Cheap flights from Birmingham to Istanbul

January is the cheapest month on this route, and the price calendar shows fares easing right after the New Year rush. Winter is quiet in both cities, so you get more choice of seats and calmer airports. Spring and autumn sit in the middle, with mild weather and moderate fares. Summer and the school holidays are the expensive stretch, and so is the run-up to Christmas and New Year. Midweek departures from Birmingham usually cost less than Friday or Sunday flights, and booking a few months ahead beats leaving it to the last week.

Turkish Airlines is the full-service name most people know on this route, while Pegasus, Sun Express, Jet2, Easyjet and Wizz Air Malta cover the low-cost end. Lufthansa, KLM Cityhopper, Aer Lingus and Eurowings also sell tickets that get you to Istanbul, often with a change on the way. The difference that matters is what the fare includes: a full-service ticket normally carries a cabin bag and a checked bag, a low-cost one sells the seat and charges for whatever you add. Some options fly non-stop from Birmingham, others connect, so compare the total with your bags before you choose.

Istanbul Airport sits on the European side, a long ride out from the centre, and Sabiha Gokcen is on the Asian side, nearer Kadikoy and the eastern neighbourhoods. Both have metro links, airport buses and taxi ranks, and the metro is the easier choice if you land in the evening rush. The ride into the centre can take a while when traffic is heavy, so leave room on the way back to the airport. Check which airport your ticket uses before you book a hotel, because the two are a long way apart.

Currency

TRY (₺)

Power sockets

Type C, F · 230 V

Language

Turkish

Emergency number

112, 177

Driving side

right

Calling code

+36

Internet domain

.tr

Population of Istanbul

15.7 M (2023)

Time zone

UTC+03 (Europe/Istanbul)

Country facts: Wikidata

• Check which Istanbul airport your fare lands at, because Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gokcen sit on opposite sides of the city.
• Add the cost of a checked bag to any low-cost ticket before you compare it with a full-service fare.
• If your itinerary connects, make sure it is one ticket, so a missed connection is the airline's problem and not yours.
• Confirm your passport and visa rules for Turkey before departure, and check that your passport has enough validity left.
• Aim for January if you want the lowest fares, and look at midweek departures in the other months.
• Birmingham has a single airport, so there is no doubt about where you fly from.