Middle East

Turkey is a chaotic, beautiful masterpiece where you can have one foot in Asia and the other in Europe, all while eating your body weight in incredible street food. From the otherworldly fairy chimneys of Cappadocia to the sheer, intoxicating history of Istanbul, it’s a destination that refuses to be boring—and we’re here to help you get there without the premium price tag. We’re tracking the best cheap flights to Turkey, so your budget can actually cover a balloon ride or a yacht trip along the Turquoise Coast.

Winnipeg

Forget everything you thought you knew about Canada being a polite, freezing expanse. This place is seriously epic, stretching from Vancouver's gorgeous coastline and the towering Rockies right over to the hip coffee shops of Montreal and the rugged East Coast. 
The only problem? It’s massive. Luckily, this is where we step in. We find those great-value Canada Flights that prove you can tackle this stunning country without turning your bank account into a frozen wasteland.
Whether you're flying in from overseas or grabbing a domestic flight for a quick poutine run, our in-house Canadian crew is here to lend their expertise. So stop guessing when to book and where to go: our guides are your secret weapon for getting the most bang for your loonie, eh!

Canada

Forget everything you thought you knew about Canada being a polite, freezing expanse. This place is seriously epic, stretching from Vancouver's gorgeous coastline and the towering Rockies right over to the hip coffee shops of Montreal and the rugged East Coast.

Istanbul

Turkey

Turkey is a chaotic, beautiful masterpiece where you can have one foot in Asia and the other in Europe, all while eating your body weight in incredible street food.

Istanbul 🕌 in $1100s-$1190s RT

You'll be floating through the skies before you know it... 🎈

Manchester

Forget the stereotype that England is nothing but endless gray drizzle, overpriced tourist traps in London, and people obsessing over the weather. We’re here to help you get past the postcard clichés and uncover the real magic, from the rolling hills of the Cotswolds and the moody peaks of the Lake District to the buzzing, eclectic streets of Manchester. We’re always hunting down the best England flight deals so you can save your cash for the actual essentials—like proper pub grub and a decent pint. This is your insider’s guide to booking cheap flights to England, and proving that the best of the UK is well within reach if you know how to search for it.

England

We’re here to help you get past the postcard clichés and uncover the real magic, from the rolling hills of the Cotswolds and the moody peaks of the Lake District to the buzzing, eclectic streets of Manchester.

Kayseri

Kayseri, Cappadocia 🎈 at £179 rtn

Izmir is one of those places with every kind of activity in touching distance...

Copenhagen

Denmark is far more than just sleek architecture and an obsession with bike lanes—it’s an effortless blend of Scandi-cool design, cosy hygge culture, and historic harbour cities that don't need to shout to be impressive. Whether you’re planning a weekend of design-spotting in Copenhagen, exploring the ancient, cobbled streets of Aarhus, or chasing music festival highs in Roskilde, we’re constantly tracking the best Denmark flight deals to get you there for a bargain. Stop overpaying, snag some cheap flights to Denmark, and find out why this corner of Scandinavia is worth far more than just a quick layover.

Denmark

Denmark is far more than just sleek architecture and an obsession with bike lanes—it’s an effortless blend of Scandi-cool design, cosy hygge culture, and historic harbour cities that don't need to shout to be impressive.

Izmir

Hanover

Think Germany is just giant steins of beer and lederhosen? You’re missing the actual vibe—which is surprisingly modern, rugged, and full of insane art scenes. From the techno basements of Berlin to the fairy-tale castles of Bavaria, this is a country that thrives on variety, and we’re on the hunt for the best cheap flights to Germany to help you explore it all. Why settle for expensive, last-minute fares when you could be sipping Riesling in the Mosel Valley for half the cost?

Germany

From the techno basements of Berlin to the fairy-tale castles of Bavaria, this is a country that thrives on variety.

Dusseldorf

Stuttgart

Izmir 🌊 in €150s-€170s rtn

Nuremberg

Antalya

Antalya 🌊 at €95 rtn from Nuremberg

Picture the sweet smell of grapes and a cracking fire filling the crisp autumn air...

Brussels

It’s rare to find a country that packs so much culture into such a travel-sized package, yet Belgium remains one of Europe’s most underrated escapes. Whether you’re nursing a legendary Trappist ale in a Brussels tavern, getting lost in the storybook canals of Bruges, or soaking up the historic, edgy energy of Ghent, you’re doing it all in one of the most accessible corners of the continent. We’re obsessively tracking the best Belgium flight deals to make sure you get there for less, leaving you more of your travel budget to spend on moules-frites and local chocolate. Skip the high-priced travel packages, secure your cheap flights to Belgium, and discover why this compact gem is punching way above its weight class.

Belgium

It’s rare to find a country that packs so much culture into such a travel-sized package, yet Belgium remains one of Europe’s most underrated escapes.

Cologne

Cappadocia, Turkey 🍇 in €130s-€190s rtn 

Antalya 🌊 at €150 rtn from Brussels

They say love lifts you up. Ours took us all the way to the skies of Cappadocia.
As the sun slowly painted the morning sky and hundreds of hot air balloons drifted above the valleys, time seemed to stand still. It wasn&rsquo;t just another destination on our honeymoon, it became a moment we&rsquo;ll carry with us for the rest of our lives.
I&rsquo;ve dreamed of witnessing this view for years, but I never imagined it would feel this magical because I got to experience it with my husband, my best friend, and the love of my life.
Here&rsquo;s to chasing dreams together, collecting memories instead of things, and choosing each other through every sunrise and every season. If this is how forever begins, I can&rsquo;t wait to see where love takes us next. 🤍

Here’s to chasing dreams together 🤍

My son and I were in Bodrum in May. The weather was so beautiful, and the sea and sky were going along. There was a feeling like somebody had put life on pause! So I took this shot before it was unpaused again :-)

Feeling like life had been put on pause

I was with an awesome group of American friends (I am from the UK) that had been my lifeline through lockdown. At this point, we had finally met in person after 3 years of friendship and decided to travel through Europe. Turkey was a tag on at the end, but it stole all of our hearts. So much that we went back the next year. This morning we had driven all day and all night to get to Cappadocia to see the hot air balloons, and it truly was a sight I will never forget. You can see from my friend&rsquo;s expression lol.

Turkey stole all our hearts

I visited Antalya turkey for my aunt and uncles wedding. It was absolutely beautiful I loved the beach near our resort

Postcard from EagerTourist50695

Your email came at the perfect time. Ive been wanting to go on a trip with my mum for a while. She has trouble flying so knew it would have to be business/first class for any flight. So to see this email! I hopped skipped and jumped to the flights and booked it! We&#39;re going istanbul whoop whoop! We both love Turkish culture (my mums been, I havent) ,I would have definitely missed these flights if i didnt sign up to your emails.

Thanks, 😊
J

Postcard from Janelle

Flights booked to Dalaman for November. £160 for the 2 of us, includes extra leg room seats on rtn journey and an extra cabin bag.

What a result.

Thanks Jack (and the team)

Pam Alliband

Postcard from Pam

Greece

Italy

Tunisia

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is out, and it is a hit!&nbsp;
Haven't seen it yet? I&rsquo;d recommend you head to the IMAX ASAP. Already seen it? No one is stopping you from going again.
If you're feeling inspired to embark on your own odyssey, I&rsquo;m going to guide you through a legendary adventure that will take in some of the most significant spots Odysseus and his crew encountered along the way. So, take this as your starting point &mdash; if we dove deep into every location, this article would be nearly as long as Homer&rsquo;s epic poem!
Potential spoilers ahead. Although the book has been out for a while now&hellip;
Fair warning, this itinerary is pretty vast &mdash; you can see why it took 10 years for the Greek hero to get home! I&rsquo;ve split it into two parts, starting with a larger quest encompassing the Aegean Sea and North Africa, and a smaller (yet still sizeable) journey across the West-Central Mediterranean. Pick and choose your stops as you see fit!
Note: Although these historical locations are disputed (if the mythical places exist at all), we&rsquo;ve gone with the general consensus.

<h3 dir="ltr">The Great Adventure:</h3>
Fans of archaeology and Brad Pitt rejoice, as the beginning of our story takes us to ancient Troy. Catch a flight to &Ccedil;anakkale in T&uuml;rkiye and head south to ramble through the <a href="https://www.passportandpixels.com/visit-ruins-of-troy-turkey/">ruins of the iconic sacked city</a>. But don't skip the modern port of &Ccedil;anakkale either, as it features an impressive 40-foot tall replica of a Trojan Horse!
Once you&rsquo;ve got your antiquity fix, drive north into modern-day Greece to Maroneia, and treat yourself to <a href="https://www.myunusualjourneys.com/introduction-to-the-archaeological-wealth-of-thrace/">a little more</a>! Be sure to schedule in plenty of time post-ancient-city wandering for a <s>bottle</s> case of <a href="https://www.winememories.fi/trails/the-maroneia-trail">the very wine</a> that Odysseus used to blind the Cyclops (no guarantees that you&rsquo;ll be able to find the exact same vintage).
Then it&rsquo;s time to grab a flight to Djerba, Tunisia. While it may have been the delicious (narcotic) lotus fruit that kept Odysseus&rsquo; men on the island, it&rsquo;ll probably be the <a href="https://djerbainn.com/blog/top-10-tunisian-dishes-to-try-in-djerba">delicious pastries</a> and truly idyllic beaches that make you never want to leave.

But if you do manage to peel yourself away from the delightfully peaceful North African shores&hellip;
<h3 dir="ltr" id="a-heros-more-manageable-expedition">A Hero&rsquo;s (more manageable) Expedition:</h3>
The next part of our quest will take you to the Ionian and Tyrrhenian seas. Fly to Sicily, where the myth-inspiring <a href="https://www.thewomtravel.com/italy/sicily/cyclopean-isles.html">Cyclopean Isles</a> near Catania serve as a fierce reminder of one-eyed Polyphemus's rage against a deceptive Odysseus (Nobody is to blame for that one). Then, following in the footsteps of the Greek legend, the Aeolian Islands are an excellent stop for some<a href="https://www.dutchbloggeronthemove.com/lipari-island-sicily-guide/"> R&amp;R</a> &mdash; and only a ferry ride away.&nbsp;
Before making for the mainland, you&rsquo;ll head back to Sicily to sample the local cuisine in the town of Trapani. Fortunately, it&rsquo;s mostly populated by<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/sicily/comments/1kgvsoh/trapani_eats/"> seafood couscous-eating</a> locals nowadays, instead of man-eating giants.
After a full belly (you, not the giants), touch down in Rome with a non-stop flight from Trapani and set sail to Ponza, where Circe&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@iamnotbrandonz/video/7527018013376220429">enchanting grottos</a> await (with no recent reports of sailors being turned into pigs). Then it&rsquo;s a mainland excursion to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSLMyhNDLF6/">Hades&rsquo; underworld crib</a> near Cumae.

Once you&rsquo;re done dicing with death, pack your earplugs and be wary of any siren song, as it's off to the entrancing Li Galli off the Amalfi Coast. These days, it&rsquo;s less about washed-up sailors lured to their demise and more about influencers lured in by the promise of shimmering, crystal-clear waters.
Next, you&rsquo;re making your way south to<a href="https://www.alongdustyroads.com/posts/things-to-do-in-scilla-calabria"> Calabria</a> and the Strait of Messina, where monsters lurk high on cliffs and in the deepest waters&hellip;and in<a href="https://italoamericano.org/swordfish-sandwich-of-scilla/"> sandwiches</a>. Bonus points if you divert away from the beachfront and make the climb up to Scilla Castle, where you can do some monster spotting from above.
Back over in Sicily, embrace the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYFKJggMCJE/">warming sun</a> on the Island of Helios (just don't eat the<a href="https://dgscrosscountrychronicles.blogspot.com/2016/02/thrinakia-island-of-helios-and-his.html"> beef</a> without asking), before a voyage to Malta. It&rsquo;ll be tough, but you must try not to spend the next seven years<a href="https://www.retracingthepathofodysseus.com/blog/day-4-calypsos-island"> enamoured by Calypso's Island</a>.

Catch a flight to Corfu and <a href="https://highonadventure.com/Hoa07aug/Les/Ionian.htm#:~:text=wine%2Ddark%20sea.%22-,A%20week%20on%20Corfu,-My%20wife%20and">pick up a gift</a> or two from the friendly locals (The Detour Editor Katy recommends the kumquat liqueur), before finally setting sail to<a href="https://agreekoddity.com/ithaca-a-whistle-stop-tour-of-the-north/"> Ithaca</a>. This is where our Homeric myth comes to an end &mdash; as long as you&rsquo;re not made to shoot an arrow through some axe heads.
Sadly, your odyssey is now over (unless you take a page out of Penelope&rsquo;s book and make it last forever by <a href="https://www.greekweavers.com/blog/ancient-weavers-penelope">unravelling your knitting project</a>). The flight from Ithaca's closest airport in Cephalonia will see you home after this epic voyage.&nbsp;
Of course, you could always tick off a few spots from <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@wolfmeup/video/7383740720160541957">Captain Corelli&rsquo;s Mandolin</a> before you jet off&hellip;

The Odyssey: a Jack's-Style Epic Itinerary

A friend recently asked me if the whole of Turkey was as expensive as Istanbul Airport. Having been to Turkey (and both of Istanbul&rsquo;s airports) a few times, I never found myself baulking at the price of a meal out in the wild the way I did at the vendors in the airport.&nbsp;
But why on earth are Istanbul&rsquo;s airports <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-14614327/world-expensive-airport-revealed-Istanbul.html">so expensive</a>? The Turkish Lira fluctuates pretty rapidly, and it&rsquo;s certainly true that inflation in the country has pushed prices up a fair bit. From what I can tell, though, there&rsquo;s no obvious reason behind the surged airport snack costs other than the fact that they can. Like all airports, vendors there have a captive (and often under-prepared) audience.
I, too, have been one of the under-prepared. After a couple of run-ins with a &pound;10/$13 simit (for the uninitiated, that&rsquo;s a simple sesame-covered cross between a bagel and a pretzel) and a &pound;20+ off-brand fast food burger meal at Istanbul International, I had hopes that a layover at Istanbul&rsquo;s second airport would be kinder on the pocket.
How wrong I was.&nbsp;

Sabiha G&ouml;k&ccedil;en International, located on the Asian side of the Turkish metropolis, is a hub for domestic routes and Turkey&rsquo;s low-cost airline Pegasus. It&rsquo;s older and gloomier than IST &mdash; think office-style strip lighting and polystyrene roof tiles. Looking for a charging station? That in itself is a like a scavenger hunt. To say it&rsquo;s not exactly modern would be an understatement.
When I found myself there on the way to Cappadocia, I suspected that the prices might reflect that, and costs might not be so modern as those at the shiny, new Istanbul International. But, once again, I was faced with the choice of a &pound;10 simit, &pound;20 burger, &pound;15 Subway salad, etc. And don&rsquo;t even bother considering a beer!
Passing through once again on the way to Kyrgyzstan six months later, I wondered if maybe I&rsquo;d missed the reasonably-priced corner. Or maybe there was a little supermarket with cheaper snacks?&nbsp;
If a bottle of water that&rsquo;ll set you back &pound;5/$6 sounds good, then sure. But from my perspective, there was no cheap corner. So we opted for a proper meal at a proper restaurant, where at least I wouldn&rsquo;t regret wasting &pound;20+ on cold, soggy fries and a sad burger. There was simply no better option.
Lots of you JFC members passing through Istanbul will be transiting on a cheap flight to Asia or Africa, having already travelled 4+ hours and munched through the majority of your flight snacks. Others will just be heading in and out of Istanbul itself. Either way, you&rsquo;ll likely have at least a couple of hours to kill in the airport.&nbsp;

<h2 dir="ltr">Surviving your layover in Istanbul</h2>
Here&rsquo;s how you can make it through your layover at Istanbul Airport or Sabiha G&ouml;k&ccedil;en without spending your entire travel budget: 
1. Bring a water bottle - preferably a big one!
This one is standard for lots of us these days, but never does it pay off more than when you&rsquo;re passing through Istanbul International Airport. There are more than 23 water fountains dotted around the airport, each one able to help you save $6 on bottled water from a shop.&nbsp;
But it&rsquo;s bad news for anyone passing through Sabiha G&ouml;k&ccedil;en &mdash; all recent information suggests that the airport is yet to install drinking water dispensers, and the tap water in the bathrooms is not potable. If you&rsquo;ve got a long onward journey, make sure you set some cash aside to stock up on bottled water at the airport.
Unfortunately, the best way around this is by bringing a particularly large water bottle that you were able to fill to the brim after security at your departure airport! 
2. Pre-order meals and drinks for your flight
Lots of airlines still include snacks and drinks in their service, especially on long-haul routes. But if you&rsquo;re travelling via Istanbul with Pegasus, you get the double whammy of Sabiha G&ouml;k&ccedil;en and a paid in-flight menu.&nbsp;
While prices onboard are far from cheap, they are generally more affordable than you&rsquo;ll find in the airport (water for &euro;3?!). The menu has two prices for everything &mdash; card or cash. Believe me when I say you want to pay by card, &lsquo;cause you&rsquo;ll save money almost every time. And if you order your meal in advance, you&rsquo;ll save 20% off in-flight prices.
If you can make it through your connection with only the squished cereal bars and the dregs of bottled water from your last flight, this is your best bet.

3. Spring for the airport lounge
A personal favourite of myself and Flight Finder Fran is the iGA Lounge at Istanbul Airport. Never has an airport lounge felt so good. The food is great, there are showers, you can book a massage, and you can while away your time people watching your fellow travellers from above.
Honestly, though, never have I seen an airport lounge so pricey. Coming in at the eye-watering sum of &pound;78/$104 at the time of writing, you&rsquo;d have to really enjoy every minute of the full four-hour window to make it worth coughing up for.&nbsp;
BUT if you travel a lot, appreciate an airport lounge, and haven&rsquo;t already done so, you should invest in an annual lounge pass membership, like Priority Pass or Dragon Pass. For $99/&pound;69, you get 12 months of reduced entry fees for thousands of lounges around the world (or you can pay more up-front for free entries). Even the basic passes take your &pound;78 iGA Lounge entry down to &pound;24 right away, which is about the cost of a burger and fries of questionable quality from the airport food court.&nbsp;
If you&rsquo;re an airline points collector with an airline-affiliated credit card, chances are you may have access to one of these passes anyway, so double check before you go! While I didn&rsquo;t use my Avios credit card perks to gain entry to the lounge, I did use my Avios to book a cheap business class flight back to Glasgow, thus gaining me lounge access. Turns out that was a great decision!
Side note: You may be wondering why I&rsquo;d go business class on a short-haul route in the first place? Flight prices from Istanbul back to Glasgow or Edinburgh were extortionate in peak summer, while the difference in Avios required to travel business class instead of economy was negligible. That got me lounge access in Istanbul and Heathrow, plus a free meal onboard both flights (between my lounge brekkies). Worth every point.

4. Pack a picnic
I kid you not, if ever there was an airport in which to unleash a platter of flattened sandwiches, squashed cereal bars and banged up apples from your backpack, it&rsquo;s either of Istanbul&rsquo;s airports. Especially if you&rsquo;re vegan or have other dietary restrictions &mdash; the selection available really doesn&rsquo;t cater to dairy-free choices
There are lots of spots where you can set up camp for a few hours, so don&rsquo;t be shy. Fill every last nook and cranny of your cabin bag with hearty snacks that&rsquo;ll keep you going.
5. Sleep it out
We can&rsquo;t all catch 40 winks on a plane like it&rsquo;s no big deal, so if you&rsquo;ve got a longer layover of 3 hours or more, you might want to catch up on some sleep. Cheaper than an airport hotel and located within the terminal itself, both airports have sleep pods you can pay for by the hour.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.istairport.com/en/services/discover/entertainment/iga-sleepod/?locale=en">Istanbul Airport&rsquo;s iGA Sleepods</a> look like some kind of cryogenic chamber from a sci-fi film, while Sabiha G&ouml;k&ccedil;en leans more into the <a href="https://www.keplerclub.com/resting-units">human filing cabinet</a> approach. On their way to Kyrgyzstan, Flight Finders Kash and Kristi were able to simply show up and file themselves away for a snooze without booking in advance. Kash says it was a super comfy sleep, too!
And when an hour&rsquo;s kip costs less than a croissant, I&rsquo;d say you&rsquo;re probably onto something.

<h2 dir="ltr">Getting to Istanbul&rsquo;s Airports</h2>
Another part of what makes Istanbul&rsquo;s airports pricey can be getting between the airports and the city. Thankfully, Flight Finder Larissa has spent a lot of time in Istanbul and knows aaalllll the tricks. Here&rsquo;s her ultimate guide to travelling between Istanbul airports and the city centre:
 So, how do you get from one of Istanbul&rsquo;s airports to the city centre? Well, it depends on which airport you&rsquo;re flying into (unsurprisingly!). Both airports are a fair distance from the city centre, so it&rsquo;s worth keeping in mind that it&rsquo;s going to take you at least an hour to get where you want to go, regardless where you land.&nbsp;
Before I go any further: a taxi/rideshare is usually the worst option to/from either airport. Taxis are notoriously expensive in Istanbul (tourist markup is a real thing!), and depending on the time of day you&rsquo;re travelling, there may be hours of traffic you&rsquo;ll need to sit through.&nbsp;
The only time I would advise a taxi rather than public transport is if it&rsquo;s at a weird hour of the night, or if door-to-door transport is more important than worrying about the cost.&nbsp;
There are plenty of taxis hanging around outside each airport, so you&rsquo;ll have no trouble finding a driver. You can also call a taxi via Uber, which will help if you&rsquo;d like to have some idea of how much your journey will cost ahead of time.&nbsp;

For both airports, your main public transport options each airport are: 
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Metro</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Shuttle bus&nbsp; </li>
</ul>
Istanbul Airport (IST)&nbsp;
This airport is the city&rsquo;s &lsquo;main&rsquo; airport, located on the European side. It&rsquo;s only relatively new, having relocated there from the old IST airport in 2019. Because of this, the metro didn&rsquo;t actually link up to the airport until 2023, which has since opened up more efficient connections to the city centre.&nbsp;
 Metro&nbsp;
There&rsquo;s only one metro line that runs from the airport to the city, and you will likely need to change lines along the way to reach your destination. Presuming you&rsquo;re heading towards Taksim Square or the Historical Peninsula, you&rsquo;ll need to <a href="https://www.metro.istanbul/en/YolcuHizmetleri/AgHaritalari">swap from the M11 line to the M2</a>. Travelling to or from Taksim Square, the entire journey takes about 1 hr 20 minutes in total.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s worth noting that you can use your bank card for contactless payment on all metros/buses/ferries within the city, except for the M11 line from the airport. Instead, you&rsquo;ll need to buy an Istanbulkart from the machines in the terminal, and then load it up with cash for the first part of your journey (around 25TL, plus the 60TL needed to buy the card).&nbsp;
This journey comes in at around &pound;1.65/$2.20 in total.&nbsp; 
 Shuttle Bus
Locals and tourists alike use the regular shuttle buses between IST and the city centre, serviced by <a href="https://www.istairport.com/en/airport/airport-transportation/?locale=en">Havaist</a>. You&rsquo;ll be able to jump off the bus at Taksim Square, Kadık&ouml;y, or even the other airport. The journey time depends on the time of day and the traffic &mdash; it could take 40 minutes if the traffic is light, or closer to an hour and a half during peak times.&nbsp;
You&rsquo;ll find the bus tickets and the buses themselves on level -2 at IST airport (below the ground floor). Ask the bus driver to confirm where the bus is going before you get on, as it&rsquo;s not always clear from the signs. At the ticket counter, you can pay via cash or card (67TL).&nbsp;
This is your cheapest option, at only &pound;1.30/$1.75.

Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW)&nbsp;
As Katy mentioned, the secondary airport in Istanbul is on the Asian side of the city. As a tourist, you&rsquo;ll likely be staying on the European side, which means it&rsquo;s technically the less convenient airport to fly in/out of, depending on the time of day you&rsquo;re travelling &mdash; but you can&rsquo;t argue with a cheap flight!
 Shuttle Bus
Just like IST, you&rsquo;ll find frequent shuttle services between SAW and the city centre, this time via <a href="https://www.havabus.com/">Havabus</a>. This company also drops off at similarly popular stops in the city, like Taksim Square, Kadık&ouml;y, as well as an additional stop on the Asian side of the city.&nbsp;
Because of the location of the airport, it&rsquo;s even more important to keep in mind that traffic conditions are going to dictate how long your bus will take to reach the city centre. For example, if you land early to mid-morning, you&rsquo;ll likely be stuck in peak traffic going towards the European side, and so the journey could take up to 2 hours.&nbsp;
You&rsquo;ll find Havabus shuttles outside the arrivals terminal on the left, and tickets are available on the bus with cash (283,50TL), or via the ticket kiosk in the grey building next to the buses.&nbsp;
The total for this journey comes to around &pound;5.50/$7.30. 
Metro/Ferry
There is a metro line (M4) from SAW to Kadık&ouml;y (a main station on the Asian side of the Bosphorus). From there, you&rsquo;ll be able to catch a bus to your hotel if you&rsquo;re staying on the Asian side.
However, if your hotel is on the European side, you can catch the ferry from Kadık&ouml;y across to Kabataş or Karak&ouml;y, and take a connecting bus or tram. The downside is that the metro and bus/ferry combination is typically slower than the shuttle bus, especially if your hotel is on the European side. But at least it&rsquo;ll come in nice and cheap, around &pound;1&ndash;&pound;1.50/$1.50&ndash;$2 depending on your route.
Side note: I highly recommend you take the ferry at least once during your trip to Istanbul! It&rsquo;s cheap (around 25TL), takes 20-minutes, and offers the best views of the skyline!

If you&rsquo;ve made it this far, JFC-er, you must be in serious Istanbul trip-planning mode! You&rsquo;ll almost certainly have an excellent time, and hopefully our tips will ensure you have some change left over to buy a fridge magnet :-)&nbsp;

Turkey

Istanbul in $1100s-$1190s RT

Kayseri, Cappadocia at £179 rtn

Izmir in €150s-€170s rtn

€90-€90 rtn

Cappadocia, Turkey in €130s-€190s rtn

€150 rtn

The Odyssey: a Jack's-Style Epic Itinerary

Surviving Istanbul's Airports

The best and worst stations around Europe: an extremely honest review

Racers, Start Your Engines...