travelling to Turkey with 2 year old and 5 month old - alone!!!

[casper06]

Hi everyone,I have decided to go to see the in-laws in Turkey with the kids. I am absolutely dreading the travelling part.
DO I take a double buggy or struggle with a baby sling and single buggy? Flight times are outrageously late so might need it for 2yr old to sleep in. Flying with BA are they much help?
ANY tips greatly appreciated - bricking it here!

Why cant they come to you?

Hi Casper06 - it is not that bad, really! If you are fliying BA there are flights during the day although I find travelling at night a bit easier sometimes as they drift off to sleep. Where are you going in Turkey? Do you have a connecting flight? Depending on where you are going a double buggy may be helpful (is it a tandem or side-by-side? Tandem is better because it is narrow- might struggle with a side by side esp. in Istanbul or big cities with narrow pavements) Take some healthy snacks, toys, crayons, a couple of books with you. If they have a special teddy or a blanket they love take them as well, they will sleep more easily with these things. If you have a portable DVD player it is an absolute lifesaver! The flight attendants are normally good, for example they will hold the little ones for you if you need to go to the toilet etc. (My personal experience) People sitting next to you are normally very helpful as well. One of my tips is that try not to strap your 2 year old to the seat as soon as you get in the plane, as they get may get very frustrated, wait till the last possible moment to do the seatbelts. Be relaxed! I can't say it is a totally enjoyable experience but it is not that bad either! Let me know if you have any questions about travelling to Turkey.

Thanks for the tips.
I prefer to go to the in-laws as they seem to forget to go home when they come here. The idea is to have a break in the sun and escape when I want to.
Flying to Izmir so the flight times are all late ones.
Great tips, I think I'll take the double buggy and have the sling available just in case....

I might be too late in writing this, but a couple of suggestions:

I assume you are taking a late night connecting flight from Istanbul to Izmir. If that is the case, check if there isn't an earlier one you can make. THY usually tries to book you with something like a two hour wait in Istanbul airport, but you can change that to an earlier flight.

Double buggy is a better idea, because there is a bit of a walk between the international terminal and the domestic one in Istanbul.

If you don't mind flying Lufthansa, they have a direct flight from Munich which arrives at a very reasonable afternoon hour in Izmir.

You have nothing to worry about re travelling to Izmir with kids. Despite all their macho behaviour towards single women, Turkish men go super nice and extremely helpful when they see a woman with kids. They will probably be carrying your double buggy up and down stairs for you and stuff.

Hope that helps...