Summary
- Turkish Airlines offers free stopovers in Istanbul, and complimentary hotel stays for stopovers over 20 hours.
- You can get free accommodation for up to three nights, depending on your travel class and where you are flying from.
- The program is exclusive to passengers traveling from or to destinations outside Türkiye.
Booking a free stopover when flying long-haul is a great way to break up your journey and explore a new city at little to no cost. Several airlines offer free stopovers when you connect through their hubs. Some offer free accommodation and airport transfers, while others let you handle the costs of staying in the city. Turkish Airlines has one of the more attractive stopover programs, so let’s look at how it works.
Booking an Istanbul stopover with Turkish Airlines
The Stopover in Istanbul program gives travelers a unique opportunity to explore the city before flying to their final destinations. If you are connecting via Istanbul, you can enjoy free accommodation for up to three nights (depending on travel class and origin airports) with the airline’s hotel partners.
Photo: EvrenKalinbacak | Shutterstock
Only passengers with a connection period of 20 hours or more are eligible for the stopover program. The voucher required for the stay is issued after the application is complete. To apply for the program, you must e-mail the following details to the address corresponding to your country of departure on Turkish Airlines’ website.
- Name and surname
- Reservation code
- Ticket number
- Desired accommodation dates
- Preferred room type
- Telephone number
- E-mail address
The program is only available for passengers connecting from Istanbul. You must apply for the service at least 72 hours before your first flight. Free accommodation is available for round-trip tickets as long as your outbound and inbound flights are on the same itinerary. The Stopover Accommodation Service can only be used once on either flight. All flights must be operated by Turkish Airlines.
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Spending a few nights in Istanbul
Istanbul is a popular tourist destination famous for its history, culture, and iconic landmarks. It is also an ideal connection point, given Türkiye’s unique geographic location between Asia and Europe. Flying on Turkish Airlines means you have access to more international destinations than any other airline. Its network covers over 290 international destinations in more than 130 countries.
Photo: Fraport AG
To qualify for a stopover in Istanbul, your trip must start and end in the same country. Depending on where you are flying from, you must check if your destination is eligible for the program. For example, if you are traveling from Ethiopia, the program is only available for flights to Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. If you are flying from another country like the UK or Italy, many more destinations are available.
Economy class passengers can stay one free night in a 4-star hotel, while business class travelers can stay up to two nights in a 5-star hotel. However, the rules are slightly different for passengers traveling from the US.
Getting to and from the airport
While accommodation is free, you will have to cover your own visa fees and travel costs around the city as well as to and from the airport. Although Istanbul Airport is about 21.7 mi (35 km) from the city center, you can easily access it by using various transportation methods. You can choose from the following transportation options:
- M11 Metro: Operates between Gayrettepe and Istanbul Airport.
- Havaist airport buses: Operates between Istanbul Airport and several points in the city.
- IETT: H-1, H-2, H-3, H-6, and H-8 buses operate to Istanbul Airport.
- Private car: The airport is located on the D20 highway and can also be reached from the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge via the North Marmara motorway.
- Taxi: Operate 24/7 between the airport and the city center. Transportation takes about an hour, depending on traffic.
Things to do in Istanbul
When stopping over in any city, it’s always a great idea to visit places closer to the city so you don’t risk missing your next flight or spending too much time traveling to and from the activities. One of Istanbul’s main attractions is the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, a major cultural and historical landmark. There are various tours available to explore the Mosque, but Istanbul has so much more to offer.
Photo: Ancapital | Shutterstock
You can explore the districts of Istanbul, both on the European and Anatolian sides, where each street has a different story. These include places like Emirgân, Beyoğlu, Nişantaşi, and Kadıköy. You can also walk around the streets and sample original street food and Turkish delicacies. Alternatively, you can connect with a guide and visit historical sites and distinctive avenues that host the city’s social life.
Turkish Airlines also has a layover program for passengers with layover times between six and 24 hours. For this one, it offers Touristanbul, a complimentary tour service for exploring the city. The airline notes that passengers cannot benefit from the Stopover in Istanbul and the Touristanbul service at the same time.
Flying from the US via Istanbul
As previously mentioned, some of the stopover rules slightly differ for passengers traveling from the US. Turkish Airlines flies to Istanbul from 13 US airports, with the 14th coming in June. This includes some of the busiest gateways, like Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL), Los Angeles International (LAX), New York (JFK), and Washington Dulles (IAD).
Unlike all other departure countries, US travelers can use the stopover accommodation service when traveling to all international destinations via an Istanbul airport transfer. Furthermore, economy class passengers from the United States can stay in a hotel free of charge for two nights, while business class travelers can spend up to three nights.
While the stopover program is not available for codeshare flights, passengers traveling to and from the US on Turkish Airlines codeshare flights with IndiGo can benefit from the stopover service, provided that US stopover rules apply. For all departure countries, including the US, the service is not available for passengers connecting from Istanbul to domestic destinations. Furthermore, free accommodation is not available (N and R classes) for free tickets,
What do you think of this story? Have you ever booked a stopover in Istanbul? Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments!