Turkey is one of the most competitively priced medium-haul destinations from Europe, and Istanbul in particular is served by more carriers than almost any other city in the region. Turkish Airlines operates the world’s widest route network from a single hub, which means Istanbul New Airport (IST) functions as both a destination and a transfer hub — a fact that has driven airline competition on the Istanbul route to levels that keep fares low throughout most of the year.

Istanbul New Airport (IST) opened in 2019 and is now fully operational as the primary gateway. It is 40 kilometres northwest of the city centre — an important practical point: the Havaist bus service takes 40-70 minutes and costs TRY 180 (around £4-£5); a taxi to Sultanahmet or Beyoğlu runs 600-800 TRY (£15-£20) depending on traffic. Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) on the Asian side of the Bosphorus is the budget carrier airport — easyJet and Pegasus Air operate from here — and is significantly further from the historic centre (1.5-2 hours by road in heavy traffic). If your route starts with an easyJet fare at SAW, price in the longer transfer.

From London, Turkey is one of the best-value medium-haul destinations. Economy returns to Istanbul from London run £100-£200 year-round on Turkish Airlines, British Airways, and easyJet. Summer peak (July-August) and the Eid Al-Adha period push fares £50-£100 higher; outside those windows, £120-£160 return is routine with 6-8 weeks lead time. Turkish Airlines from Heathrow is frequently the best combination of price and product on this route — their economy cabin is above-average for a medium-haul carrier, and the Istanbul hub offers onward connections to Antalya, Izmir, Bodrum, and Dalaman for the Aegean coast.

The Aegean coastal entry points are worth considering for itineraries focused on the coast or Cappadocia. Antalya (AYT) is the correct entry for the Turquoise Coast, the Lycian Way hiking trail, and side. Izmir Adnan Menderes (ADB) serves the Aegean wine region, Ephesus, and Çeşme. Bodrum Milas (BJV) serves the Bodrum Peninsula and is increasingly served direct from London in summer. Searching these separately on Aviasales against the Istanbul entry often reveals that a direct London-Antalya or London-Bodrum charter-category fare (on TUI, Jet2, or Turkish Airlines) is competitive with Istanbul-plus-domestic for coast-focused trips.

The Cappadocia entry is Nevşehir Kapadokya (NAV) or Kayseri (ASR) — both are served by Turkish Airlines from Istanbul with fares of €40-€80 one-way. If Cappadocia is the primary destination, a London-Istanbul-Kayseri routing is efficient and usually priced under £300 total return.

Aviasales is the right starting tool for Turkey because the volume of carriers (Turkish Airlines, easyJet, Pegasus, British Airways, and various charter operators) and the multi-city coastal options make the routing matrix genuinely complex. The open-jaw search (Istanbul in, Antalya out, for example) often saves £40-£80 over a straight Istanbul return for an itinerary covering both Anatolia and the coast. Kiwi.com adds value for building in the domestic segment from Istanbul to Cappadocia. Once routing is confirmed, book direct with Turkish Airlines — their website and app are well-built and have one of the better change-policy structures among European carriers.