Most international flights arrive at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport which is 28km from the city centre. Charter airlines fly into the city’s other international airport; Sabiha Gokcen, near Pendik and there is a separate terminal at Ataturk Airport for domestic routes. This is served by national airlines, Turkish Airlines (THY) and Atlas Jet. An additional airport is located at Ankara, called Esenboga International Airport. It is located around 27km from Ankara centre and serves international and domestic flights. There are taxis, buses and airport shuttles from Esenboga airport.
The best way to get from Ataturk Airport into Istanbul centre is by taxi (there is no need to negotiate a fee because taxis operate with meters). Alternatively, Havas run a shuttle bus service to and from the city centre from both the international and domestic terminals every half hour which takes around 40 minutes to Taksim Square (the centre of town). Istanbul has a small metro system as well as a very modern tramway (this is a very comfortable and quick way to get about town).
Izmir’s international airport is Adnan Menderes Airport, and this is 10 km from the city centre. Izmir also has a small metro network.
Expect the highest air fares between May and October, but in the summer months you can take international flights to the resorts of Antalya, Bodrum and Dalaman.
Istanbul is around nine hours from New York, and under four hours from the UK.
Getting to Turkey from the US/Australasia
Turkish Airlines (THY) has regular and direct flights from many destinations around the world, including Europe, North America and Asia. Delta and American Airlines flies from New York to Istanbul. Australian passengers can take direct flights with Emirates, Japan Airlines and Singapore Airlines. Qantas flies from Australian cities to an Asian hub to connect with a Turkish Airlines (THY) flight to Istanbul, and Lufthansa and KLM flies to Turkey via a European hub. Air New Zealand flies from New Zealand, along with Singapore Airlines and Qantas. Passengers flying from Toronto, Ottowa or Vancouver, Canada, will need to fly to Istanbul via a European hub.
Getting to Turkey from the UK/Ireland/Europe
Turkish Airlines (THY) has regular and direct flights from many destinations around the world, including Europe, North American and Asia. The main scheduled airlines flying to Istanbul from the UK are Turkish Airlines (THY), British Airways (BA) and Easyjet. Turkish Airlines flies to Istanbul from Manchester, London Heathrow and London Stansted with fares from around £158 inclusive. For all other destinations you will need to fly via Istanbul. These include Adana, Agri, Kayseri, Batman, Diyarbakir, Denizli, Erzincan, Elazig, Erzurum, Gaziantep, Kars, Konya, Kahraman Maras, Mardin, Malatya, Mus, Sanliurfa, Trabzon, Van and Sivas. A return fare to Izmir, Ankara, Antalya, Dalaman or Bodrum will cost around £250 inclusive.
British Airways (BA) flies twice a day to Istanbul from London Heathrow with fares at around the £200 mark inclusive, and from London Gatwick to Izmir with fares around £150 including taxes. Other airlines to consider are Austrian Airlines, which advertises ‘special’ budget return flights from London to Istanbul for under £100 inclusive, Lufthansa and KLM. A selection of charter airlines also flies to Turkey - try Firstchoice or Airtours to enquire. Good deals can also be found via websites like Cheapflights and Lastminute.
Trains and ferries
For medical tourists based in Europe train or ferry travel are alternatives to flying. The journey from London will take about three days (via Paris, Vienna, Budapest and Bucharest), but the route is much quicker from Bulgaria, Greece or Germany. See Seat 61 or Rail Europe for information and prices. Visitors from Italy, Cyprus, Greece, and the Ukraine can connect with ferry services/or cruise ships into the main Turkish ports of Antalya, Bandirma, Cesme, Istanbul, Izmir, Marmaris and Mersin.
Medical travel insurance
Medical travel insurance is travel insurance designed for the specific requirements and risks of medical travellers.
All operations carry some risk, but most travel insurance policies do not cover you for complications arising from treatment abroad.
So for your safety and peace of mind it is highly recommended that you take out medical travel insurance.
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