How to get from London to Istanbul
- 2497 km as the crow flies
- Fastest: bus + flight, 30h 25m
Compare the train, bus and flight options. Then check them for your own date.
At a glance
Fastest
27h 50m
4 transfers
Bus + Flight
€236
Cheapest
61h 25m
2 transfers
Bus
€151
Calculated by Routavio, refreshed 11 Oct 2026
Start with the whole journey.
We compared the ways to travel from London to Istanbul. The most useful door-to-door route takes 30h 25m by bus, flight, 5 transfers. The two cities are about 2497 km apart in a straight line. The price and operators below come from a real route search.
This fare comes from a search on May 12, 2026 and has not been refreshed since. Run a live search for today's price.
2497 km
Which way suits you?
| Transport | Observed fare | Duration and scope | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flight | €55Checked Oct 12 | 40h 55mFlight only | See Flight details |
| Bus | €153Checked Oct 10 | 61h 25m2 transfers | See Bus details |
- Flight€55Checked Oct 1240h 55m · Flight onlySee Flight details
- Bus€153Checked Oct 1061h 25m · 2 transfersSee Bus details
These figures were observed on different days. This table is not a live price ranking for your date.
London to Istanbul: cheapest or fastest?
Pick a tab: the legs, the timing and the difference from the others all change with it.
- 1London Borough of Newham → London City AirportbusLocal bus·45m
- 2London City Airport → London Borough of CamdenbusLocal bus·45m
- 3London Borough of Camden → Parisbus
BlaBlaCar Bus·8h 55m - 4Paris → FrankfurtbusBlaBlaCar Bus·7h 30m
- 5Frankfurt → Bucharestflight
TAROM·3h 25m - 6Bucharest → IstanbulflightTAROM·2h 50m
The best balance of price and time we found on this route.
Which date should you go?
The amounts on each day are fares seen earlier, not live offers. A day with no figure is one we have not priced, not one without a service.
- Fri, Oct 16€114Cheapest found
- Sat, Oct 17€171
- Sun, Oct 18€338
- Mon, Oct 19€152
- Tue, Oct 20€151
- Wed, Oct 21€190
- Sun, Oct 25€239
- Mon, Oct 26€157
- Tue, Oct 27€158
- Thu, Nov 5€190
- Fri, Nov 6€139
- Sat, Nov 7€190
- Sun, Nov 8€190
- Mon, Nov 9€189
- Wed, Nov 11€157
- Thu, Nov 12€147
- Sat, Dec 5€190
- Sun, Dec 6€190
- Mon, Dec 7€190
- Tue, Dec 8€190
- Thu, Dec 10€209
Departure and arrival
London to Istanbul on Omio
We have no stored Omio fares for this pair yet. Omio's search shows the trips for the day you pick.
Search on OmioOperators seen on these journeys
BlaBlaCar BusLondon Borough of Camden-Paris, Paris-FrankfurtBook →TAROMFrankfurt-Bucharest, Bucharest-IstanbulSee live options and dates →SindbadLondon-ParisBook →
FlixBusParis-Bucharest Airport Henri Coanda, Bucharest-İstanbul Esenler Otogarı, Paris-Copenhagen BusterminalBook →
Turkish AirlinesFrankfurt am Main-Istanbul AirportSee live options and dates →
Pegasus AirlinesCopenhagen Kastrup-Sabiha Gökçen AirportSee live options and dates →On this route you travel with Local bus, BlaBlaCar Bus, TAROM, Sindbad, FlixBus, Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airlines; Routavio does not add a booking fee.
How the trip from London to Istanbul works
Start with a Local bus bus from London Borough of Newham to London, about 45 min. Transfer in London and continue by Local bus bus on to London Borough of Camden (45 min). Transfer in London Borough of Camden and continue by BlaBlaCar Bus bus on to Paris (8h 55m). Transfer in Paris and continue by BlaBlaCar Bus bus on to Frankfurt (7h 30m). Transfer in Frankfurt and continue by TAROM flight on to Istanbul, connecting in Bucharest (5h 25m). In total it's roughly €209 over 30h 25m, 5 transfers.
London to Istanbul: common questions
How long does it take to get from London to Istanbul?
The most useful route takes about 30h 25m by bus, flight, 5 transfers.
Is there a bus from London to Istanbul?
Our route search found a bus option, but we hold no verified timetable for this route yet. Check the operator's own timetable for departure times.
How far is Istanbul from London?
About 2497 km in a straight line. The real route on the ground or in the air is longer.
How much does London to Istanbul cost?
On the upcoming dates we checked, the cheapest fare ranged from €114 to €338. Run a live search for your own date to see today's price.
Are there direct flights from London to Istanbul?
The most useful route we found connects: 5 transfers, 30h 25m in total. On flexible dates a live search sometimes turns up a nonstop.
How long is the flight from London to Istanbul?
Counting the whole door-to-door trip we measured about 30h 25m. About 6h 36m of that is waiting between legs.
Which operators run London to Istanbul?
On this route you travel with Local bus, BlaBlaCar Bus, TAROM, Sindbad, FlixBus, Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airlines.
Can you get from London to Istanbul without flying?
Yes. A ground route by bus takes about 61h 25m.
What is the cheapest way to get from London to Istanbul?
Usually a flexible date, or leaving from a nearby airport. A live search puts every option for your dates side by side.
Can I book directly?
Yes. Routavio sends you straight to the operator or an independent third-party provider. We never add a booking fee. The final fare and availability are confirmed by that provider.
Related links
Flying instead? London to Istanbul flight prices€55Other ways people search London to Istanbul
- how to get from London to Istanbul
- London to Istanbul travel time
- London to Istanbul distance
- cheapest way from London to Istanbul
- London to Istanbul flight time
- flights from London to Istanbul
- London Istanbul direct flights
- London to Istanbul by bus
Sources and method
Routes are calculated by Routavio's multimodal engine from operator timetables and flight data. Durations come from timetables, and prices are the most recent observation, not a guarantee.
Operators: Local bus, BlaBlaCar Bus, TAROM
Route calculated: 11 Oct 2026
Prices checked: 12 May 2026