How can I book and pay for a hotel in Istanbul if Booking has payment issues and my bank card doesn’t work?

The latest advice is to use the “pay at property” filter on Booking for Istanbul hotels. If online charging fails, this lets you reserve without prepayment and pay when you check in.

For paying with a Russian-issued card, travelers more often use Trip.com, Yandex Travel, and Ostrovok instead of Booking. These are mentioned as workable options for Istanbul hotel bookings when international card payments fail.

If you specifically want to use Booking to find accommodation in Istanbul but the site won’t open, travelers note that in some countries it only works via VPN. That can at least help you access listings and check hotel conditions.

When online payment fails, travelers recommend messaging the Istanbul hotel in advance and arranging to pay cash on arrival. This is especially useful if you need a booking quickly and the website won’t accept your card.

The overall takeaway from the latest reports is not to rely solely on standard Booking payment for Istanbul. A practical approach is to check the hotel there first, then either choose a pay-on-arrival rate or book through Ostrovok, Yandex Travel, or Trip.com.