Turkey - How to get there

By Air:

Turkey has many international airports, Istanbul’s Atatürk being the busiest with many scheduled airlines flying here on a daily basis. In other areas of the country charter flights arrive into Ankara, Izmir, Adana (close to the Syrian Border), Antalya and Dalaman (on the Mediterranean Coast). Most scheduled flights fly in and out of Istanbul, with a wide range of European and international airlines flying every day. We start and end most of our tours in Istanbul so this works very well. Scheduled flights into the country’s other airports will quite often route via Istanbul, however direct services are available into other airports with a wide range of charter airlines. Recently, Easy Jet added a new route from London Gatwick or Luton to Istanbul, however easy jet fly into Sabiha Gökçen Airport which is a little way out of the city centre. These flights are generally much cheaper than other scheduled airlines, however additional transfer costs may apply.

We can also offer tour extensions to visit Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan or a combination of the four in many itineraries, and there are good options to fly or travel overland between these countries. If you are considering a longer Middle-Eastern journey then Turkish Airlines offers a range of services between Istanbul and Amman, Damascus and Beirut. MEA (Middle Eastern Airlines) also serve many of these routes.

Flying from the UK:

If you are flying from the UK, then Turkish Airlines offer direct services to Istanbul from London Heathrow, Manchester and Birmingham. Other Airlines offering direct services into Istanbul are British Airways and Easy Jet. Easy jet fly into Sabiha Gökçen Airport which is just outside of Istanbul but fares when booked well in advance can be found for as little as £70 per person (return). Fares with scheduled airlines into Atatürk range from around £150 if you book well in advance, but do increase significantly during busy periods. Prices are often cheaper if you choose an indirect flight with a European airline such as KLM, Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines. In general, the earlier you book the better, as flights tend to get more expensive closer to departure. It is possible to fly direct to Istanbul from Manchester and Birmingham however if you would like to fly from another regional airport then you will not be able to fly direct your flight will involve a change en-route in London or another European Airport. The flight takes around 5 hours.

Where to book:

We hold an ATOL, and you are welcome to book your flights with us. Please discuss your ideal dates and departure airport with our sales staff, and we will send you a selection of airlines, flight times, and prices. You can then choose whether to book your flights through us, or to make your own arrangements. If you book your own flights, we will still include both your arrival and departure airport transfers.

By Land:

Syria

The easiest and most popular way to cross from Turkey into Syria is from Antakya. From Antakya you will cross the border at Cilvegözü/Baba al Hawa and continue south to the Syrian city of Aleppo in the north of the country. This journey takes approximately 3 hours. The other option would be to enter Syria via the above border point and continue south to Damascus, this journey takes approximately 6-7 hours.

Lebanon

For those looking to enter Lebanon from Turkey, your journey will need to route via Syria. Turkey and Syria share 8 land borders but the most convenient and most popular border is the Cilvegözü/Baba al Hawa border which provides good links between the cities of Antakya in Turkey and Aleppo in the north of Syria. Once in Syria you can then travel south to Homs and onwards across the border to Lebanon (normally Tripoli). The journey from Homs to Tripoli takes 3 – 4 hours including border crossings.