Flights from London to Istanbul

London to Istanbul flights land at one of the city's two airports: Istanbul Airport (IST) on the European side or Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) on the Asian side.

Turkish Airlines, British Airways and Wizz Air fly direct between London and Istanbul in about 3 hours 50 minutes. Flights leave from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton.

Over the last few days, the cheapest London to Istanbul flight found on Opodo was £56. Fares change with your dates, so comparing a few days around your trip can find you a lower price.

London flights to Istanbul leave from four of the city's airports. How to reach each one:

• Heathrow: about 25km west of central London, served by the Heathrow Express from Paddington, the Elizabeth line and the Piccadilly line
• Gatwick: about 47km south of central London, with the Gatwick Express from Victoria as the fastest train
• Stansted: north-east of London, reached by the Stansted Express from Liverpool Street or by Terravision coaches
• Luton: north of London, with trains from St Pancras to Luton Airport Parkway station

To plan the train or Tube part of the trip to your London airport, the TfL Go app shows the routes that work from where you are. Shuttle buses also run to every airport from central London.

A taxi is the most flexible option but can be expensive on a long trip. Services like Uber give you a fixed price before you set off.

All the London airports offer food and drink outlets, ATMs, Wi-Fi, car hire and currency exchange.

When you arrive in Istanbul, it will be at one of two airports, on opposite sides of the Bosphorus.

Istanbul Airport (IST)

Istanbul Airport is the larger of the two, on the city's European side, and the hub of Turkish Airlines. Metro line M11 links the terminal with the city's metro network.

Havaist shuttle buses leave about every thirty minutes from Istanbul Airport to Sultanahmet (the Old City) and the city centre.

Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW)

Sabiha Gökçen is the smaller airport, on the Asian side of Istanbul, and the main base of Pegasus Airlines and AJet. Metro line M4 runs from Sabiha Gökçen towards Kadıköy, where ferries cross the Bosphorus to the European side.

Taxis wait at both airports. To avoid unexpected fees or taxi scams, you can book a car through BiTaksi, which, like Uber or Grab, tells you the cost of the trip before you leave. It is usually a little more expensive than a regular taxi, but less stressful.

Both of Istanbul's airports have places to eat and shop, along with banks, currency exchanges, post offices and ATMs. Free Wi-Fi works on laptops and mobiles at Istanbul Airport and at Sabiha Gökçen.

Lounges at both Istanbul airports offer areas to rest and showers before your flight home to London.

Both airports have facilities for disabled travellers, including wheelchair-accessible toilets and lifts. If you need a wheelchair, tell your airline ahead of time so that staff can be ready to help you.

The best time to fly to Istanbul depends on whether weather, price or events matter most to you:

• Best weather: April to May in spring, or September to October in autumn
• Cheapest fares: December to February, when Istanbul is colder and quieter, so pack warm clothes and an umbrella

Most of the year has a cultural event in Istanbul:

• April: the Istanbul Tulip Festival fills the city's parks with flowers
• June: the Istanbul Music Festival
• September: the Bosphorus Cup sailing regatta
• November: the Istanbul Theatre Festival

Whatever the season, the food is excellent all year round in hotspots like Istiklal Street.

With records of settlement going back to the 6th millennium BC, Istanbul has no shortage of history, culture and food. Places not to miss:

• Hagia Sophia: one of the most iconic religious buildings in the world, first a cathedral, then a mosque
• Topkapi Palace: home to the Ottoman sultans for centuries, now a museum with jewels, weapons and religious relics
• Blue Mosque: the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, facing Hagia Sophia, named after the blue tiles inside
• Basilica Cistern: a vast underground Byzantine water reservoir held up by hundreds of columns
• Grand Bazaar: one of the oldest covered markets in the world, with carpets, lamps, spices and sweets
• Galata Tower: a medieval stone tower with views over the Golden Horn and the old city

For food, Istanbul serves everything from fine dining to street food such as simit and grilled fish sandwiches by the Galata Bridge.

A ferry ride along the Bosphorus, between Europe and Asia, is one of the cheapest ways to see the city's palaces and waterfront mansions.