Layover guide
Weather in Istanbul
Mild marine climate: warm dry summers (~25C), cool wet winters (~7C) with occasional snow; December is the wettest month.
All of Istanbul
Long-term normals (1950-2025) from the Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM): July and August are the warmest months at 24.7C average, January the coldest at 6.8C average.
Rain is concentrated in winter: December averages 99.2 mm over about 15.5 rainy days, while July averages just 22.1 mm over about 3.5 rainy days. Roughly November to March, carry rain cover for the crew bus walk.
Snow does occur in winter; MGM's record snow depth for Istanbul is 41 cm (9 March 1987). Treat winter layovers as cold-and-wet rather than reliably snowy.
- Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM), Istanbul climate statistics · checked 2026-08-18
The rest of Istanbul
The whole guideGetting out of the airportMetered taxis run 24 hours from the arrivals floor, the airport metro station is inside the terminal, and the city publishes every fare on the line.Ride-hailingiTaksi is the city council's own app, it dispatches taxis registered to the system, and the only pickup points the airport publishes are the taxi ranks.Local laws that catch crew outCarry photo ID at all times, keep opinions about Turkey off your phone, and treat antiquities and cheap spirits as the two quiet ways to ruin a trip.Staying connectedA handset brought from abroad works on a Turkish network for 120 days from your date of entry, then the regulator cuts it off unless the device is registered.Eating near the crew hotelsWaterfront street food at Eminonu/Karakoy and Ortakoy, late-night eats around Taksim, and Kadikoy across the water; lokantas are the cheap fixed-price feed.What to buyGrand Bazaar for jewelry, carpets and leather (haggle, always), Spice Bazaar for edibles; VAT refund at Tax Free shops, claimed at IST or SAW before departure.TippingNot obligatory but appreciated; around 10-15% in restaurants, round up taxis, and tip in cash since cards usually cannot carry the tip.