Find out what services and facilities are available at Istanbul Airport. Where is the best place to eat and where to shop?

The largest concentration of services can be found in the area behind security, where there's a huge central area with gated 'piers' radiating out to the planes.

The big pain of Istanbul airport is the lack of seats and the relatively last-minute display of the gate number (about 60-75 minutes before departure). This combination thus forces passengers to sit in the restaurant.

Cheap hotels near Istanbul airport

Internet and wi-fi

Wi-fi is available free of charge, however you will need to register for access at one of the many kiosks dotted around the airport.

At the kiosk, you retrieve your passport and are given a unique password. You will need to provide your passport number and password when connecting to the Wi-fi. Wi-fi lasts for one hour and cannot be extended by further registration.

Kiosks are located only in the post-security area and are not found in the public areas of the airport.

Although you can officially log in to the Wi-fi by SMS-code. However, the message only goes to Turkish phone numbers.

However, you can pay for wi-fi for an unlimited period of time through the kiosk at 370 try.

Stay online even during your travels in Turkey. Get Turkish data e-sim easily and quickly at airalo.com.

Shops and supermarket

The usual supermarket or mini-market with groceries does not operate at Istanbul Airport.

In the public area you will find only a few shops selling souvenirs or sim cards of local operators.

The transit area serves as a large luxury shopping mall. In addition to other souvenir shops, there are boutiques of famous fashion brands, jewellery, watches or cosmetics shops after security check.

A large number of shops remain open 24 hours a day. A list of all shopping options can be found on the airport website: istairport.com/stores.

There are also pharmacies located in the public area on both the arrival and departure floors. The pharmacies are open 24/7.

Restaurants and cafés

In the transit area after security you will find a huge variety of refreshments of all kinds. You can dine in upscale restaurants, small cafes or famous fast-food joints.

The vast majority of restaurants are open 24/7.

A large number of restaurants also host the public area, where you can eat at branches of Burger King, Popeyes, Sbarro or Simit Sarayi, for example. Even restaurants in the public area are usually open 24/7.

A list of all dining options can be found on the airport website: istairport.com/restaurants.

Luggage storage

You can store your luggage in the self-service lockers located in two locations in the public area:

• Near gate 13 (arrivals level).
• To the right of Entrance 1 (departure level)

Depending on the size of your luggage, you can pay for 24 hours of storage from 90 try to 300 try.

There is also a luggage room inside the transit area, suitable if you have a long layover and don't want to carry your hand luggage while shopping.

Fees range from 90 try to 370 try for a full day's storage, depending on the size of your luggage.

It is not possible to store your luggage in this storage facility upon arrival, leave the transit area and go into town. In this case, please use the storage facilities in the public area of the airport.

Showers

The IGA Showers are located in the transit area of the International Terminal. The charge is 15 eur + 3 eur for towel/shampoo if you do not have your own.

The showers are open 24 hours a day and can be found on the 1st floor near the IGA lounge.

Details can be found here: igapass.com/en/iga-shower.

ATMs and exchange offices

The exchange offices at Istanbul Airport are operated by Global Exchange with unfavourable exchange rates.

Use the branches of regular Turkish banks located in the public area of the arrivals terminal. QNB Finansbank or Ziraat Bankasi, for example, have good rates.

ATMs with the Turkish lira sign and the sign "ATM" are located in the transit area and in many places in the public area. These ATMs have very poor withdrawal conditions with high fees and unfavourable exchange rates.

Use the ATMs of the regular Turkish banks located at the counters of these banks in the public part of the arrival hall. These ATMs are located approximately 50 meters to the left after exiting the international arrivals.

Drinking water

Drinking water dispensers, from which you can drink and fill your own bottle free of charge, can be found at the following locations:

• Public area, Arrivals
  • at doors 3 and 6
  • at baggage claim
• international transit area
  • near IGA Lounge
  • at the beginning of the A-Pier (near the exchange office)
  • at the beginning of B-Pier
  • at the beginning of D-Pier (to the right of the escalators)
  • at the beginning of F-Pier (near PRM)
• domestic transit zone
  • opposite departure gate G2
• Arrivals, transit zone - near Turkish Airlines transfer desk

Hot and cold water is available.

Outdoor terrace

For long transfers, the non-smoking outdoor terrace located by the B-gates can come in handy.

Smoking rooms

After the security check, you'll find a total of 13 ventilated smoking rooms. There are 10 smoking rooms in the international terminal, while 3 smoking cubicles are located in the domestic section.

Charging electronics

Public outlets for charging mobile phones or laptops are located at the seats in the check-in area (public area at the check-in counters) and at all departure gates in the transit area.

Stroller rentals

After the security check in the international and domestic section, erary strollers are available for free rental for any length of time.

Strollers can be picked up and returned at one of the many locations across the terminal.