Germany to Turkey Flights: How to Fly Cheaper in the Holidays

Millions of people fly between Germany and Turkey every year: family visits, summer holidays, Bayram. Because of this demand, the price of the same flight can double within a few weeks. A little planning saves a lot.

Use the holiday calendar

School holidays in Germany depend on the federal state. Summer holidays start at the end of June in some states and closer to August in others, and fares rise at the start of each state's holidays. If you are not tied to school dates, or an airport in a neighbouring state is close, look a few days after the holidays begin.

• Bayram: the dates of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha move about 11 days earlier each year. The days right before and after are the most expensive, so book early.
• Fly midweek: Tuesday and Wednesday are usually cheaper than Friday and Sunday.
• Price calendar: the price calendar shows the lowest fares found by day and month, so expensive weeks stand out.

Which airport to fly from

All major German airports have flights to Turkey. If several are within reach, compare them all; an hour on the train can make a big difference to the fare:

• Frankfurt – Istanbul, Frankfurt – Kayseri
• Cologne – Ankara, Düsseldorf – Trabzon, Düsseldorf – Dalaman
• Berlin – Antalya, Berlin – Samsun
• Munich – Izmir, Stuttgart – Gaziantep, Hamburg – Adana

Direct or via Istanbul

Some direct flights to Anatolian cities run only in summer and only on some days of the week. If there is no direct flight or it is expensive, a connection in Istanbul or Ankara is often a good alternative. Book the connection on one ticket: your bag is then usually checked through, and if you are delayed the airline rebooks you. Istanbul has two airports; see IST or SAW.

Airlines and baggage

Germany – Turkey routes are flown by Turkish Airlines, Pegasus, SunExpress, AJet and others. On family visits bags tend to be heavy, so compare the price with the suitcase you need, not the cheapest fare. What to check is in baggage and carry-on.

Fly into one city, out of another

For example, into Antalya and back from Izmir. Such open-jaw trips are sometimes cheaper and more practical than two returns. Planning tips are in multi-city trip planning. All flights to the city are on flights to Antalya and flights to Istanbul.

In short

Avoid the start of your state's holidays and the days before Bayram, compare nearby airports, count the price with baggage and save routes to favourites. mibilet does not sell tickets: we compare offers, and you book on the partner's site.