Its a travel day! We are leaving Turkey today and making our way to Zagreb. We woke up and did some final packing to ensure all of our stuff fit in our bags and newly purchased suitcase. After making sure everything was sorted, we checked out with our host who was nice enough to store our luggage until it was time for us to head to the airport.
McDonalds
For lunch we decided to visit a McDonalds. While we’d been to one before, we only had a few snacks. So this time Gimpy ordered a “Mangal Burger” which we’ve concluded is simply a BBQ burger. I ordered a “Double Kofte Burger”, which by my estimation is something like a “meatball” burger. As far as McDonalds burgers go, it was pretty good. They were unique and not something we have at home, but certainly nothing to write home about.
I’ve found that I enjoy visiting McDonald’s in different countries simply to see what is different. Sometimes there are some very cool offerings we don’t have at home.
Istanbul Atatürk Airport and the Turkish Airlines Lounge
After lunch we returned to our AirBnb to pick up our bags and then made our way to the metro station where we hopped on a train bound for the airport. It takes about an hour to get from where we were staying to the airport. When we arrived Gimpy and I checked into our flight and made our way through security without incident.
From here, Gimpy and I parted ways for an hour or two. One of the benefits of flying in Turkish Airlines business class, is access to the Turkish Airlines lounge at Ataturk Airport. It is considered by many to be one of best airport lounges in the world. Ever since I knew I was coming to Turkey, this was on my list of things I needed to do on this trip. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get Gimpy in on the strength of my single business class ticket. But she was understanding enough to let me do this while she explored the airport on her own.
Turkish Airlines Lounge
Upon entering the lounge, you realize how large the space actually is. Its easily the largest airport lounge I’ve been in spanning two floors. There are a number of amenities (more than I could get to for the hour and a half I was there). There are several areas where there are chefs waiting to prepare ready to order food, multiple stations for all manner of drinks, and plenty of seating.
Throw in a theatre area with its own popcorn maker, a driving range simulator, toy race track and video games for the kids.
It took me a good 20 minutes just to navigate the entire place and get a feel for what it was like. I eventually settled on a seating area near some power outlets so I could pull out the laptop and blog.
I was able to grab some food and order a few items from the chefs. Everything was very tasty and I enjoyed it a lot. Normally the food tends to be under warmers and not always super fresh, but this place was the exception. Its a beautiful space with lots of big windows and generally a very great environment. It was a very enjoyable and relaxing way to kill time at the airport. Sadly our boarding time came quickly, I said good bye to this amazing lounge and made my way to the gate where I reunited with Gimpy for our flight to Zagreb with a short stop in Vienna.
Flight to Zagreb via Vienna
The flight from Istanbul to Vienna was a little over two hours and in true Turkish Airlines fashion was impeccable. I was served a wonderful meal of grilled veggies and mozzarella along with a Beef Cutlet which was very tasty. The flight was very comfortable and passed by quite quickly.
Once we arrived in Vienna, we had a short 45 minute layover before boarding our flight to Zagreb. Normally I’d be a bit concerned with such a quick turnaround, but they’re so efficient there that was no issue passing through passport control or security. Our flight to Zagreb was also relatively uneventful it was a short hour long flight and there isn’t much to report.
When we arrived, we were likely one of the last few flights inbound as the airport was pretty empty. We retrieved our checked bag, and headed out of the terminal. Gimpy had researched an airport transfer bus which was waiting for us when we arrived. Apparently they schedule the buses for when flights come in, so its almost always there for incoming arrivals. Its rather convenient as it takes you into the main bus terminal of Zagreb. From there we purchased a transit ticket got on a train and headed into the center of the city.
Zagreb
By the time we arrived at our airbnb, it was around 10PM. Our plan was to settle into our place and then head out and grab some supplies. However, what I didn’t realize was that if you weren’t in the very center of the city, finding a store that was open proved to be quite difficult. While Gimpy hopped in the shower I decided to take a stroll around the neighborhood we were in. We weren’t SUPER hungry, but looking for a snack or two and water was on my mind. I went around our area for a few blocks in different directions, but every convenience store I went to didn’t seem to be open. I asked a few locals for a store that was open, and all of them seemed to think it would be a tough task.
Defeated, I returned back to our airbnb empty handed. We had a few snacks and crackers from our plane rides and ended up boiling some water to drink. Thankfully we weren’t super hungry so we ended up turning in soon after. We were excited for a day of exploration in Croatia’s capital before flying to Dubrovnik. There we’d be joined by a friend for our Croatia leg of the trip, Vino!