Why I Keep Flying to Istanbul from Amsterdam
I booked my first trip to Istanbul on a Tuesday morning and ffew out that Friday evening. The Pegasus Airlines flight from Amsterdam Schiphol to Sabiha Gokcen Airport cost EUR145 return. That’s less than a weekend in Paris and infinitely more interesting. The flight itself was 3 hours and 20 minutes \u2014 shorter than I expected for crossing from Europe into Asia.
But here’s what nobody tells you about flying to SAW instead of IST: Sabiha Gokcen is 50 kilometers from the city center. Budget \u20ac25 and a full 90 minutes for the transfer. I took the Havabus shuttle which costs \u20ac3.50 and drops you at Kadıköy on the Asian side, then a 20ac1 ferry across the Bosphorus to Eminönü on the European side. That ferry crossing \u2014 20 minutes, standing on the deck, watching the minarets and the sea \u2014 was the single best introduction to a city I’ve ever had.
Two Continents in One Day for \u20ac1
No city on earth straddles two continents the way Istanbul does. On my first full day, I took the ferry from Eminönü to Kadıköy \u2014 \u20ac1 exact fare, no ticket needed, just tap your Istanbulkart. I had breakfast in Europe and lunch in Asia. The ferry runs every 15 minutes and the ride itself is worth the fare. You pass under the Bosphorus Bridge, past the Dolmabahçe Palace, and get a view of the entire old city skyline that no observation deck can match.
The Istanbulkart itself costs 50 TL (about \u20ac1.50) and you can top it up at any machine. One card works for ferries, metros, trams, and buses. A single ride on any form of public transport costs about \u20ac0.40. I spent \u20ac10 on transport my entire four-day trip. Compare that to the \u20ac40 I’d spend on a weekend of Ubers in London.
What I Ate and What It Cost
Turkish food is the best value I’ve found in any European city. I had a full kebab dinner with grilled vegetables, rice, salad, bread, and two glasses of ayran for \u20ac12 at a place called Zübeyir Ocakbaşı in Beyoğlu. The same meal in Amsterdam would cost \u20ac35 and wouldn’t taste half as good. Breakfast at a traditional kahvaltı spot cost me \u20ac6 \u2014 a spread of cheese, olives, honey, kaymak, eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, and endless bread and tea. And the street food is where the magic happens: a balık ekmek (fish sandwich) from a boat under the Galata Bridge costs \u20ac3. A simit from a street cart is \u20ac0.50.
I budgeted \u20ac25 a day for food and came in closer to \u20ac18. The tap water isn’t drinkable, so factor in \u20ac1 for bottled water from any corner shop. Tea at a çay bahçesi costs \u20ac0.30 a glass. I drank roughly 15 glasses a day. Turkish hospitality insists on it.
What I’d Skip and What I’d Prioritize
Hagia Sophia is free to enter and genuinely awe-inspiring. Go early \u2014 I arrived at 8:30am and walked straight in. By 10am the queue was 200 meters long. The Basilica Cistern was worth the \u20ac13 ticket \u2014 dark, eerie, and the Medusa heads at the bottom are hauntingly beautiful. Skip the Grand Bazaar unless you enjoy being aggressively sold to at every turn. Instead, walk through the Spice Bazaar (free to browse) and then explore the side streets of Eminönü where prices are a third of what the Bazaar charges.
I stayed in the Karaköy neighborhood \u2014 a former industrial area turned hipster haven with incredible coffee shops, street art, and views of the Galata Tower from every corner. My hotel through Trip.com cost \u20ac38 a night for a room with a Bosphorus view. The area is a 10-minute walk from Taksim Square and a 15-minute tram ride to Sultanahmet.
My Advice for Your Trip
Book the early morning Pegasus flight from AMS \u2014 you arrive at SAW around 3pm, take the shuttle to Kadıköy, the ferry to Eminönü, and you’re checking into your hotel in time for sunset over the Bosphorus. For the return, the evening flight gets you back to Amsterdam by midnight. It’s the most efficient weekend trip in Europe.
Book your Istanbul flight on Trip.com where Pegasus consistently offers the best rates, and search their hotel listings for Karaköy or Beyoğlu accommodation.
Author Bio: I’m a Dutch travel writer who’s been to Istanbul five times in three years. I pay my own way and write what I actually experienced \u2014 good and bad.