When it comes to the variety of destinations to jet off to, us Londoners sure are lucky. With several massive airports (two of which are among the biggest in the world), there are very, very few places around on the planet that aren’t served by the capital’s air hubs.
And now British Airways, the UK’s national carrier, is launching flights from London to one of the world’s trendiest places. İzmir in Türkiye, which was recently named a must-visit destination in 2024 by Lonely Planet, will soon be served by one BA flight per week from Heathrow.
İzmir, for those not in-the-know about Turkish city break spots, is a city on the Aegean coast and Türkiye’s third-biggest metropolis. It’s got a broad sort of appeal, boasting everything from sprawling beaches and reliable sunshine to buildings crammed with Ottoman history.
Lonely Planet’s 2024 ‘best in travel’ guide praised İzmir for its ‘seaside location, fresh Aegean cuisine, and blend of rediscovered heritage and revitalized contemporary culture’. The travel guide company said it’s ‘a city that prides itself on living the good life’.
BA’s Heathrow-İzmir route will kick off in May 2024 and they’ll run throughout the summer. Currently, Londoners wanting to get to İzmir have summer services run by the likes of Tui, easyJet and Pegasus.
You can book and find out more on the British Airways website here, then check out more of Lonely Planet’s must-visit destinations for next year here.
If you’re on the hunt for more places to visit in 2024, you’re already in the right place. Time Out has recently published a bunch of forward-looking features for the next 12 months, from the world’s best things to do in 2024 and best places in Britain to visit to the most exciting new things to do in the UK next year.
Did you see that the ‘world’s best airline’ is launching new flights from London?
Plus: Paddington station will close for four days over Christmas.
Listen to Time Out’s brilliant podcast ‘Love Thy Neighbourhood’: the Christmas special with Paloma Faith in the East End is out now.
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