Hello. We will be arriving Istanbul Airport from the US then several days later departing Istanbul Airport for Dubrovnik Croatia on a 7:20am flight on a Sunday. How early do we need to be at the airport before our 7:20am flight time? We will have bags to check. I’m reading anywhere from 2-3 hours ahead. Thank you.
Posted by
1304 posts
2-3 hours that is usually the standard. What time do you usually arrive for a flight? You are flying out of the US so what timeframe do you use there?
Posted by
Salem, Oregon, USA
3344 posts
The airport advises 3 hours ahead for international flights https://www.istairport.com/en/flights/airport-guides/departing-passenger-guide/?locale=en.
It takes 45-60 minutes to get to the airport from the historic center (even on a Sunday....traffic is sheer madness all the live long day) so you'd need to leave at 3:30 a.m. I'd suggest staying close to or at the airport the night before your flight, that would make it less awful of a morning.
Posted by
Portsmouth
5768 posts
The guidance is two hours for a short haul flight and three hours for long haul. I arrived two hours before my flight to London and that was sufficient time for me.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA ☔️
7208 posts
Don't forget:
This airport is vast, and you will be doing a lot of walking just getting from the entry to your gate. More walking than you expect. It takes a while to get around inside the airport terminal. Don't underestimate the time needed for this.
There are multiple security screenings, starting when you walk in the door. IIRC we went through four security screenings on our flight home from IST - though one of those was "extra" for flights to the USA (at the departure gate), but it was more intrusive (and more ad hoc) than one might expect. From IST to Croatia the degree of scrutiny may be somewhat less, but expect more security screenings than you are used to.
You are going to be getting up quite early for your 7:20 am departure.