Cheap flights from Cork to Istanbul

January is the cheapest month to fly this route, and it is also the quietest. Fares climb through spring and settle again in September and October, when Istanbul is still mild and the crowds have thinned. April brings prices back up with the school holidays. Midweek departures on Tuesdays and Wednesdays usually cost less than Friday or Sunday flights, and early morning connections tend to be cheaper than afternoon ones. Book a few weeks ahead for winter travel, and earlier for the run-up to Christmas and New Year, when seats between Ireland and Turkey fill quickly. Turkish school breaks and Ramadan also move demand, so check the calendar before you fix your dates.

Every option here is a connection, because nothing flies non-stop from Cork to Istanbul. Aer Lingus and Emerald Airlines cover the Irish legs, while the onward hop to Turkey comes from Lufthansa, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Air France or its regional partner HOP!, and Sun Express. Sun Express is the low-cost name in that mix, so expect a bare fare with bags and seat choice added on. The full-service carriers usually fold a checked bag and a meal into the ticket, though their hand-baggage-only fares exist too. Book the whole trip on one ticket where you can: if a connection is missed, the airline sorts it out, which is not the case with two separate bookings.

Istanbul has two airports, and which one you land at depends on your connection. Istanbul Airport sits on the European side, a long way out of town, with metro and airport buses running into the centre. Sabiha Gokcen is on the Asian side, further from the historic districts, and has its own metro link plus shuttle buses towards Taksim and the ferry piers. Both are large, and both take well over an hour to reach the centre in traffic, so build that into your plans. Check your arrival airport before you book a hotel, because the two sit on opposite sides of the Bosphorus. Late arrivals may find the metro shut, so have a taxi or shuttle plan ready.

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 whether your connection is on one ticket or two, since separate bookings leave you to fix a missed flight yourself.
• Look at the baggage allowance on a Sun Express or hand-baggage fare before you plan to carry a cabin bag.
• Confirm which Istanbul airport your onward flight lands at, because Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gokcen sit on different sides of the city.
• Make sure your passport meets Turkey's validity rules and check whether you need a visa before you fly.
• Compare January fares with September and October departures if your dates are flexible.
• Leave a comfortable gap at the connecting airport, since Cork has no direct service to Istanbul.