Travel Guide: Cheap flights to Turkey
Turkey Airlines and Airports
Airline and airport information plus insider tips for Turkey
The words “East meets West” and “where Orient meets Occident” are often used in relation to Turkey, but the country is not a backwater, it is rapidly modernising and knocking on Europe's door. Although prices are rising and cheap flights to Turkey can be harder to come by, hotels and taxis are a steal compared to other cities.
While you're there, take advantage of the exchange rate (one Turkish New Lira converts to about £0.43) and consider buying carpets, leather and jewellery. Don't think drinking apple tea will help you blend in - no self-respecting Turk would touch it - but Turkish delight and Baklava (preferably the Gulluoglu brand) are universal favourites.
Find the best flight prices to Turkey
When to fly to Turkey
Peak season:
Spring and autumn are the best times to visit Turkey.
Istanbul is best seen between April and June and in September and October.
The Marmara (Bodrum), Aegean (Ephesus) and Mediterranean coasts have a typical Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters.
Central Anatolia (Cappadocia) has hot, dry summers and cold winters, while Eastern Anatolia (Nemrut) has mild summers and long snowy cold winters.
Off season:
The winters in Turkey are harsh and the country doesn't really have a winter tourist season, therefore, cheap flights to Turkey are easily available around this time of year.
Getting Around
Turkish Airlines links all the major cities, and low-cost airlines Onur Air, Atlasjet and Fly Air are also options.
Cyprus Turkish Airlines flies internally from Istanbul to Ercan, Ankara, Adana, Antalya, Dalaman and Izmir.
Renting a car in Turkey is expensive, but buses offer a good, regular and cheap service. Dolmuses (shared taxis) are a good option for short trips. They are very cheap and are a great way to get to know fellow travellers. The destination is written on the front of the vehicle, and fares are posted usually above the driver's head. Travelling this way can be be tricky if you've got a lot of luggage however and they tend to stop running in the early evening.
Trains too can be good value although they are not as fast or comfortable as the buses.
Car ferries are popular and can save lots of driving time. Tourist destinations are well-served.
The Fez Bus is a long-distance hop-on, hop-off service which travels to the major tourist spots of western Turkey. It's a good way to meet other travellers, especially if you booked cheap flights to Turkey as part of a round the world trip and are travelling alone.
Flying to Turkey
Major Airports in Turkey:
Ataturk Airport (IST) in Istanbul. From Ataturk Airport, you can catch a connecting flight to the country's other major airports at Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Trabzon, Dalaman and Antalya.
Bodrum (BXN)
Airlines serving Turkey include:
BA serves Ankara, Istanbul, Dalaman and Izmir.
Turkish Airlines also offers several flights from London.
Lufthansa flies to Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. Austrian also flies to Istanbul.
There are plenty of charter-flight options too. Avro flies to Antalya and Dalaman from several airports around the UK including London Gatwick, Birmingham and Manchester. XL Airways has a programme of summer charter flights to Antalya, Bodrum and Dalaman from UK airports.
In-flight Reading
Portrait of a Turkish Family
by Irfan Orga
An unforgettable rendering of the last years of the Ottoman Empire, as seen through the eyes of a small boy.
By Jason Goodwin
Glittering, witty, delicious romp of a history of the Ottoman Empire.A Fez of the Heart
By Jeremy Seal
One man's fruitless search for a hat produces many laughs, and a telling portrait of modern Turkey.The Lycian Shore
By Freya Stark
Inspirational travel writer's classic account of her journeys on the Turkish coast.Gallipoli
By Les Carlyon
Compulsively readable history, by an Australian, of the military campaign through which Turkey was saved from obliteration in the First World War.
Insider Information on Turkey
When visiting Ephesus, a wonderful preserved classical city, try to get your sightseeing done in the early morning before the sun gets too hot, and bring some water with you. Drinks on the site can be expensive.
Travel Tips
- Finding Cheap FlightsOur golden rules for finding a cheap flight
- Airlines with low-cost ticketsAn essential guide to how the main carriers operate
- Before You GoAdvice on everything you need to do before you set off
- Regional UK and Irish AirportsFlying from the four corners of the UK and Ireland
- Glossary of Flying TermsAn A-Z of common terms you’ll need to know
- Travel Sickness and DVTHow to stay happy and healthy in the air
Travel links
- Destination GuideLonely Planet's guide to Turkey
- MapInteractive map of Turkey from Multimap
- EventsLocal events calendar
- WeatherThe weather now in Turkey
- Currency converterFind the current exchange rate