Champions League Final | Istanbul Travel - Good to hear routes etc.

[Blue Smarties]

Right now you can do Thursday - Monday for around £250/60 on flights. I'm doing Birmingham to Antalya for £194 and then Antalya to Istanbul was £66 the next day. Those are return flight prices as well. Can get a train from Manchester straight to Birmingham Airport as well.

Birmingham > Antalya - Thursday
Antalya > Istanbul - Friday
Istanbul > Antalya - Sunday
Antayla - Birmingham - Monday

I'm also going by myself so if anybody wants to meet for a beer let me know haha. I'm staying near Besiktas stadium, going to try and do a tour of their ground and Galatasary. Fenerbache don't do one apparently.

What time’s your train to Birmingham mate? I’ve got a flight to Istanbul at the 17:20.

 

[blueyorkie]

internal flights just book through pegasus/turkish airlines direct. really straightforward

Thx

 

[Lancet Fluke]

Thx

And don’t shit your pants when you see the price like I nearly did. It’ll be in Turkish Lira.

 

[01282]

Please advise where you found this, particularly the internal Turkish flights?

Go on Sky Scanner or you can book direct with Pegasus Airlines direct. There's quite a few out of Dalaman that morning.

 

[nw42]

Go on Sky Scanner or you can book direct with Pegasus Airlines direct. There's quite a few out of Dalaman that morning.

About £60-80 return when I looked earlier.

 

[Mcfc_Tom]

What time’s your train to Birmingham mate? I’ve got a flight to Istanbul at the 17:20.

Haven’t booked train yet but my flight from Brum to Antalya is 17.40. Beers in the airport haha?

 

[Mifred]

Booked Antalya Manchester via last minute yesterday
Went pending then advised they could not confirm booking
Looked this morning price doubled
Now going via BHX

 

[Blue Smarties]

Haven’t booked train yet but my flight from Brum to Antalya is 17.40. Beers in the airport haha?

Haha, sounds like a plan mate! Gonna be interesting to see how many blues take over Birmingham / other airports with the same idea. Hoping for an influx.

 

[chaddblue]

All booked
Gatwick > Antalya > Istanbul Friday morning
Istanbul > Dalaman > Gatwick Sunday night
£336 for flights and 2 nights in a decent looking hotel near the square

 

[Oasis1980]

Pegasus flights have come up direct from Man to Istanbul. Go out Fri and return on Sun. £690. Fucking ridiculous.

 

[jazzy]

Trip.com have flight out of Stansted on 9th return on 12th to Heathrow for £385

 

[bbrother1968]

Wizz air luton to sofia and bus thursday to sunday is £160.00 inc bus

 

[chedinho]

I'd prefer to go direct.
I hate flying so having to get 2 flights isn't my idea of fun and also I'd be mega stressed that the first flight would get delayed and I miss the connecting flight.

I've looked at Bulgaria then a coach but I'm going on my own so a 5 1/2 coach trip each way on my own is probably not the greatest idea.

How easy is it to get the coach or train

And does it get into Istanbul at a reasonable time

I would join forces if everything lines up

 

[bluesmith]

Trip.com have flight out of Stansted on 9th return on 12th to Heathrow for £385

Be careful with 3rd party sites, they will have the booking pending and then if they can't buy it for a similar price they will offer you an increased price to pay.

 

[xgorton]

A lot of f…… about but have a look at London to Sofia then train to Istanbul,if you’ve got the time

Just had a look it's a night train 11 hour journey gets you in Istanbul 5-30 am,also you have to get off train middle of night at border and have your luggage X-rayed.fack sake it's like one of those spy things no thank you

 

[SB Blue]

Pegasus flights have come up direct from Man to Istanbul. Go out Fri and return on Sun. £690. Fucking ridiculous.

Expect Pegasus will add more, seem to be drip feeding them to keep price around that level. More indirect options starting to appear, you can do it for sub £500 which is still expensive. Not sure if one of us can have the Friday off so might end up with the expensive option.

 

[mikemcfc123]

Trip.com have flight out of Stansted on 9th return on 12th to Heathrow for £385

I'm on this one, prices have actually moved very little on this route in comparison to others, it's only gone up by about £50 since Wednesday.

 

[Big Joe Corrigan]

How easy is it to get the coach or train

And does it get into Istanbul at a reasonable time

I would join forces if everything lines up

Don’t quote me but I’m sure I read somewhere that you couldn’t book the train in advance from Sofia to Istanbul? Although that was the overnight sleeper.

 

[blue roo]

Australian $2200 ( £1178) Qatar Airlines.
Perth-Doha-Istanbul return.
Absolute bargain for a once in a lifetime ( maybe) trip ….can’t wait

 

[goatfood]

I felt the same about paying that sort of till for flights, I just feel lucky that I'm in a position to convert it into an 8 day holiday for not that much more money. Even so I've still not pulled the trigger, it all just seems so frivolous to spunk so much hard earned on a football trip.
I'm 63, if I don't do it this time I probably never will get the chance again, certainly not for what could be such a historic moment for our club.

If you can afford it - do it. Life is too short, life can change or end in a second. These are the moments that you only get one shot at. You are not much older than me so will have spent most of your life never even daring to dream of occasions like this.

I understand its a lot of money and feels frivolous but the memories we all might have from this are worth more than the money sat in the bank for a rainy day that might never come.