Turkey is open to international tourism
Turkey is open to all travelers, quarantine-free, regardless of their vaccination status. All travel restrictions have been lifted, however, a Form for Entry to Türkiye must be completed within 72 hours before departure and the copy must be presented prior to boarding.
Visitors from selected European countries, such as Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, or Poland, can enter Turkey without visa. Foreign tourists from other countries need to apply online for the Turkey eVisa – a digital version of the usual travel visa that allows a stay of 30 to 90 days, depending on nationality.
Transiting through Turkey is allowed if you remain in the transit area of the airport during the layover. Transit Visa is only required if you want to pass the Turkish Immigration.
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Tips, tricks & hacks
for flying to Turkey
Duty-free rules
Turkey is serious about the duty-free concession. There is a limit for bringing in certain items. Alcoholic drinks such as wine or spirits cannot exceed one liter per person, and you can carry only 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars and 200g of tobacco. In addition to personal items, you may also carry items such as gifts - up to a value of €430.
Anything above those limits must be declared – at the airport, head to the Red Lane to declare your goods.
Know your time zone
Turkey uses only one time zone across the country – Turkey Time (TRT) – which is UTC+3 (GMT+3). As a result, clocks in Turkey are 3 hours ahead of London and 7 hours ahead of New York. The country shares the same time zone with Ethiopia, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine. It does not have an associated daylight saving time.
Ensure you know the local time zone when checking flights and airport transfer times. The departure time on your plane ticket is always listed based on the time zone of the departure airport. We suggest resetting your watch during the flight – it will help your brain adjust to the new time zone and to deal with jet lag.
Airports in Turkey
Turkey has nearly 60 airports, 35 of which are large, international airports – Istanbul IST/SWA, Antalya AYT, Ankara ESB, Izmir ADB, Adana ADA, Trabzon TZX, Dalaman DLM, Bodrum BJV, Gaziantep GZT, Kayseri ASR, Diyarbakir DIY, Van VAN, Erzurum ERZ, Hatay HTY, Konya KYA, Ordu OGU, and Samusn SZF.
As in any country, airports with the largest volume of flights are located near major cities – about 10 to 20 kilometers from the city center – with public transport and airport shuttle service available. These are hubs for major Turkish airlines, with large passenger terminals, first class lounges, shops, and restaurants.
Istanbul (IST) from
Antalya (AYT) from
Ankara (ESB) from
Flights from Canada to Turkey (airports nearby Montreal)
- Check flight schedules and ticket prices in October 2022 for flights to Turkey from nearby airports in your area.
- Once in Turkey, there are frequent flights between the major cities via local carriers such as Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, SunExpress, AnadoluJet, Onur Air, and Corendon Airlines.
- Popular destinations near Turkey can be easily reached with regional low-cost airlines by the likes of AirArabia, AirEuropa, AirMalta, AirMoldova, AirSerbia, Croatia Airlines, FlyDubai, Gulf Air, Jazeera Airways, Kuwait Airways, MEA, Oman Air, Royal Jordanian, Saudia, and UIA.
Here are some examples of the real-time economy class airfares from Canada to Turkey in October 2022. All prices are for one-way flights.
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Uber has limited availability in Turkey
Uber is available in Turkey but not everywhere in the country. The app will find you a ride easily in Istanbul, Ankara, Bodrum, Marmaris and Çeşme, however, in most areas outside these cities, it can be much more difficult to find a car (try BiTaksi and iTaksi apps there). If available, though, Uber is a good way for a cross-city journey: the cars are safe, usually air-conditioned, and there are fixed distance-based fees, so drivers can’t overcharge you for journeys.
Interestingly, Uber is easily accessible for airport transfers in the above-mentioned cities. So, instead of taking a bus or local taxi, you can simply use the Uber app at the airport to arrange a quick transfer to the city.
Long waiting times when calling the helpline?
Social media is usually a faster way to reach the airline when a problem arises. Use Twitter or Facebook Messenger to contact the airline customer service and get a response and solution within minutes (see detailed guides for Turkish Airlines, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, and others).
When it comes to Twitter, there’s one more trick to get in touch with the airline faster: mention the airline in a tweet about your issue (add "@airline_handle", for example: "@TurkishAirlines"). The social media team will often notice it immediately, ask you for a direct message, and respond privately.
Stopover options for traveling to Turkey
Direct flights to Turkey can be expensive. So if you’re looking at a long-haul trip with at least one connection, rather than simply transiting an airport, why not take an opportunity and plan a longer stopover? It won’t only break up your journey but will become a legitimate part of your vacation.
When booking flight tickets, many airlines include a stopover en route to your final destination. Those flights are usually cheaper than non-stop flights, and they can be a great way of seeing more than one place on your trip. You can often add it at no additional cost, just by looking for multi-city flights with longer layovers.
Check flight prices and other details for these great stopover options when traveling to Turkey:
Flights to Turkey fromUnited States and Canada
- Most flying routes from North America to Turkey are over the Pacific, even if the departure airport is on the east coast. Travel times for these routes vary between 9 - 12 hours depending on the point of departure, length of layover, etc.There are plenty of well-known airlines that operate flights to Turkey from several destinations in United States and Canada, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC, Toronto and Vancouver. The best way to find the cheapest deals to Turkey from North America is to look for a bargain transatlantic fare to any airport hub in Europe, and then arrange your onward flight separately using local carriers. Expect 12 - 14 hours long flight.
- For long-haul flights choosing a reputable airline is crucial. Comfortable seats, inflight entertainment, food and drinks, and just the general atmosphere of the flight can make a big difference to the trip. For flights from the United States or Canada to Turkey, we recommend legacy carriers such as Air Canada, Cathay Pacific, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and United Airlines.
- There are no direct flights from the United States or Canada to Turkey. However, most main hubs in SE Asia have direct flights to Turkey, as do some larger airports in the Middle East – your journey will have at least one stop.Currently, only Turkish Airlines (THY) offers year-round direct flights on routes from the US/Canada to Turkey. It flies out from most biggest cities in North America: New York, Atlanta, Washington, Chicago, Boston, Miami, San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, Dallas, Toronto and Vancouver. All scheduled flights arrive at the Istanbul International Airport. Expect to spend between 9 and 14 hours on a plane.
- When flying to Turkey you have plenty of convenient layover or stopover options. Flights with one or more stops depart from most major North American airports, including Atlanta
ATL, DallasDFW, DenverDEN, ChicagoORD, Los AngelesLAX, Las VegasDFW, MiamiMIA, SeattleSEA, HoustonIAH, New YorkJFK, and San FranciscoSFOin the United States and TorontoYYZ, VancouverYVR, CalgaryLAS, and MontrealYULin Canada. Your chosen airline will most likely dictate which airport you transit through – among the best stopovers are Athens, Cairo, Doha, Dubai, Lisbon, Tunis.
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Notify your bank before traveling
Banks do whatever they can to protect you from identity theft, but this eagerness could backfire when you travel. They may lock your card to protect against fraud when they see strange charges in unfamiliar locations across Asia.
Contact your bank so they are aware that you are traveling. They will add a record to your account and share it with their fraud detection system – this will prevent your "abnormal" spending patterns from triggering a block on your card. If you using online banking, you may be able to set an online travel notice by yourself by entering your destinations and the length of your trip.
Consider stopovers: see extra destinations for free
Layovers are the perfect opportunity to visit an additional destination. Some airlines offer significant discounts and travel perks for passengers to break up their trips: free luxury hotel stays, complimentary domestic flights or exclusive rates for activities. If you're prone to extremely severe jet lag, the extended stopover would help minimize its adverse effects.
Start checking for layover deals with government-owned airlines (looking to attract tourists to give the country economic benefits), such as Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines. A side benefit of a stopover is that it makes you less likely to miss your connection. Such in-direct routes are usually much cheaper than direct flights too!
Airlines of Turkey
Airlines in Turkey range from high-end carriers to no-frills budget airlines:
Turkish Airlines is Turkey’s flag carrier, certified by Skytrax as a 3-star airline. With its enormous fleet – nearly 400 aircraft – it flies to 120 countries (more than any other airline) and to 40 domestic locations. It is renowned across the airline industry for its high-quality catering (impressive wine selection!), and meals are always included in the price of your ticket. Travelers can take advantage of the airline’s generous free baggage allowance: 23 kg for Economy Class and 32 kg for Business Class.
Pegasus Airlines is a budget carrier. Travelers rate its onboard comfort as satisfactory for short flights. The hand baggage rules are strict, and there is no free baggage allowance even on international routes if you book the ticket in the lowest (Basic) fare class.
SunExpress is a Turkish budget carrier, jointly owned by Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa. Frequent travelers give the airline an average rating of 6/10, pointing at the fact that the onboard facilities and service are minimal. On international flights, SunExpress customers are allocated a baggage allowance of 20 to 40 kg, depending on fare class.
When traveling domestically in Turkey, you may be flying with other, smaller local airlines, such as AnadoluJet, Onur Air, Corendon Airlines, Freebird Airlines, and Tailwind Airlines. They usually don’t have any free baggage allowance and serve only free snacks and drinks instead of full meals onboard.
Flights to Turkey from Europe
- There are no direct flights from Europe to Turkey. Direct flights from Europe to Turkey are just few hours long (around 4 hours if you fly direct from London, and just below 2 hours from Athens). Most European hubs have a nonstop connection to Istanbul and other Turkish cities. Among the airlines that operate those route you'll find both full-service carriers such as British Airways, KLM, LOT, Lufthansa, SAS, SWISS, and Turkish Airlines, and low-budget companies by the likes of WizzAir, EasyJet, Ryanair, Eurowings, and Jet2.com.
- To break the trip and stretch your legs, consider transit through popular Asian airport hubs, extending your total journey time by 1–3 hours. A 1-day stopover in will be a great option to reduce your jet lag at the final destination and do some extra sightseeing.
- The best chance for a cheaper flight is when you are flexible about the departure point. Especially look for larger cities with airports that serve as hubs for multiple airlines: London
LHRand ManchesterMANin the United Kingdom; FrankfurtFRA, MunichMUCand BerlinBERin Germany; ParisCDGand NiceNCEin France; MunichMUCand BerlinBERin Germany; AmsterdamAMSin the Netherlands; MadridMADin Spain; StockholmARNin Sweden; ZurichZRHin Switzerland; BrusselsBRUin Belgium; OsloOSLin Norway; WarsawWAWin Poland; and DublinDUBin Ireland.
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Pre-book the exact luggage allowance
It is always cheaper. Plan your baggage, and don’t just look at the maximum weight – make sure you are within the specified size (length/width/height) and the number of bags allowed. It will be enormously expensive if you go over and have to purchase additional kgs during check-in at the airport. Huge fees await if the airline staff catches you with oversized luggage at the boarding gates!
Ask your hotel about transfers
A few days before departing call or email ahead and ask your hotel if they offer a free pick-up service from the airport (or if they run transfers at a lower rate). This is a major hotel hack to avoid expensive taxi rides.
Air Traveler Club.How to book a superdeal to Turkey?
Every superdeal you receive from Air Traveler Club includes a link you can use to book a flight. It always directs you to the website that offers the lowest price. Sometimes it’s an airline website; in other cases, Google Flights or a similar flight booking platform.
This video explains how to use Google Flights to book a plane ticket.
Flights from Asia
- Asia is probably the best continent for short-haul and mid-haul flying. The sheer scale of this most populous region on Earth is reflected in the type of aircraft operating many short-haul flights: intra-Asia flyers benefit from comfortable, wide-bodied aircraft by the likes of Boeing 777, 787 or Airbus A350, A330, and A380.
- When flying within Asia, you’ll often use regional airlines. The budget carriers offer tens of weekly flights to Turkey with relatively comfortable flight experience and the cheapest fares – check the prices from AirArabia, AirEuropa, AirMalta, AirMoldova, AirSerbia, Croatia Airlines, FlyDubai, Gulf Air, Jazeera Airways, Kuwait Airways, MEA, Oman Air, Royal Jordanian, Saudia, and UIA.
- For more comfort and top-notch customer service, consider flying with recognized full-service airlines such as Cathay Pacific,Emirates, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways, SAS, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, and Turkish Airlines.
- Mentioned airlines operate direct or 1-stop flights from primary Asian hubs such as Bangkok
BKKin Thailand, SingaporeSIN, BaliDPSin Indonesia, Hong KongHKG, SeoulICNin South Korea, TokyoHNDin Japan, DubaiDXBin UAE, Kuala LumpurKULin Malaysia, HanoiHANand Ho Chi Minh CitySGNin Vietnam, Phnom PenhPNHin Cambodia, DelhiDELin India, BeijingPEKin China, TaipeiTPEin Taiwan, ManilaMNLin the Philippines), DohaDOHin Qatar, IstanbulISTin Turkey, and others.
Flight prices can vary considerably. Here are some real-time examples:
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Best times to contact airline’s call center
Call center wait times may be frustratingly long. And only a handful of airlines offer a call-back service. To decrease lengthy periods on hold, try to call the airline during off-peak times in the middle of the week – Tuesday to Thursday. Savvy travelers suggest that the best time to call is early in the morning: from 4 am to 7 am (call center time zone) for 24/7 hotlines or right after the call center opens. Also, late hours on weekends can increase the chance for your call to be answered promptly.
Tight airport connection?
Always check the airport terminals if you have a connecting flight with a different airline or separate point-to-point tickets. Make sure you have enough time to transfer between these terminals so you don’t miss your next flight.
If your airport connection is tight (1-hour layover or less), pick a set near the front of the plane. It can shave 5–10 minutes off your deplaning time, especially on larger planes. Some airlines place their "hot seats" there and charge extra fees, but it still may be worth it.
When flying domestically, try not to book the last flight out of your connecting airport. In case of a cancellation, the airline will put you on its next flight, but it will require an overnight stay and arrival a day later.
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