Yeşilköy transfer and taxi to the seaside village

Before the 1970s Yeşilköy was a secluded village and sea resort, known until 1926 as San Stefano. Today it is an affluent neighbourhood of low-rise houses, tree-lined streets and seaside cafés on the Marmara shore.

The former Atatürk Airport, once called Yeşilköy Airport, lies on its northern edge, and the headquarters of Turkish Airlines are on the airport grounds.

Regular passenger flights now use Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen, not Atatürk. If someone tells you that you are "landing at Yeşilköy", check the airport code on your ticket.

Florya, its western neighbour, has a sandy beach and the Atatürk Marine Mansion, once Atatürk's summer residence and now a museum. Both make an easy outing for a short stay in the area.

Yeşilköy's residential streets are calmer than the city centre, and most hotels and guesthouses can be reached right to the door. A few lanes near the shore are narrow, with parked cars on both sides.

Some hotels in the area are close to the airport fence and the E-5 highway rather than the village centre. The exact address tells the driver which approach to take.

The Marmaray line has stations in Yeşilköy and Florya, which makes the village a practical base for reaching the old city by train once you have arrived.

Guesthouses in the older streets near the station are often in converted family houses. Their entrances can be modest, so include the house number and any sign name.

The driver meets you right at the exit door you come out of at IST or SAW, with your name on a printed sign. Delays are tracked, and the waiting time is free.

Leaving Yeşilköy, Istanbul Airport is about 45 km and 38 minutes away on clear roads, Sabiha Gökçen about 54 km and 45 minutes. With traffic, the SAW leg can easily reach 60 to 80 minutes, so leave early.

From IST the ride usually comes south across the European side to the coast without touching the city centre, which is part of why it is fairly quick on a clear road.

Pay at the end of the ride in cash (euros, pounds or lira) or by card on the terminal in the car; Visa, Mastercard and contactless all work. There is no online payment.

Free child seats are available on request with the children's ages. In Yeşilköy, as everywhere, golf bags, pushchairs and folding wheelchairs ride free if the vehicle has room.

Ask on WhatsApp with just Yeşilköy as the destination if you have questions; the booking needs the date, the landing time and the address.

A return trip between IST and Yeşilköy in the Eco Van costs €100, booked as two one-way fares.