GPS in Turkey

Smartphone + Turkish SIM

You can use the map and GPS functions of your smartphone in Turkey. You can get general positioning just via Wifi (if you're near Wifi hotspots, as in a city), but for the most accurate location readings you will need to have access to mobile (cellular) data service. The cheapest way to have data access is to buy a Turkish SIM card for your smartphone. More...

I've used the mapping and driving directions functions of my Apple iPhone 6 and a Turkish SIM from Türkcell with good results, though the spoken directions mangle the Turkish pronunciation.

International Data Roaming

Without a Turkish SIM, data roaming using your home-country telecom company and a Turkish telecom can be quite expensive. More...

GPS Device

You can use your Garmin, TomTom or other Global Positioning System (GPS) device in Turkey, but maps of Turkey may not be included in the map set that you already have on your device.

For Garmin GPS devices, you'll probably want the City Navigator Europe NT — Turkey map set. Here's what it covers.

For TomTom GPS devices, you can buy and download Turkey maps here.

GPS Traveler Tips

Here are tips for traveling with a GPS system in Turkey from TTP traveler Andrea Hein (edited by Tom Brosnahan):

—Be sure to get an English version of the GPS maps, but when programing your destination, you first have to put the province [il in Turkish] before you can input the town. For instance, I wanted to put in Şirince, but it wasn't recognized until I first input İzmir, which is the province.

—Tricky to understand some of the Turkish that's
written in the locations on the GPS....for example when putting in İzmir Airport, it says the Turkish word for airport [havalimanı] and if you didn't know that the word meant airport, you would be confused.