JoshTrent

Hi All - I am a LONG time lurker & casual traveler for the past 10 years. My life situation has recently changed and I will be traveling a LOT more in the coming years. I have found a lot of great info on FT in the past, and I am now looking to contribute!

On to my question.. I am making my first post-COVID European Trip at the end of the month. LAS>ORD>IST>TIA - I will spend a month in the Balkans & then TIA>IST>BUD - where I will spend 60-80 days in Hungary. As a US Passport holder with family members who are Hungarian Residents, I requested & have received approval from the Hungarian Police to enter the country.

My question is about transiting through IST. It will be my first time in IST and my flights are booked as one-way tickets with Turkish. Are there any pitfalls I should be on the lookout for? If it makes a difference, I am vaccinated.

TIA!

pstm91

ISTFlyer will certainly give you more insight. Having just transited there about a month ago the only thing I'd say you really need to know with the new airport is that it is absolutely enormous, so make sure you have enough time. If your layover is only an hour or so you'll most likely need to head right to your next gate.

KLouis

Now, this is by far the most optimistic post I've ever read in FT: calling this a "post-COVID European trip", especially when you plan to go to Albania and Hungary does, indeed, sounds sort of understated. Anyway, even if vaccinated, be cautious... And, after lurking here for a long time, welcome to FT!

JoshTrent

Thank you both for the replies!

KLouis - I appreciate you labeling my post "optimistic" and not something else..! I AM extremely optimistic, and looking forward to my trips. I have taken several trips to the Baja Peninsula (in/out of SJD), and while I am enjoying the low occupancy levels on the international legs, I am also extremely dutiful, cautious & careful. Having said that, I understand that COVID is still a very real thing for the majority of the world.

I haven't found a forum on FT to properly intro myself.. but I served in a management role for a Luxury Hotel (5-Star) for 20+ years in North America. COVID decimated my industry, and took a great toll on me personally as well. I have the propensity for travel, and I believe that it can be done in a safe manner. In some ways, I also feel duty bound to travel. It's an industry that has taken it on the chin for more than a year, and I feel as though I can give back by traveling.

Anyway, enough about all that.. Thank You!

pstm91

You should be optimistic! I think you'll enjoy these locations a lot more than you think, too. Albania is quite ourdoorsy, if you are worried about COVID. You only mentioned TIA - the city is okay but try to do some day trips to the north - the mountains are gorgeous. The south has some of the greatest Mediterranean beaches that seemingly no one knows about. Try to check out Sarande and Vlore - both have seen a ton of growth over the past few years. You can also find companies who will take you out to more remote beaches for very cheap. Enjoy!

EqualOpp

Be cautious? Of what?

Live in paranoia?

Many people are naturally immune or got over it.. a lot of people..yet this is not acknowledged. We don't need to go around and advertise this. It's just called life.

ISTFlyer

Hi JoshTrent and welcome to FlyerTalk!

Most likely, as Albania is open to foreigners and as you could enter Hungary because of your family ( you would also have the appropriate documents ), there wouldn't be issues with one-way tickets.

IST might be a large airport but it's easy to navigate. Just follow the signs if you're not familiar with the airport and that would help. However, if you are still uncomfortable transiting a massive airport for the first time, allow extra time for heading from point A to B inside the airport.

If you have further questions please don't hesitate to ask.