# ✈️ Turkish Airlines: A Cyclist’s Gateway to Europe *Neil McKinnon, Founder of RBC GranFondo Whistler and an avid traveller, shares his personal journey through Italy's cycling delights with Türkiye’s national carrier. * By [News from RBC GranFondo](https://blog.rbcgranfondo.com) · 2026-04-24 news, deals, deadline, whistler, merch, apparel, spring, garmin, bike, computer, tech, giveaway --- Who doesn’t love a cycling escape? A gentle Tuscan breeze blowing through your hair. Scenery that shifts like animated wallpaper. Espressos fuelling tired legs. But getting there isn’t always easy. Long layovers, complicated routes, and exhausting travel schedules are common party-poopers on dream cycling vacations. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/d757c1e08a1c84e401d7927854454b2135877b3074730d262d21abece5f4082f.jpg) On a trip to Italy last year, our founder Neil McKinnon discovered it doesn’t have to be this complicated. You can travel smoothly, get pampered at one of the best bike hotels in Europe, and come home swapping peloton stories instead of airline horror tales. Yep - you can have your tiramisu and eat it too. Neil and his wife Sian are frequent travellers to Italy. Vancouver to Frankfurt, Munich, or Amsterdam are the usual routes. But thanks to our Gold Sponsor, Turkish Airlines, Neil mixed things up this time, flying from Vancouver to Istanbul for the first leg of his journey. > “Istanbul has a beautiful, modern airport, and it’s one of the great cities of the world,” said Neil. “We had the opportunity to spend two or three nights in a city that’s a gateway to both Europe and Asia.” ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/74b4fb9bcfeab877bd78ee4d3c7c23b9dc7e8d8d96ee8987aea22ea8f2693f75.jpg) The complimentary [Stopover Program](https://www.turkishairlines.com/en-us/flights/stopover?&&&&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=1361820178&gbraid=0AAAAADpYxIhxrjWozJR2pzrZ9ZT513Rg2&gclid=Cj0KCQjwy_fOBhC6ARIsAHKFB7_8l6WJjgoQuPQbQ498zeR96N7nCK7wN7l6nqXJ2WI94GSzFl2cKaUaAmhAEALw_wcB) is an initiative from Türkiye’s national carrier, allowing passengers with a layover of 20 hours or more to explore Istanbul before continuing on to other destinations. Business Class passengers have the option of enjoying a three-night stay in a five-star hotel, and economy passengers can enjoy two-nights in a four-star hotel. There’s plenty worth pausing for—from kebabs and bazaars to historic architecture and _hammams_ (Turkish bathhouses). But what stood out most for Neil was the airline’s connectivity across Europe. > “We flew direct from Istanbul to Bologna. It’s an incredible, underrated city and a perfect gateway for cycling in Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany, with Florence, Pisa, and Rome all easily accessible by train.” > “So you’re staying with one airline the whole time, instead of flying to Europe and then jumping on another flight to reach smaller destinations.” Just over an hour from Bologna Airport sits the [Belvedere Hotel](https://www.belvederericcione.com/en/bike/bike-holiday/38-0.html), a bespoke, family-run bike hotel. Guided rides cater to all abilities, with exceptional food and drink never far from reach. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/825a0ec91c969eae93d59511670ff77dc58fff637fd8d02e3470d73eef598c29.jpg) Neil’s return to Vancouver followed the same ultra-convenient path. This time, he departed from Venice, flew to Istanbul, then straight home—all with Turkish Airlines. He came back to the office with stories, photos, a tan, and one valuable travel hack: > “If you have the capacity to fly business class, the lounge in Istanbul is world class. There’s every food in the world you could imagine.” * * * Secure your RBC GranFondo Whistler spot! ---------------------------------------- Don’t let the window close. The 2026 price increase takes effect on June 24 at midnight (PT). Lock in your rate now and focus on the road ahead. [REGISTER & SAVE](https://raceroster.com/events/2026/109976/rbc-granfondo-whistler-2026) [![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/84d4fb557f0bb6b9893b06fa3513e5a7b65a0b5a54df861ed9d7d7eb225a3a6c.jpg)](https://www.rbcgranfondo.com/event/whistler) _Photo: Jen Letham_ [![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/ae6cb426675616e782e6cdfc4d32566fd8aa3e0152a4e31a1567ad38d7356379.png)](https://www.rbcgranfondo.com/event/whistler) _We acknowledge the land on which we gather is the unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations._ [![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/ca7fa830f0ab527adae5826976d1bdcc.jpg)](https://www.rbcgranfondo.com/event/whistler) [![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/4459b6f00cf5963259033974adcefc1e.jpg)](https://www.rbcgranfondo.com/event/nayarit) ### Thank you to our partners [![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/73b5457f73f85465ae6fb80af4cd14e2f31c841256d96118fc61ac329dc52fc7.jpg)](https://www.rbcgranfondo.com/event-resources/whistler/partners) _We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia._ --- *Originally published on [News from RBC GranFondo](https://blog.rbcgranfondo.com/turkish-airlines-a-cyclists-gateway-to-europe)*