Travel Tip: Have a Layover in Istanbul

Here’s a great travel trick for you. This is something that I’ve found out about and used very recently myself.

If you’re ever flying long distances, you should consider flying with Turkish Airlines and having a quick layover in Istanbul. Istanbul, incidentally, is the airport with the most connections of any airport in the world. This is, of course, due to the city’s location on the border between Europe and Asia, an effective crossroads between Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Quick Layover in Istanbul

If you fly with Turkish Airlines and you have to connect flights in Istanbul, which you will most likely have to do, and the layover is long enough, you are entitled to either a free night in a hotel in Istanbul or a free guided tour of this massive and bustling city.

I used this totally amazing perk when flying from Boston to Venice last summer, connecting in Istanbul, as well as when flying back from Brussels to Boston, also connecting in Istanbul. By planning my flights properly, I got myself two free nights in Istanbul, one of which was in a five-star Hilton.

However, I do have to say that you can’t just pick any flight. The requirement is that there is no earlier flight to your next destination that same day. If the next flight leaves the following day, you’re golden and you will most certainly get a free room for a night.

In case your layover isn’t overnight but during the day, you can tour Istanbul for free. Here is the requirement that your lay-over is longer than six hours.

I’m serious when I say that this has been one of the best travel booking discoveries I’ve ever made. It’s absolutely amazing to be able to break up two long flights with a night in one of the world’s most exciting cities.

This is too good not to share, but I feel like I should finish this post by stating that I don’t work for Turkish Airlines nor do I get paid to promote them. I simply found out about these incredible services and wanted to share them with you guys!

Who says “no” to a free night in a hotel, right?