Travel in late Novemember to Istanbul

I was there in early November and the weather was pleasantly warm and sunny. Because I live "in the area" I would not expect it to be either very cold or very rainy. Save the indoor sights for rainy days, if they are in the forecast. The Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market are both roofed in. Look at Turkish Air flights. The transatlantic ones are reputed to be quite comfy (I'm taking my first one in a couple of weeks). They usually have very good prices.

I can't comment on the weather, but I can say that if you can find a way to fly Turkish Air, do so. It was MUCH nicer than US carriers like Delta, and it's a long flight so the extra comfort and nicer food (and that was in coach) make a difference.

I also enjoyed flying Turkish Airlines. Nice plane, nice food.

Big thanks to all of you who replied!! Does anyone know if it is really complicated to fly to Israel from Turkey? Or best to spend 2 weeks in Turkey? Again thanks so so much!

Hi Leslie, My apologies for not responding sooner. Turkish Air is the only airline that has scheduled flights between Turkey (IST) and Israel (TLV). The good news is that they have 5 to 7 flights a day, 7 days a week. You could get a round-trip to TLV with a stopover in IST on the way out - mostly for better weather conditions - or a round-trip to IST and and round-trip IST-TLV. While it shouldn't matter for pricing, sometimes it does.

I spent a week in Istanbul on my own and that's plenty of time there. I took a tour to see other parts of the country (RS 13 Days in Turkey). I think it would be challenging to see much more of Turkey on your own. The distances are long. You could fly into Cappadoccia and take day tours there. Then head to Ephesus and fly back to IST from Izmir. If you do that, then no time for Israel. If you just want Istanbul, then, sure, it would be easy to split the time there and here. Or 3-4 days in Istanbul, 3-4 days in Cappadoccia, and then Israel. You are probably better off getting over jetlag in Turkey because it's cheaper!

I would definitely spend two weeks in Turkey, if you have time. Note that Cappadocia may have nights below freezing at that time, and perhaps some snow.

Thanks Laura!

Sorry to bother but please advise- It seems the flight from Baltimore, MD to Istanbul have gone up in 1 week. Is it best to book right away or wait a little longer? Are there better days to book flights then others? Thanks so so much!

If Dulles is possible, I would recommend checking into it if you're looking for Turkish Air. We've had great luck getting good rates through there.

Thank you for the advice about Dulles airport- I already booked a flight from BWI on Turkish air!
If you have any thoughts on some fascinating places to go in Western Turkey please let me know. It might sound crazy but we have not given up on doing a side trip to Israel... Again thanks so much!

Does anyone know whether we need to purchase a tourist VISA in advance (from USA) or can a VISA be purchased at the airport in Istanbul still? Thank you so very much!!

In advance online https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/
Enjoy your trip. Turkey is very different from Europe. It is a good learning experience, especially if you are female.

Does anyone have any thoughts about going to Greece and Turkey? - We were planning to spend 2 weeks only in Turkey but wonder if we should try to go to Greece also?

My husband and I just returned last week from 3 weeks in Turkey. I also was going to do Greece and Turkey in one trip but there is so much to see and do in Turkey that I am glad we spent the entire 3 weeks there and will do Greece on a separate trip. It really depends on where you going in Turkey and what you want to see.