Paying for hotels in Turkey Nigel Needham writes We have been recommended a hotel in Patara, Turkey. It looks excellent but we do not have much information on using credit/debit cards locally and the cost of doing so. I hope you can shed some light on this and on what is the best way of paying the hotel bill. Terry Richardson, Turkey expert, replies The majority of the larger hotels will accept credit/debit cards, as indeed do most small hotels and pensions (guesthouse-type accommodation). A few places are, however, reluctant to accept cards as they lose a percentage of the payment to the card company. Indeed, even if the hotel does accept cards, you can often get a better deal by paying with cash. As you already know the hotel you wish to stay in, I suggest you contact it by email and see what its terms are - most of the hotel and pension owners in Patara speak English, or will have a family member or friend at hand who does. About Terry Richardson Terry Richardson is the author of The Rough Guide to Istanbul, co-author of The Rough Guide to Turkey, and writes frequently about Istanbul for a well-known English-language Turkish newspaper. He also helps to research and lead trips to Istanbul and elsewhere in Turkey for a specialist archaeology/history travel company.