Students are responsible for booking their own flights to Turkey and are strongly advised to book their flights early if they wish to keep costs down. Likewise, we would advise students to be aware of the different travel options to Turkey if their are any changes made by the airline (which may affect your arrival and departure dates to and from Afyon).
Flights to Turkey
Students have the option of booking direct or indirect flights to Turkey. There are a number of airports to choose from:
• Istanbul Ataturk (IST)
• Dalaman (DLM)
• Antalya (AYT)
• Izmir (ADB)
In terms of choosing an airport in the UK, one may wish to include smaller airports such as Luton and the like when searching for cheap flights to Dalaman/Antalya. Otherwise, the major airlines can be found leaving Manchester International and London Heathrow.
Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines operate internal flights from Istanbul to Afyon. If you travel with Turkish Airlines, we would advise that you book your international flight and internal flight as one trip. This will ensure that if there are any cancellations by the airline with regards to any leg of the journey, the other legs of your journey will not be affected. In addition, it will ensure that you have the correct luggage allowance for all legs of your journey.
Travelling to Afyon
Internal flights
The nearest airport to Afyon is Kutayha Zafer Regional (KZR), which is 30 miles from Alila Thermal. There are daily flights to and from Zafer International (from all three airports mentioned above) which are operated by Turkish Airlines (www.turkishairlines.com/en-int/).
Important: Students are recommended to check the availability of internal flights prior to booking their flights to Turkey (if they wish to travel by air to Afyon).
The cost of internal flights (Istanbul to Afyon) vary, with the cheapest being 200 TRY (£30) per flight. A shuttle service from the airport to the hotel is available and costs 15 TRY (£3.75) per journey. Please note the cheaper domestic flight has limited luggage allowance.
Travel by coach
There are coaches from every major city that travel to Afyon. From Istanbul, the journey can take up to eight hours depending on road and weather conditions. The cost is usually around £20. Coach tickets can be booked using www.kamilkoc.com.tr [The site can be translated to English if using Google Chrome.]
Important: Travel to Afyon from Antalya, Dalaman & Istanbul will vary greatly in price and duration whether one travels by plane or by coach.
Tip: [Optional] If you are travelling as a family or group, it may be better to book a private taxi.
Booking flights
Web sites such as www.skyscanner.net can be used to gauge the cost of flights. However, students are fully responsible with regards to all their flight bookings. If you would like advice on booking flights or would like us to suggest a travel agent, please contact the administration.
Tip: Although flight prices tend to be higher the later you book them, there are occasions where flights can still turn out to be cheap. Always compare flight prices before booking.
Tip: [Optional] You may wish to book your flight to Turkey a day or two earlier from the retreat start date (to keep flight costs down) and spend a night or two in Istanbul.
Passport & Visas
Please ensure that you have a passport that is valid for at least six months from the date you enter Turkey. A Turkish visa is required and must be purchased online via www.evisa.gov.tr/en/ prior to travelling to Turkey at a cost of $20. [Please avoid third-party web sites which will charge a higher fee]
Non-UK citizens should contact the Turkish authorities directly with regards to how to acquire a visa.
