Here's a sample itinerary for a drive from London to Istanbul. If you're planning a road trip to Istanbul, you can research locations to stop along the way. Make sure you check road conditions to double check the weather. Find the best hotels, restaurants, and attractions based on the most talked about places recommended by Trippy members.
9:00 am start in London
drive for about 4.5 hours
1:22 pm Brussels
stay for about 4 hours
and leave at 5:22 pm
drive for about 4 hours
9:22 pm Frankfurt
stay overnight and leave the next day around 10:00 am
day 1 driving ≈ 8.5 hours
find more stops
10:00 am leave from Frankfurt
drive for about 2 hours
12:03 pm Europe
stay for about 4 hours
and leave at 4:03 pm
drive for about 3.5 hours
7:47 pm Vienna
stay overnight at Hotel Sacher
leave the next day around 9:00 am
day 2 driving ≈ 6 hours
find more stops
9:00 am leave from Hotel Sacher
drive for about 2.5 hours
11:38 am Budapest
eat at Gerbeaud's
stay for about 4 hours
and leave at 3:38 pm
drive for about 4 hours
7:28 pm Belgrade
stay overnight and leave the next day around 9:00 am
day 3 driving ≈ 6.5 hours
find more stops
9:00 am leave from Belgrade
drive for about 5 hours
1:55 pm Sofia
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 2:55 pm
drive for about 6.5 hours
9:19 pm arrive in Istanbul
stay at Hagia Sophia Istanbul Old City
day 4 driving ≈ 11.5 hours
find more stops
Brussels (204 answers)
Manneken Pis (12 mentions)
Grand Place (11 mentions)
Atomium (10 mentions)
Grand Place (10 mentions)
Pierre Marcolini (6 mentions)
restaurants around Brussels:
Delirium Cafe
Godiva
Hortense Spirits & Cocktails
Moeder Lambic
Poechenellekelder
questions about Brussels:
Belgian nightlife? bar + electro-music nightclub in Brussels
Going to Brussels for Magritte, what else should we do?
Can you recommend some good places to see Art Nouveau in Brussels?
How to spend a week in Brussels?
Good places to visit overnight near Brussels
Frankfurt (74 answers)
Cider Taverns in Sachsenhausen (2 mentions)
Städel Museum (2 mentions)
Frankfurt Cathedral (2 mentions)
Römerberg (2 mentions)
questions about Frankfurt:
What's fun in Frankfurt?
Is a 4.5 hours layover at FRA enough time to explore Frankfurt?
Must sees/do in Frankfurt, Germany???
Dinner Sunday Nigth
4h 45m layover, enough to meet a family member for a bite in concourse?
Europe (209 mentions)
questions about Europe:
Best City for Christmas Markets in Europe?
12-15 day trip to Europe
Fashion Trends & How to Pack Light
What is the best place to vacation in Europe?
Looking for a nice summer holiday destination
Vienna (169 answers)
Schönbrunn Palace (14 mentions)
Naschmarkt (10 mentions)
Stephansdom (9 mentions)
Hofburg Palace (6 mentions)
Belvedere Palace (5 mentions)
restaurants around Vienna:
Salm Bräu - Brauerei & Restaurant
Figlmüller GmbH
Valenta's Stammbeisl
Schweizerhaus
Café Sperl
hotels around Vienna:
Hotel Sacher
questions about Vienna:
What are 5 things you HAVE to do when visiting Vienna?
Hotel near the Vienna Airport
What to do and eat in Vienna during 4 day visit in June?
Looking for Historic Accommodation in the center of Vienna
Fun hotel to stay?
Budapest (175 answers)
Széchenyi Thermal Bath (13 mentions)
Szimpla Kert (13 mentions)
Parlament (12 mentions)
Széchenyi Thermal Bath (11 mentions)
Buda Castle (11 mentions)
restaurants around Budapest:
Gerbeaud's
New York Kávéház & Étterem
Centrál Kávéház
Fülemüle Étterem
questions about Budapest:
What are the 5 things you HAVE to do when you are visiting Budapest?
Must see architecture in Budapest?
Cold War relics in Budapest?
Places to see in Budapest for a solo female traveler
Small city or Village to visit near Budapest
Belgrade (21 answers)
Kalemegdan (8 mentions)
Ada Ciganlija (5 mentions)
Nikola Tesla Museum (5 mentions)
Knez Mihailova (4 mentions)
Cathedral of Saint Sava (2 mentions)
questions about Belgrade:
Café culture in Belgrade
What's the best neighborhood in Belgrade for a first time visitor?
vacation duration
Sofia (7 answers)
questions about Sofia:
How many days
Are you going straight to a hotel, or looking for a vacation rental or Airbnb?
The best resource on neighborhoods, areas, and hotels is the Trippy page on where to stay in Istanbul.
If you're looking for a quick answer, you can check out Hagia Sophia Istanbul Old City, which was mentioned 8 times on Trippy.
Here are some more hotels people talk about:
Want to research more popular hotels in Istanbul? Click the blue button below.
Need some recommendations on somewhere to get food?
Trippy members suggest Çiya Sofrası, which was mentioned 5 times.
Here are some more restaurants people talk about:
Want to research more popular restaurants in Istanbul? Click the blue button below.
This section could be endless, so rather than trying to suggest every local activity or attraction, we'll leave it open-ended.
These are some of the places people talk about on Trippy:
Of course, Trippy is the perfect place to ask questions because there's an entire community of travelers talking to each other and sharing tips and advice. Trippy is where you can get answers personalized for your tastes, budgets, trip dates & more!
For example, here are some questions people have asked about Istanbul. Click on any question to see answers from the community!
Christopher from Reichartshausen asked:
Good, boutique like hotels in Istanbul? (10 answers)
Danielle from Indianapolis asked:
Must do in Istanbul with 24 Hours? (9 answers)
Pavel from Los Angeles, California asked:
Best places to go out in Istanbul? (6 answers)
Rutger from asked:
Family-friendly hotels in Istanbul? (5 answers)
Click the button below to explore more questions and answers related to Istanbul.
Yes, even this step is optional, because if you're on vacation who wants the trip to end? It's okay, you can start planning your next trip!
Want to plan the trip back? Get the reverse directions for a Istanbul to London drive, or go to the main page to plan a new road trip.
You can also compare the travel time if you're flying or driving by calculating the distance from London to Istanbul. Or get a full London to Istanbul flight plan.
Don't forget about exploring your own hometown with a staycation. You can also find some cool day trips or get away for a weekend.
And if you know London well, please help your fellow travelers and answer their questions about London!