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Long day in Istanbul between flights

Posted by (Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico) on

On my upcoming trip, I will be in Istanbul for five nights (and almost five full days) before embarking on travels around Turkey and then to the Caucasus.

At the end of my trip, I have a flight booked from Yerevan, Armenia, back to Istanbul, arriving at Sabiha Gokcen airport (SAW) at 8am. I then have a flight home from Istanbul Airport (IST) departing that night (the following morning actually) at 2am.

A few questions:

  1. Any suggestions on the best way to get from SAW to IST? By best, I mean easiest, not cheapest.
  2. If I were to hire a driver/guide, are there excursions you can recommend to fill at least part of the day? I probably wouldn't want to go back into the city, but it might be nice to see some sites on the outskirts or surrounding countryside. I read about Sapanca, Maşukiye, and Mahmudiye, and also about the Princes' Islands. Anyone been to any of those places and can offer a recommendation?
  3. Has anyone stayed at the Yotel or Yotelair at IST? If I'm exhausted and just want to rest, can go to the airport and just book a room on site, or do I need to book in advance?
  4. I am flying business class on Turkish Airlines from IST to Mexico City (MEX). What lounge access does that get me in IST? The airport website mentions two lounges, but not which I would have access to.

Thanks in advance for your help. I know most people won't be able to answer all my questions, but anything you can share from personal experience would be appreciated.

Posted by
21232 posts

a1 first the transfer, i suspect that there is a shuttle but you will need to research that; try the website for each airport but its a long trip.

a2 If you haven't flown into IST in the past, transportation into town is pure chaos.

a3 I haven't flown into SAW in but the reviews on it are pretty good, so maybe transportation in and out is better than IST.

a4 Yotel; yes I have stayed in it twice (airside), does the job very adequately and its exactly what I would do in your situation (and have).

a5 There are plenty of restaurants and shops in IST to keep you busy, but I would try and get some sleep because you have about 35 hours of travel time before you reach Mexico City at about midnight I would imagine (and MEX is a circus too).

Posted by
6855 posts

The Turkish Business Class lounge ("CIP" Lounge") in IST is spectacular. Huge, but not crowded, with great food, comfy, full of amenities, it will leave you gobsmacked. If you have an outbound flight in business class on TK, you will have access to that. It is a wonderful place to kill some hours, that's where you want to be. I believe you could also go to the "Miles & Smiles" lounge, but that's their lesser, non-business class lounge for frequent flyer members. It's probably better than most standard airline lounges, but I wouldn't waste my time there unless you just want to compare it with the business class lounge so you can gloat.

Is your flight from Yerevan also on TK? If so, you should at least consider Turkish Airlines' FREE guided city tour (aka "TourIstanbul") for transit passengers -- if you've spent plenty of time in Istanbul on previous trips you may have already "done" the major sights but it's an amazing free benefit for TK passengers with a long layover (at least 6 hours and less than 24). They even feed you while on the city tour, again, at no cost (they also pick up the entrance fees for museums and monuments they will take you to). As an alternative, they also offer a FREE hotel room (you have to pick either the free city tour or the free hotel room, you can't do both). Looks like they offer the free city tour multiple times (also different lengths) throughout daytime hours, daily -- check with them for more details. Here's info on this incredible perk:

Touristanbul

At some point that day you're probably going to want to take a shower; you could do that in the TK business class lounge (and get a free massage, too -- highly recommended); if you opt for the free hotel room, of course that's an option there, too. Personally, I would do the lounge, it's awesome (last time I was there we only had a couple hours in the lounge; my spouse wants me to plan longer stops there in the future).

Posted by
1962 posts

@James E. Thanks for the tips. My flight from IST to MEX actually arrives at 8:20 am, but then I have a long layover there before my last flight, to GDL. I will consider Yotel if I'm really tired, but I don't want to book in advance, because my preference would be to enjoy the day seeing something.

@David Good to know about the TK business class lounge at IST. Unfortunately, my flight from Yerevan is not on TK, so it appears I would not be eligible for Touristanbul. Thanks for the suggestion, though!

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