One of the first questions that you have to ask yourself is why do you want a turtle or tortoise. While there are many reasons why we take animals as pets some of them aren't very good ones and completely fail to take the welfare of the animal into account. Obtaining a turtle or tortoise is a very important decision and much thought and planning should go into the decision. To properly care for a turtle you will need to provide appropriate housing, food, vitamins, bedding, temperature, humidity and veterinary care which can total hundreds of dollars a year. Turtles can live for a very long time, often 25 years or longer.
Turtles require clean fresh water and bedding.
I tell owners they should expect to spend at least half an hour each day caring for the turtle. When you travel, your turtle will still require daily care and can not just be left to fend for itself. Most turtles and tortoises hibernate from 10 to 20 weeks. To properly care for a turtle or tortoise you need to provide fresh fruits and vegetables or insects or mice. Turtles don't interact with or particularly like humans.