others, consider placing one large currency order instead of buying individually. Many currency suppliers offer enhanced rates that improve as you order more.
The best Turkish lira exchange rate right now is 50.6344 from John Lewis Travel Money. This is based on a comparison of 11 currency suppliers and assumes you were buying £250 worth of Turkish lira for home delivery.
The best Turkish lira exchange rates are usually offered by online travel money companies who have lower operating costs than traditional 'bricks and mortar' stores, and can therefore offer better currency deals than their high street counterparts.
For supermarkets and companies who sell travel money online and on the high street, it's generally cheaper to place your order online and collect it from the store rather than turning up out of the blue and ordering over the counter. Many stores set their 'walk-in' exchange rates lower than their online rates because they can. By ordering online you're guaranteed to get the online rate and you can collect your order from the store as usual.
Over the past 30 days, the Turkish lira rate is up 0.92% from 50.6344 on 5 Jun to 51.1002 today. This means one pound will buy more Turkish lira today than it would have a month ago. Right now, £250 is worth approximately ₺12,775.05 which is ₺116.45 more than you'd have got on 5 Jun.
These are the average Turkish lira rates taken from our panel of UK travel money providers at the end of each day. You can explore this further on our British pound to Turkish lira currency chart.
Timing is key if you want to maximise your Turkish lira, but the best time to buy will depend on the current market conditions and your personal travel plans.
If you have a fixed travel date, you should start to monitor the Turkish lira rates as soon as possible in the period leading up to your departure so that you've got time to buy when the rate is looking favourable. For example, if the Turkish lira rate has been steadily increasing over several weeks or months, it could be a good time to buy while the rate is high.
Some people prefer to buy half of their Turkish lira as soon as they've booked their holiday, and the remaining half just before they depart. This can be a good way of maximising your holiday money if the exchange rate continues to rise after you've bought, but will also help to minimise your losses if the rate drops.
You could also consider signing up to our newsletter and we'll email the latest rates to you each month.
If you need your Turkish lira sooner and don't have time to wait for the rates to improve, you can still save money by comparing rates from a range of different providers before you buy. Online travel money suppliers usually have better Turkish lira rates than high street exchanges, but supermarkets are a good compromise if you want to collect your currency in person and still get a decent rate. Just remember to buy or reserve your Turkish lira first before you collect them from the store so you benefit from the supplier's better online rate.
Turkish lira are governed and issued by the Central Bank of Turkey (Türkiye Cumhuriyet Merkez Bankası), while Turkish lira banknotes and coins are produced by the Turkish State Mint and Printing House Corporation which has facilities in Ankara and Istanbul.
One Turkish lira can be subdivded into 100 kuruş (kr). The word 'kuruş' (pronounced 'koo-roosh') means 'fraction' in Turkish.
There are six denominations of Turkish lira banknotes in frequent circulation: ₺5, ₺10, ₺20, ₺50, ₺100 and ₺200. Each denomination features a portrait of a notable Turkish figure on the obverse, and a design inspired by different periods of Turkish history or culture on the reverse.
Coins are available in six denominations: 25 kr, 50 kr and ₺1 which are used most frequently, and 1 kr, 5 kr and 10 kr which are used less-often due to their low values. Although they remain legal tender, 1-kuru coins are no longer minted because the cost of their production is more than their face value. Consequently, most cash transactions in Turkey tend to be rounded up to the nearest 5 or 10 kuruş.
The symbol for Turkish lira (₺) has an interesting history. Unlike most currency symbols which are centuries old, the lira symbol was created by a Turkish citizen after a country-wide competition in 2012. The symbol is based on the letters 'T' and 'L' crossed in the middle by two lines to form an anchor-like shape which is supposed to represent the stability of the lira. The two horizontal lines symbolise Turkey connecting to Europe in the West and Asia in the East.
| Denomination | Sterling equivalent |
|---|---|
| ₺5 | £0.10 |
| ₺10 | £0.20 |
| ₺20 | £0.39 |
| ₺50 | £0.99 |
| ₺100 | £1.97 |
| ₺200 | £3.95 |
| Denomination | Sterling equivalent |
|---|---|
| 1 kr | £0.0002 |
| 5 kr | £0.001 |
| 10 kr | £0.002 |
| 25 kr | £0.00 |
| 50 kr | £0.01 |
| ₺1 | £0.02 |
Waitrose has the best Turkish lira rate right now at 50.6344. You'll need to order online to guarantee this rate; it may be lower if you turn up unannounced and buy over the counter. You can buy your Turkish lira online and collect them from your nearest Waitrose travel money store if you don't want to wait for home delivery.
There's no evidence to suggest that you'll get a better deal if you buy your Turkish lira in Turkey. While there may be better exchange rates available in some locations, your options for shopping around may be limited once you arrive, and there's no guarantee the exchange rates will be any better than they are in the UK.
Exchange rates aside, here are some other reasons to avoid buying your Turkish lira in Turkey:
Lastly, it can be handy to have some cash on you when you arrive at your destination so you can pay for any immediate expenses like food, transport and tips. You don't want to be searching for the nearest currency exchange when you've just landed and you're desperate for a cup of tea - or a cocktail!
Naturally, the cost of a holiday in Turkey will vary depending on where you go and what you do. You can expect to pay more for goods and services in major cities like Ankara and Istanbul which have a higher cost of living than many other parts of Turkey, and resorts on the Aegean Coast tend to be more expensive than those on the Black Sea, but overall Turkey is considered to be an affordable holiday destination for British travellers.
Sending money to a company you might not have heard of before can be unsettling. We routinely check all the companies that feature in our comparisons to make sure they meet our strict listing criteria, but it's still worth knowing how your money is protected in the unlikely event a company goes bust and you don't receive your order.
Your money is not protected if you pay by bank transfer. If the company goes bust and you've paid by bank transfer, it's unlikely you'll get your money back. For this reason, we recommend you pay by debit or credit card wherever possible because they offer more financial protection.
Debit cards are the most popular payment method and they offer some financial protection. If you pay by debit card and the company goes bust, you can instruct your bank to make a chargeback request to recover your money from the company's bank. This isn't a legal right, and a refund isn't guaranteed, but if you make a chargeback request your bank is obliged to try and recover your money.
Credit cards offer full financial protection, and your money is protected by law under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. Section 75 states that your card issuer must refund you in full if you don't receive your order. Be aware that many credit cards charge a cash advance fee (typically around 3%) for buying currency, so you may have to weigh up the benefits of full financial protection with the extra cost of using a credit card.