Nottingham Forest have been drawn to play Fenerbahce in the Europa League playoff round, and the first leg is set to take place at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium on Thursday, 19 February.
The trip is one that Nottingham Forest fans will be both excited and nervous about. One hand, it's a chance to see their team play a European knockout tie away from home. However, on the other hand, it is in Istanbul, a City with a dark history when it comes to football violence.
Before fans can even consider any of that, though, they need to get there. Below, we run through the best options currently available to Forest supporters.
How can Newcastle fans travel to Istanbul?
Direct to Istanbul
The easiest way for Nottingham Forest fans to get to Istanbul for matchday is to take a direct flight to the city. There are direct flights to Istanbul on Wednesday, 17 February, but it will require Forest fans getting down to London. However, at the time of writing, these flights are priced well below £100, so the trip to Stansted is well worth it.
Off to Istanbul, a few months earlier than we thought?
— GReG_FOReST1865ℹ️ 🌳⭐️⭐️🔴⚪🔴 (@Barnabus73) January 30, 2026
Not gonna lie but that's going to be tough. What a trip though! Fantastic atmosphere and fanatical supporters #NFFC #Fenerbahçe pic.twitter.com/tG9QkObDKn
Adventurous options
Many Nottingham Forest fans will feel that this is going to be their final European away match of the season, so some will want to go out with a bang. If you would prefer to fly from the most convenient international airport to Nottingham, East Midlands, then here are some fun options:
Via Alicante: One option from East Midlands Airport is to fly out to Alicante on Tuesday, 17 February and then spend a day there before boarding a flight to Hamburg on Wednesday morning. After a short stop in Germany, you will then board a direct flight to Istanbul. If a night in Benidorm in February appeals to you, then this could be the trip take.
Via Amsterdam: Another route that might prove popular with Nottingham Forest supporters is to take the same flight out to Alicante as previously mentioned, then moving onto Amsterdam. From here, supporters can either take an immediate flight to Istanbul or spend a night there before completing the final leg on Wednesday.
FGG says: Take the London flight
At present, direct flights to Istanbul from London on the day before the game are priced between £40 and £60. This is a bargain that is well worth the trip down south. If you want to make more of a trip out of it, you could always head down to London a day earlier and enjoy what the capital has to offer for 24 hours.