Flights from Tel Aviv to Istanbul

Istanbul, a cultural melting pot with great food and shopping

Sitting on the edge of Europe on the entrance to the Black Sea, with the Bosporus river flowing by, Istanbul is one of Europe's ancient cities. It has been fought over, conquered and liberated many times in the past and now is a great place for atmosphere, culture and historical stories.

Istanbul's best times

With a Mediterranean climate, the best travel times are from May to October, but try a winter shopping visit, as it's not too cold, and the city is less crowded. May 19th is also a good time to go, as this is Attaturk's commemorative day when celebrations are everywhere also in the form of sports and youth day. Perhaps go and stay in October, during Ramadan and the Eid festival, or time a visit to coincide with Republic day on 29th October.  

What you need before you go

Turkey is two hours ahead of London and requires visitors from the UK to have a visa, which can be bought online. It is also necessary that your passport has over 6 months validity left when you enter Turkey. Hepatitis A, typhus, tetanus and diphtheria shots are also recommended for Turkey. Food wise, the selection of wonderful street food and quality of it is big, so take the time to explore. As a rough guide, snacks are from ca. 2 TRY, kebabs from around 8 TRY, fish is more expensive, and beer costs from 6 TRY. Haggling is normal when shopping, so practice with small items first if you're new to it, as a trip to the Egyptian Bazaar and the Grand Bazaar are great fun.

Travelling around and staying in Istanbul

The HAVATA and IETT shuttle buses go to central Istanbul in about 40 minutes (journeys take longer during rush hour). The fare is about 50 TRY and the buses leave floor -2 of the airport terminal buidling. Taxis to the centre will cost ca. 200 TRY.

A night in a Hostel or Guesthouse is from 30 TRY. There's a wide choice of accommodation in the districts at Eminönü (Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar) as well as Beyoğlu (Taksim Square, İstiklâl Caddesi). A good, cheap public transport network consists of bus, metro, minibus, ferry, metrobus and tram. Get an Istanbulkart, rechargeable and usable for all public transport. Taxis are more expensive, but cheaper than in the UK. For fun visit 'The Prince Islands', they are pretty and car free as only horse drawn carriages are allowed.