Hi all! Recently, a reader asked me an interesting question about a long layover at Istanbul airport. I tried to answer as detailed as possible, and then decided to post the answer on the blog. Don't let the goodness go to waste!
The question sounded like this:

Surely, in your travels you have encountered changes in airlines. Tell me, is it possible, during a layover in another country, to go outside the airport and walk around the city? I am planning a long layover in Istanbul and would not like to sit at the airport all the time; (there are a lot of reviews on the Internet and they are all contradictory, I hope you will clarify the situation 😉

I have encountered such situations and even arranged them specifically in order to see another city on the way to my final destination. Travelers even have a special term “stopover” - a stop at an intermediate point lasting more than 24 hours. But this is not exactly what the blog reader was interested in.

Let me explain the point. Stopover is not just buying two tickets with a long layover, it’s one ticket with a pre-arranged stopover service. The ticket price does not change, and the airline helps you obtain a visa, offers transfers and a hotel.

The most popular cities for a stopover: Dubai, Istanbul, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur. So what? Cool! You fly to one country, but you see two at once.

Let's return to the question raised.

It all depends on the country and the amount of time for a transfer. If you have a layover in Helsinki and don’t have a Schengen visa, then you won’t be able to go into the city. In the case of Turkey, everything is simple - you don’t need a visa and no one will detain you. Or let’s say Moldova. When transferring in Chisinau, you can absolutely safely go into the city. The visa regime between our countries requires Russians to stay in Moldova for 90 days without a visa.

The only limitation that remains is time. We need to soberly assess the situation. How many hours between planes? What if we take into account passport and customs control? What airport are you arriving at and is there a change of airport? How long does it take to get to the city center? Is the airport transfer service good - shuttles, metro, etc.?

In the case of Istanbul, a lot depends on the airport of arrival. Mostly tourists flock to the area. There are the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Cistern and Topkana Palace. There is a metro from Ataturk Airport, which increases mobility. From » there is a bus + ferry. It's at least 1 hour round trip (Istanbul has terrible traffic jams).

Total: We allow time for unloading from the plane, passport control, luggage (if you need to pick it up), transfer to the center, walk, transfer back, and a full pre-flight inspection procedure. Don't forget that check-in for your flight closes in 45 minutes! It's better to take care of this in advance. If you have 45-60 minutes left at the exit, you will have time to do everything. This time will be your insurance in case of force majeure.

Is it possible to leave the airport during a long layover? Can! But everything needs to be carefully planned and calculated.

It's no secret that flights are not always direct. Very often, passengers have to fly from one country to another with a transfer in a third country: for example, in January 2018 we flew this way from our hometown Samara with a transfer at Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport.

Sabiha Gokcen International Airport in Istanbul

We go to any air ticket search service, for example, Skyskanner and enter the desired direction. For example, we are looking for tickets from Tbilisi to Samara. Enter the departure date, departure and arrival cities and click “Search”. We see several options for flights with a connection in Istanbul, we choose the most suitable one: so that the transfer is a day and as long as possible:

It is worth knowing that Pegasus airline planes arrive at Sabiha Gokcen Airport (and then fly out from there), and Turkish Airlines planes arrive at Ataturk Airport. In fact, the only difference is in the time it takes to get to the city center: from Ataturk you can get there in just half an hour (from there the metro goes to the city), while it will take an hour and a half to travel from Sabiha Gokcen Airport to the city (depending on traffic jams). We talked about how to get to the center of Istanbul from Sabiha Airport. Therefore, if you are flying with Pegasus, we recommend choosing longer connections. (UPD from April 2019: Ataturk Airport in Istanbul was closed, and instead, the world's largest airport far from the city), so getting to the center of Istanbul has now become more difficult.

What you can see in Istanbul during a layover

If your transfer takes place in Ataturk airport and you arrived on Turkish Airlines, then you are very lucky. Because in this case you are entitled to a free city tour (we will talk about it in detail in the next paragraph).

If you arrived in Sabiha airport and want to arrange a city tour on your own, it is important to calculate the time accurately. You need to allow 3 hours for the road from the airport to the city and back (read our article about that), plus another hour to check in for the next flight. In total, you need to subtract 4 hours from the transfer time. You can devote the remaining time to a walk around the city. If you did not fly with Turkish Airlines, then the independent excursion plan can be the same as described below, but you will need to allow 2 hours instead of 4 for the journey from and to the airport.

All the main attractions of Istanbul are close to each other, so it should take no more than 2 hours to explore them. This is subject to only an external inspection of the places, because you can inspect the Topkapi Palace alone with a harem inside for 2-3 hours:

Pierre Loti Hill and view of Istanbul

And if you want to see the best sights not only of Istanbul, but of all of Turkey, we recommend visiting. There you can enjoy the best creations of man and nature that exist on the territory of the Turkish state.

If your layover is in Istanbul, and it’s too cold to walk around the city for so long, we recommend visiting several non-trivial places where you can warm up and have an interesting time:

Free tours of Istanbul for transit passengers from Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airline transit passengers are entitled to a free city tour.

By the way, this airline also provides its transit passengers with a free hotel when transferring in Istanbul for more than 10 hours (for economy class passengers) or 7 hours (for business class passengers). This service is only available if the airline does not have a flight to your desired destination for 10 hours. If there is a flight, but you did not choose it (for example, because it was more expensive), then you will be provided with a hotel.

But let's get back to the free tour. It is provided to all transit passengers whose transfer in Istanbul is no less than 6 hours and no more than 24 hours. Your flight must be international and all segments of the flight must be operated by Turkish Airlines. And one more thing: the transfer must be during the day; no excursions are conducted at night.

To book an excursion, you need to go through passport and customs control on the Hotel Desk (it is located near the Starbucks cafe). You must register for the tour no later than 30 minutes before it starts.

In total, Turkish Airlines offers 5 types of city tours:

Tour 1. Time from 8:30 to 11:00. The tour includes visits to the following attractions:

• Yedikule Fortress,
• Old Armenian Quarter Samatya (Old Samatya Armanian District),
• Walls of Constantinople,
• Eminonu district,
• photo stop on the Galata Bridge (10 minutes),
• Dolmabahce Palace (20 minutes of free time are given for external inspection),
• Taksim Square,
• Galata Tower,
• Golden Horn Bay,
• Aqueduct of Valens,
• Yenikapı port.

Tour 2. Time from 09:00 to 15:00. The tour includes free breakfast and lunch. Attractions:

• Blue Mosque,
• Topkapi Palace,
• Hippodrome Square,
• German fountain,
• snake column,
• Obelisk of Theodosius.

In addition to the excursion itself, the tour package includes entrance fees to the museum and meals.

Tour 3. Time 09:00 to 18:00.

Everything is the same as in tour 2, plus the Basiliqua Cistern and the Grand Bazaar.

Tour 4. Time from 12:00 to 18:00. Lunch is included in the tour.

What attractions does this include:

• hill and cafe Pierre Loti
• Sultan Eyup Mosque and Eyup Square
• Byzantine city walls
• burials of the Sahabah in Ayvansaray
• Vlaheran Church of the Virgin Mary
• walk through the Jewish quarter of Balat
• St. Stephen's Church
• Ahrid Synagogue
• Greek Orthodox School "Great School of the Nation"
• Constantinople Orthodox Church

Tour 5. Time from 16:00 to 21:00.

The excursion includes only external sightseeing:

• Yenikapı port,
• Beyazet Square,
• University,
• Beyazet Tower,
• Old book market,
• Grand Bazaar,
• Chorlulu Ali Pasha Mosque,
• Tomb of Mahmud II,
• Column of Constantine,
• Hippodrome Square,
• German fountain,
• Egyptian obelisk,
• snake column,
• Obelisk of Theodosius,
• Blue Mosque,
• Saint Sophia Cathedral.

After visiting these attractions, guests will have dinner and return to the airport.

All excursions are conducted in English.

It is always better to travel in comfort; hardly anyone will argue with that. And sometimes comfort is possible where many are not even aware of it.
Those who travel a lot, especially over long distances, are often faced with the inevitability of a long layover, when they have to spend the whole day or night at the airport. But some airports and airlines offer their clients a free hotel during transit and even breakfast!
There are few such companies, and there are also certain conditions for providing the service, but if they offer it, then why not use the service.

I’ll warn you right away: keep in mind that almost all airlines provide free hotel services when connecting only if both flights are on the same itinerary receipt, i.e. as part of a linked ticket, rather than two purchased separately.
So, the most interesting hubs for traveling from Russia:

Turkish Airlines
Airport transfers and: Ataturk (IST), Istanbul

Turkish Airlines offers business class passengers with layovers over 7 hours and economy class passengers (over 10 hours) free accommodation, transfers and meals in Istanbul. The offer applies only to international flights, and provided that the duration of the connection is determined by the schedule (it is not possible to depart earlier).
If you wish, instead of accommodation, you can choose a free city tour (with a 6-24 hour connection).

Booking: Go to the Hotel Desk after customs.

Emirates
Transfer airport: Dubai (DXB)

If your flight with Emirates includes a long layover in Dubai, the airline provides free hotel accommodation, meals, transfers and visas.
The service is available for first class and business class passengers with a forced connection of 6-24 hours and for economy class passengers with a connection of 8-24 hours.
Dubai Connect may be offered in other circumstances. Additional rules may apply depending on the date of booking, fare, selected flight from the origin and the first available flight from the connecting point.

Booking: Pre-registration is required at least 24 hours before flight departure to Dubai and is subject to availability.

Qatar Airways
Transfer airport: Hamad (DOH), Doha

For transit passengers with a long layover at Hamad International Airport (Doha), Qatar Airways provides hotel accommodation, entry visa, transfer and meal services.
This service is only available if there is an emergency connection (no other Qatar Airways flights with a connection less than 8 hours) and if the airport transit time is between 8 and 24 hours. Not provided if departure or arrival is from the following cities: Abu Dhabi (AUH), Bahrain (BAH), Dubai (DXB), Dubai (DWC), Kuwait (KWI), Muscat (MCT), Ras Al Khaimah ( RKT) and Sharjah (SHJ).

Booking: either at least 72 hours before departure, or directly at the airport.

Air China
Transfer airports: Beijing (PEK), Chengdu (CTU), Dalian (DLC), Hangzhou (HGH), Shanghai (SHA or PVG)

Air China provides passengers with an overnight layover of less than 24 hours a 24-hour shuttle service to the hotel, breakfast and comfortable rooms. The offer applies to both international and domestic flights and is valid at five airports.
This offer is not valid for the following categories of tickets and passengers:
- tickets whose starting numbers are not 999
- combined flights
- tickets for unaccompanied children
- tickets purchased in exchange for miles
- passengers with a free ticket

Booking: on the website or at the airport; Passengers departing on overnight flights who have booked an Air China transit hotel in Beijing can find the Air China transit service counter at Gate B on the 2nd floor of the terminal.

China Southern
Transfer airport: Guangzhou (CAN)

Passengers on China Southern flights connecting to Guangzhou will now be able to enjoy one night's free accommodation at a variety of hotels, including five-star hotels.
The benefit applies to passengers traveling on China Southern or codeshare flights.
Connection time:
- connection without an overnight stay of 8 hours or more (6 hours or more for routes Australia, New Zealand, London);
- connection with overnight stay 8 - 48 hours.
Free accommodation is not available for heavily discounted economy class tickets, tickets purchased using miles or free staff tickets.

Booking: On the official website (6 months and up to 24 hours before arrival in Guangzhou) or at the airport transit counter.

Royal Air Maroc
Transfer airport: Mohammed V Airport (CMN), Casablanca

If you are traveling to Africa, North America, Brazil and Cape Verde on Royal Air Maroc's own flights with a layover in Casablanca of more than 8 hours, the airline will provide hotel accommodation for a maximum of one night. There is a free shuttle from the airport to the hotel. If the layover is 4-8 hours, then you will be taken to the lounge and fed.
Hotel accommodation is only provided if there is no earlier flight to your destination.

Booking: early hotel booking is not possible; to receive a voucher for accommodation, you must contact the Services d’hebergement/Accomodation desk, presenting a printout of the electronic ticket indicating the route.

Most travelers find connecting flights an excruciatingly boring delay. However, it could be different! Try to think of a layover as an added bonus of travel that allows you to get out into an unfamiliar world and explore it, even if it's just within the confines of an airport. A transplant can be a positive experience that gives you the opportunity to meet new people and see things that are unfamiliar to you. Perhaps the time between flights will become a productive part of your business trip or an extension of your vacation. It's likely that you'll never be thrilled with transplants, but there are plenty of ways to make them more bearable.

Steps

Getting ready for the upcoming transplant

Research the airport where you will be connecting. If you are booking a connecting flight, prepare in advance by reviewing the information on the airport website. Find out if there are restaurants, shops or other places where you can while away the time. Some airports (usually in larger cities) have theatres, museums, gyms and even play areas for children.

• If the website has a map, print it out and mark the places you want to see.

1. Explore luggage storage options. While on the airport website, see if there is a luggage storage service during your transfer. Many airports provide this option, and it is very convenient because you do not have to walk everywhere with suitcases, especially if you are leaving the airport to see a couple of local attractions.

   • This service is usually not free. However, it will most likely be worth it. It all depends on how long the transplant lasts and what you plan to do during it.

2. Join the airline's VIP club. At major airports, most airlines have lounges for VIP members or lounges where you can enjoy a relaxing, luxurious environment coupled with food and drinks. VIP clubs also provide services for those who need an “office away from the office.” For example, reliable Wi-Fi access and comfortable places with a table where you can put your laptop and work materials.

   Take in your hand luggage what you will need during the transfer. If you plan to get some work done, bring your laptop and other necessary items. Pack gym shorts and a tank top if the airport has a gym. Add a couple of small toiletries so you can freshen up before boarding your next flight. Being able to wash your face and brush your teeth during a long layover can have a huge impact on your well-being.

   Sort out your email, do your homework or work. Bring a laptop and take advantage of free wireless internet access if available at the airport (most often it is). You can finally clear out all the emails you've been meaning to send and make final edits for that important presentation that's coming up.

   • If you're studying, start writing your essay due next week, or try reading a couple of chapters of a book from your home reading list.

3. Make a to-do list when you arrive at your destination. Whether you're traveling on a business trip, vacation, or anywhere else, chances are you'll have a ton of things to do once you arrive. While you're waiting, make a list so you don't waste a second later!

   • Include all errands and other necessary items on the list, but be sure to allow some time for sightseeing or even just relaxing.

4. Find out if you can change your flight. At your connecting airport, check with your airline representative to see if you can change your flight. You may be able to transfer to an earlier or later flight for free if there are seats available. If you're not pressed for time and really want to explore the city or area you're connecting to, consider giving up your seat and taking a later flight.

   • This is not always possible, but if there is such a chance, take it!

Let's spend time

1. Take something to read. If you have a layover, take a book or magazine with you. If you don't have anything to read, explore the selection of shops at the airport and buy something there. Choose something that will absorb your attention. Once you're immersed in reading, you won't even notice how quickly time flies! Keep several options on hand so you can switch from one to another if desired.

   • For example, buy your favorite magazine to take your mind off a serious romance. If you change your reading from time to time, you will not get bored, because even the most exciting thriller can get tired.

2. Get some sleep. A quick nap is a great way to pass the time, especially during an overnight layover. Even a quick 20-30 minute nap will help revitalize you. If you are not traveling alone, ask your companions to guard your belongings while you sleep. If you are traveling on your own, be careful, as thefts do occur at airports.

   • Some airports have designated sleeping areas with comfortable chairs, where you don't have to worry about the safety of your belongings.
   • If you are very tired and have a long layover ahead, check the prices for an airport hotel room. Some airports even have rooms you can rent for a few hours.

3. Take a walk. If you're connecting between two long flights, take a walk around the airport to get some circulation in your legs. Many airports have displays or exhibitions available to passengers. In addition, you can study store windows or local posters, look at airplanes, or simply familiarize yourself with the area and find your way to the next flight. If you have the opportunity, go outside and get some fresh air.

   Eat, drink or have a snack. Many airports have restaurants and bistros, even within the control area. Food will give you energy. In addition, it will taste better on the ground than on board an airplane. During the trip, the body loses moisture very quickly, so buy a bottle or two of your favorite drink.

4. Observe those around you. At the airport you have a unique opportunity to observe people from all over the world, representing a wide variety of cultures. Sit in a crowded area and see what other travelers are doing. You will no doubt see a couple of exotic characters that you would never have met under other circumstances.

   • Try not to look at people too openly and do not make your occupation obvious. This may make the person uncomfortable or even arouse suspicion.
   • If you notice someone interesting, go and meet them if you think it's appropriate. Time will fly by with a good conversation.