Home Routes London to İstanbul
London to İstanbul: route, cost and stops
London to İstanbul across 4 countries, with every leg costed. This is the planner's own output for the corridor — 9 stops, 12 legs, 36h on the move.
Modelled estimates, not live fares. Last rebuilt 2026-09-23.
This is one version of the corridor. Change the budget, the pace, the dates or the bed type and the route rebuilds around them.
Open this route in the plannerThe route, leg by leg
Each row is the mode the planner picked as the best balance of time and money. Alternatives on every leg — including night trains and coaches — are in the planner itself.
| Leg | Mode | Time | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| London → Canterbury | Coach | 2h | €5–€10 |
| Canterbury → Boulogne-sur-Mer | Ferry | 3.3h | €15–€32 |
| Boulogne-sur-Mer → Dunkirk | Coach | 1.6h | €5–€5 |
| Dunkirk → Bruges | Coach | 1.6h | €5–€5 |
| Bruges → Lille | Coach | 1.7h | €5–€5 |
| Lille → Reims | Coach | 3.3h | €5–€10 |
| Reims → Paris | Coach | 2.7h | €5–€10 |
| Paris → Bursa | Flight | 6.6h | €40–€220 |
| Bursa → Eskişehir | Coach | 2.7h | €5–€10 |
| Eskişehir → Ankara | Coach | 3.8h | €5–€10 |
| Ankara → Adapazarı | Coach | 4.3h | €5–€10 |
| Adapazarı → İstanbul | Coach | 2.6h | €5–€5 |
What it costs
| Component | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transport | €105 | €180 | €332 |
| Beds | €312 | €367 | €470 |
| Daily spending | €745 | €931 | €1,257 |
| Total per person | €1,267 | €1,595 | €2,194 |
Dorm beds, two people sharing where a room is cheaper than two dorm bunks. Daily spending is food and local transport, modelled per city rather than averaged across the trip.
Where you stop
London, England
Worth the time: British Museum, South Bank, Borough Market
Eating: Museums free; markets beat restaurants
Beds near the centre:
London Central YMCA · hostelHelen Graham House · hostelLSE Northumberland House · guest house
Markets and cheap eats:
Market Place Food Hall Leicester Square · marketSoho Vegan Market · marketSeven Dials Market · market
Bruges, Belgium
Worth the time: Canals, Belfry climb, Groeningemuseum
Eating: Day-trippers leave at 5pm — eat late
Beds near the centre:
Gran Kaffee Passage · hostelHostel Lybeer Bruges · hostelSpeelmansrei · guest house
Markets and cheap eats:
Osteria 45 · italianEl Greco · greekTaj Mahal · indian
Reims, France
Worth the time: Cathedral, champagne cellars
Eating: Brasserie plat €14
Beds near the centre:
Le ranch · guest houseHôtel Azur · hotelHôtel aux Sacres · hotel
Markets and cheap eats:
Caféteria · marketLe Bocal · fishBistrot des Halles · brasserie
Paris, France
Worth the time: Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Montmartre, Marais
Eating: Formule midi €16 vs €38 dinner
Beds near the centre:
Handsome Hotel · hostelMIJE Fourcy · hostelShort Stay Apartment Pompidou · guest house
Markets and cheap eats:
Marché Saint-Eustache-Les Halles · marketMarché Baudoyer · marketConte culinaire · market
Bursa, Turkey
Beds near the centre:
Asmaaltı Guesthouse · guest houseBursa Şahin Hotel · hotelHoliday inn Bursa City Centre · hotel
Eskişehir, Turkey
Beds near the centre:
Bulvar Hotel · hostelHoteleski · hostelEskişehir Polis Evi · guest house
Ankara, Turkey
Beds near the centre:
Deeps Hostel · hostelDeeps Hostel Ankara 2 · hostelTEDAŞ Misafirhanesi · guest house
Adapazarı, Turkey
İstanbul, Türkiye
Worth the time: Hagia Sophia, Grand Bazaar, Bosphorus ferry
Eating: Balık ekmek €3; esnaf lokantası €6
Beds near the centre:
Cheers Hostel · hostelÖzel Ayasofya Yüksek Öğrenim Erkek Öğrenci Y · hostelTerace Guesthouse · guest house
Markets and cheap eats:
Gülhane Pazarı · marketRoofstar Bosphorus · marketEYÜL MARKET · market
Worth a detour
Places just off the corridor, priced against the route you already have — the extra time and the extra money each one actually adds.
| Place | Fits | Extra time | Extra cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghent, Belgium | after London | +1.5h | +€81 |
| Göreme, Türkiye | after Eskişehir | +8.4h | +€57 |
| Palermo, Italy | after Paris | +4.2h | +€109 |
| Kyiv, Ukraine | after Paris | +4.6h | +€102 |
Common questions
How long does the London to İstanbul trip take?
Moving time is about 36h spread over 12 legs. Allowing 2 nights in each of the 9 stops, the whole corridor works as a 20-day trip. You can compress it by skipping stops, but the travelling time itself does not shrink much.
How much does it cost?
About €1,595 per person for 20 days in dorms, sharing with one other. That splits into roughly €180 of transport, €367 of beds and €931 of daily spending. The realistic range is €1,267 to €2,194 depending on how early you book and how much you eat out.
Can you do it without flying?
Yes. An all-surface version runs about 66h of travel and €1,530 in total — €65 less than the version above. Switch on avoid flying in the planner to see it.
Which countries does it cross?
United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Türkiye — 4 in total. Check visa requirements for your own passport before you commit to the route; this planner does not model them.
What transport does it use?
Coach, Ferry, Flight. Every leg is costed with a walk-up fare and an advance fare, so the range on each row is the booking-window spread, not uncertainty about the route.
Adjust it for your own dates, budget and party size.
Plan London → İstanbul