Hi everybody, I urgently need to book a flight from any UK airport ( preferably any London) to Izmir in November. I cannot afford more than £300, and have looked on BA and Turkish Airlines and found some, I would book now but I only have 50 pounds at the moment and cannot pay the full amount right now. I´m wondering if anyone knows anywhere else who can offer Winter flights to Izmir too? This is urgent, if I can´t go I don´t know what I will do,  please help.

Şimdiden teşekkür ederim xx

I always have difficulty to find affordable flights to İzmir in winter, being in the Netherlands I´m lucky to be close to Germany. I cant really help you, but in case you cant find any flights to İzmir, try to find the cheapest flight to İstanbul (no problem finding that all through the year), and then book a domestic flight from within Turkey, Türk Hava Yolları and Pegasus Airlines for example, offer flights from İstanbul to İzmir a few times a day for prices generally varying from 80-150 liras, which would be around 35 / 70 pounds.  So if you can find a 200-250 pound flight to İstanbul, you would not cross your limit. Make sure that the airport your plane lands from Britain, is also the one that your other domestic flight takes off from (Atatürk Airport or Sabiha Gökçen airport). It owuld cost you some extra time though, the flight itself is only 1 hour, but you would have to wait at the airport for your domestic flight etc.

Wish you luck finding a direct flight though, have you tried any search machine on cheap flights?

Try skyscanners - travelspermarket or expedia. There´s another one -will post name when I´ve asked my friend.

If you can´t pay the full amount now how will you be able to book with any airline?  Or were you thinking of maybe booking  a one-way flight for the moment?  You might possibly get this for under £50 - I have just booked a one-way from London Gatwick- Bodrum at the end of October for £40.

Hi Carla,

The cheapest way possible is by flying to İstanbul with easyjet and taking a bus or another flight to İzmir. Easyjet flies only to İstanbul in Turkia. 

I just checked a return flight from London to İstanbul and it costs 59 pounds without check-in baggage and without insurance (both are included by default at easyjet website so make sure you exclude them). One way flights start from £33. 

I would first check travel options from İstanbul to İzmir before I book a flight from London to İstanbul. Make sure you pick a domestic flight from the same airport (Sabiha Gokcen Airport, İstanbul). Also check flight times of both domestic and easyjet flights. With a good planning you could get away with under 100 quid.

Cheers

Erdinç 

Wow, thank you all for your help, now I can work through the options. I have to get an idea of the costing, so that I can raise a maximum amount. I have 50 pounds, I might even sell my car if I have to.  I´ve set up an ebay account and am going to try and raise some money for it, I know if I work hard as well maybe I can get the full amount for a flight by mid October. I have never booked my own flight before, usually my parents took care of it but as I will travel individually I need to know my options and research thoroughly.

You can fly from Manchester to Izmir in the winter I think.

Try goldtrail.co.uk     they are supposed to be VERY good

 aw...it must be love

 ´It Must Be Love´ - Alan Jackson

What a great reason !

:  >

 I was thinking more ´Madness´

NO!!! not madness never!!!

Calm down canim-it was before your time!

 I do that sometimes too, bus tickets are really cheap, for around 40 ytl you can find a ticket. But you will have to take the service to the busstation, (a taxi will be expensive if you travel from sabiha gökçen), or take the metro if you land on Atatürk airport. Without speaking Turkish it might be a bit difficult to find the way, because the busstation is not situated that close to the airports. From Atatürk Airport, the bus to İzmir would take between 10-11 hours, from Sabiha Gökçen it is 8-9 hours.

I´d suggest a domestic flight, it saves you a lot of trouble, buses aren´t too comfortable (depending from company to company, it differs. I would suggest Kamilkoç Rahat hat, you get your own tv screen in the seat in front of you, the seats are bigger and you can get to keep your phone on during the trip. But they are more expensive, you can find a plane ticket at that price), and adding the money for the service to the busstation or to Taksim square (where buscompany offices are situated too), would cost you 7-10 liras, lets not mention taxi fees.

The reason I take the bus, is because it is cheap and because the first time I spoke sufficiently Turkish to ask the way, the second time it was easy.

I´ll add another idea in case you can´t find anything after all the tips you got so far. If you were to consider the istanbul-bus to izmir-idea, you might as well check flights to Bodrum. Bodrum airport is pretty outside the city, but there are services to the city centre, and the buscompanies are situated close to the centre, around the big square where the buses take off as well. The bus from Bodrum to İzmir would take around half the time that the bus from İstanbul to İzmir would take, let´s say 6 hours.

Two tips when you travel by bus in Turkey:

- Make sure they book you a single seat next to another female.

- Turn off your cellphone during the entire trip

- Half way the trip, the bus stops at a ´refreshment place´ (dont know the english word), usually a big restaurant with a small shop too, where you can use the restroom and have something to eat. Generally the breaks are around half an hour, so you better be in the bus again after around 20 minutes. They announce when the buses are taking off again, but it´s rather hard to understand for a non speaker, and you dont want to be left alone 

Oh dear, for my first time travelling I should really avoid the bus. I know I will cry like a child if I get left behind or if I get scared :S

I´ve been told by the person I have to visit that they will collect me from either Izmir or Bodrum airport, which saves some hassle. I´m really nervous about travelling alone, and my parents want to know I will be as safe as possible.  As long as I get to one airport somehow for a decent price I don´t mind. I sound crazy. I am a bit But it´s something I have to for my heart and mind. Long story.

Thank you everyone for your help and advice, I´d be lost if it wasn´t for all of your help

Where is it you are going then, if I may ask?

Bodrum is easy to get at by car from İzmir if they are to pick you up. We went there by car this summer. I have to admit we drove to Didim first, I wouldnt know if there is a faster way, but the way to Didim is practically one long straight road. To Bodrum is kind of through a road with many turns next to a big lake and mountains, but still pretty fine and a nice road too.

Well, the person I´m visiting is currently in Didim, and when I spoke to them they told me that they will collect me from Izmir or Bodrum airport by car, so I won´t have to worry about transport from the airport. So all I have to do is somehow get to Izmir or Bodrum airport, but I´m guessing Izmir is easier in the Winter months? I paid 60 pounds into my bank today, I´m working hard to get this sorted. I think flying to Istanbul as suggested and getting a domestic flight to Izmir sounds a good option if I can´t fly direct.