Guides
Istanbul airport and transfer guides
Before you fly
Start with the guide to IST or Sabiha Gökçen if you are unsure which airport your flight uses, then read about the European and Asian sides to see what it means for your hotel and the fare. The arrival checklist covers visas, money and staying connected, and the guide on choosing a vehicle helps groups and families.
All guides
- IST or Sabiha Gökçen: which Istanbul airport are you landing at?Check the three-letter code on your ticket: IST is Istanbul Airport on the European side, SAW is Sabiha Gökçen on the Asian side. The code decides your shore, your drive and your fare: €50 per vehicle when the hotel is on the airport's own side, €70 when the ride crosses the Bosphorus.
- Istanbul Airport arrivals: from the aircraft to your transferAt Istanbul Airport (IST) you clear passport control, collect your bags, pass customs and walk out of the arrivals exit. Your driver waits right at that exit door with a printed name sign. A ride to the European side costs €50 per vehicle, to the Asian side €70, fixed when you book.
- Sabiha Gökçen arrivals: what happens between landing and the kerbSabiha Gökçen (SAW) has a single terminal on the Asian side of Istanbul. After passport control, bags and customs you walk out of the arrivals exit, where your driver waits right at the door with a printed name sign. Asian-side addresses cost €50 per vehicle, European-side addresses €70.
- Istanbul Airport taxi or private transfer: what is the difference?An Istanbul Airport taxi is hired at the rank and charges by the taximeter, with bridge and road tolls paid on top. A private transfer is booked ahead at a fixed price per vehicle: with us €50 to the European side and €70 across the Bosphorus, the same by day and night.
- The European and Asian sides of Istanbul, explained for visitorsThe Bosphorus splits Istanbul into a European side (west) and an Asian side (east). Istanbul Airport is on the European side, Sabiha Gökçen on the Asian side. Staying on your airport's side means a €50 transfer per vehicle; crossing the strait to the other side costs €70.
- Crossing the Bosphorus by car: the three bridges and the Eurasia TunnelCars cross the Bosphorus on three road bridges or through the Eurasia Tunnel; the Marmaray tunnel is for trains only. Every crossing carries a toll and can queue at busy hours. That is why a transfer that crosses the strait costs €70 per vehicle with us, against €50 for a ride that stays on one side.
- Public transport from Istanbul's airports: what goes whereFrom Istanbul Airport (IST), Havaist buses and the M11 metro run into the city; from Sabiha Gökçen (SAW), Havabus buses and the M4 metro do the same. None of them stops at your hotel door. A private transfer does, at €50 per vehicle on the airport's side and €70 across the Bosphorus.
- Landing in Istanbul after midnight: how a night transfer worksA night landing in Istanbul works exactly like a daytime one: your driver waits at the exit door you come out of with a printed name sign, and the fare does not change. It stays €50 per vehicle on the airport's side of the Bosphorus and €70 across it, at 2 a.m. as at 2 p.m.
- Getting to your Sultanahmet hotel: access in the Old City's narrow lanesSultanahmet hotels are reached through narrow, often one-way lanes, and some streets are closed to cars. Send the exact street address, not just the hotel name, and the driver brings you to the entrance or the nearest point a vehicle may reach. From Istanbul Airport the ride costs €50 per vehicle, from Sabiha Gökçen €70.
- Istanbul with children: getting the family from the airport to the hotelFor families, the airport transfer is priced per vehicle, not per person: €50 in the Eco Van for up to six people on the airport's side of the Bosphorus, €70 across it. Child seats and boosters are free on request, and pushchairs travel free. Give the children's ages when you book.
- Leaving Istanbul for your flight: when to set off from the hotelWork backwards from the departure time: the airline's check-in buffer (usually two hours for European flights, three for long-haul), plus the drive, plus a margin for Istanbul traffic. The planner below does the sum for your hotel. The ride itself costs €50 per vehicle on the airport's side, €70 across the Bosphorus.
- Istanbul traffic and the airport run: what slows it and how to planIstanbul is among the most congested cities in the world, and the slowest points on an airport run are the Bosphorus crossings and the weekday rush hours. Traffic changes how long the drive takes, never what you pay: our fare stays €50 per vehicle on the airport's side and €70 across the strait.
- Arriving in Türkiye through Istanbul: a checklist for the days before you flyCheck the visa rule for your passport on the Turkish Foreign Ministry site, apply for any e-visa only at evisa.gov.tr, and sort out how you will pay and stay connected. Then book the ride: €50 per vehicle from your airport to its own side of the Bosphorus, €70 across it.
- Which vehicle for your group: Eco Van, Vito, V-Class or SprinterFor up to six people with normal luggage, the Eco Van is enough: €50 per vehicle on the airport's side of the Bosphorus, €70 across it. Choose a Mercedes Vito (+€10) or V-Class (+€15) for more comfort or bags, and the Sprinter minibus (+€30) for groups of up to sixteen.
- Taksim or Sultanahmet: choosing your base in IstanbulSultanahmet puts you beside the great monuments of the Old City; Taksim puts you at the top of Beyoğlu's busy streets, nearer the cafés, shops and nightlife. For the transfer they are equal: both are on the European side, so €50 per vehicle from Istanbul Airport and €70 from Sabiha Gökçen.
On the day
The arrival guides walk through each airport from the aircraft to the kerb. Others cover night landings, the Bosphorus bridges and tunnel, public transport options and why traffic matters when you leave for your flight.
For the trip home, the guide on leaving for your flight explains the check-in buffers airlines ask for and includes a planner that suggests a pick-up time. Families will find the guide on travelling with children useful for both legs.
Where to stay
If you have not booked a hotel yet, the comparison of Taksim and Sultanahmet looks at the two classic bases by transfer time, fare and character, and the Old City guide explains how hotel access works in its narrow lanes.
Questions and answers
Where do the facts in the guides come from?
From official sources such as the airports' own websites, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the motorway authority and transport operators, each linked in the guide.
Do the guides quote public transport fares?
No, because those fares change often. The guides link to the operators' sites, where the current fares are published.
Are the guides kept up to date?
Each guide shows the date it was last updated, and facts such as tolls carry the date of their source.
Which guide should I read first?
If you are unsure about the airport, the guide on IST or Sabiha Gökçen; otherwise the arrival guide for your airport.
Can I book from a guide?
Yes. Each guide ends with the Fare Pass, so you can check the fare and book without leaving the page.