Originally Posted by
Geoflying
Is the lounge behind security/in the transit area? Wondering since I might have a 8 hour layover in IST and it would be cool to be able to leave luggage locked up and go into town. Can you actually do that? And don't you need a visa for Turkey with Canadian (or UK in my case) passport in order to leave the transit area?
I'm unsure of the visa. I know for both USA and PL passports you need a visa. And now the visa is a e-visa which you need to pay and apply for before you get there.
The lounge is in the international area after security and passport control. There is a way to leave the airport but it's a bit tricky. On the total opposite side of the airport there is a place for connections to domestic flights. You go that way (down the stairs, and around a corner). Then if I recall some 50m farther there is the passport check which then you can enter the country.
We flew in from BAH and got in around 6am. Headed to the lounge to eat some breakfast and shower. Then we left our bags in the locker in the lounge and proceeded to that passport area and went into town via the metro.