Istanbul with children: getting the family from the airport to the hotel

A per-person ticket adds up quickly with three or four children. Our fare covers the vehicle, so a family of five pays the same as a couple travelling alone in the same van.

• Eco Van for up to six travellers: €50 on the same side, €70 across. Children count as travellers, babies included.
• Mercedes Vito: €60 or €80, if you want more space for luggage.
• Mercedes V-Class: €65 or €85.
• Sprinter minibus, up to sixteen people: €80 or €100, for grandparents, cousins and everyone travelling together.

Same side means the hotel is on the airport's own bank of the Bosphorus: the European side for Istanbul Airport (IST), the Asian side for Sabiha Gökçen (SAW). A return trip costs twice the one-way fare.

Child seats and booster seats are free. They are not fitted automatically, so ask for them in the booking and tell us how old each child is. With the ages in hand, dispatch has a suitable seat ready in the vehicle before it leaves for the airport.

1. 01List every travellerGive the number of adults and the number of children, with each child's age. A baby counts as a traveller even without a seat on the plane.
2. 02Count the luggageSuitcases, cabin bags, pushchairs and travel cots all take space. With the full list, we can suggest a larger vehicle if the Eco Van would be tight.
3. 03Add the flight numberYour flight is tracked, and a late landing shifts the pick-up at no cost. That matters with tired children, when the last thing you want is to rearrange anything on the phone.

All luggage is part of the fare. Pushchairs, golf bags and folding wheelchairs travel free, as long as the vehicle has room for them, which is why the suitcase count matters.

• A folded pushchair usually travels with the suitcases; a large travel system takes more space, so mention it.
• Travel cots and baby baths take extra room next to several large cases, so list them and we check the vehicle size.
• For a family of six with full-size suitcases, the next size up is the safer choice. Ask us if you are unsure.

If you are travelling with more than sixteen people, we send two vehicles. Send the head-count and the luggage list and dispatch confirms which ones.

Both Istanbul airports are big, busy places, and the walk from the aircraft to the exit can feel long with small children. A little planning helps.

• Keep passports for every child together and to hand at passport control.
• At IST, there is a pharmacy on the arrivals floor if you need something for the journey.
• At baggage claim, pushchairs may arrive at the belt or at a separate point; ask the airline staff if yours does not appear with the cases.
• Use the restrooms before you walk out; the drive into the city takes a while.

When you come through the exit door, the driver is standing right there with your name on a printed sign. From there it is a short walk to the vehicle, with the seats you asked for already fitted.

The drive from either airport to the centre is long enough for a nap. Bring water and a snack, and keep a favourite toy in the cabin bag rather than in the suitcase.

If your hotel is across the Bosphorus from your airport, the ride crosses a bridge or the Eurasia Tunnel, which can slow down at rush hour. Landing at the airport on your hotel's side shortens the drive and the fare: €50 instead of €70 in the Eco Van.

Departure day with children has its own rhythm: packing, breakfast, a last walk and then the drive. Book the ride to the airport together with the arrival if you can, so the seats are arranged for both legs.

• Airlines usually ask you to be at the airport two hours before a European flight and three hours before a long-haul one; check your airline's advice.
• Add time for the traffic on the way, especially if the drive crosses the Bosphorus or you leave at a weekday rush hour.
• Keep passports, snacks and a change of clothes in the cabin bag rather than in the suitcase that goes in the back.

The driver picks you up at the hotel entrance at the agreed time. The fare for the ride back is the same as for the ride in, and the child seats are free on both.

Nothing is paid in advance. At the end of the ride you pay the driver in cash (EUR, GBP or Turkish lira) or by Visa or Mastercard on the card terminal in the car, contactless included.

Plans with children change: a fever the night before, a missed connection or a later flight. Cancelling is free at any time, and changes are made with a WhatsApp message to +90 551 464 26 32. Dispatch works in English and Turkish, and a message in your own language is fine too.

If you would rather ask before booking, send only the destination and your questions about seats or space. You do not need a date to ask.