SAW → IST · Asia to Europe
Sabiha Gökçen to Istanbul Airport transfer
Your fixed fare
From
€70
Between the two airports · fixed per vehicle
Eco Van · Same fare day and night
The driver holds a printed sign with this name.
Why the airports are so far apart
Sabiha Gökçen serves the Asian side from the Kurtköy plateau above Pendik, while Istanbul Airport lies in Arnavutköy on the European side, close to the Black Sea. Getting from one to the other means crossing the Bosphorus and most of the metropolitan area, east to north-west.
Typical reasons for a SAW to IST ride: a low-cost or domestic flight into Sabiha Gökçen followed by a long-haul departure from Istanbul Airport, a missed connection rebooked to the other airport, or a hotel night on the Asian side before an IST flight. In every case the car goes from kerb to kerb with your luggage on board.
What SAW to IST costs
The ride from Sabiha Gökçen to Istanbul Airport always crosses the Bosphorus, so the Eco Van fare is €70 per vehicle, for up to six people. The price does not change with the hour or the day of the week.
- Eco Van, up to six people: €70.
- Mercedes Vito: €80.
- Mercedes V-Class: €85.
- Mercedes Sprinter, up to 16 people: €100.
The reverse ride, IST to SAW, is also €70. Book both directions and the pair costs €140 in the Eco Van. What you agree when booking the SAW to IST transfer is exactly what you pay the driver, at the end of the drive.
Kilometres, minutes and the crossing to Europe
Our measurement of Sabiha Gökçen to Istanbul Airport is about 84 km, about 59 min with no traffic. In everyday traffic we estimate 75–105 minutes for the SAW to IST drive; the slow end is likely on weekday evenings and on Fridays.
The car can cross to Europe over the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge in the north, the Fatih Sultan Mehmet or 15 July Martyrs bridges in the middle, or through the Eurasia Tunnel. Which one the driver takes from Sabiha Gökçen is decided by the traffic on the day; no route is promised.
When an event or a race closes a crossing, the other routes get busier. Tell us your IST departure time and we suggest a pickup with room for it.
Making the SAW to IST connection work
We give no connection-time figure. The time you need depends on the check-in deadline of your IST flight, how long passport control and baggage reclaim take at SAW, and whether both flights are on one ticket. Your airline is the one to ask.
- Leave Sabiha Gökçen landsideCollect all your bags. After an international arrival you pass passport control at SAW and enter Turkey, so check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs entry rules for your passport.
- Find your nameThe driver waits right at the SAW exit door you come out of, holding a printed sign with your name. Domestic and international arrivals share one terminal.
- Drive west to EuropeThe car crosses the Bosphorus and heads north-west to Arnavutköy.
- Check in at ISTThe driver sets you down at the Istanbul Airport departures entrance and helps unload the luggage.
Two separate tickets on two airports leave you exposed if the first flight is late. We wait for a delayed SAW arrival free of charge, but the IST check-in deadline does not move, so build your margin before you buy.
Your driver at Sabiha Gökçen
Walk out of the arrivals exit you use at Sabiha Gökçen and look for your name on a printed sign: the driver for the Istanbul Airport run is standing right at that door. We follow your flight, so the pickup moves with the real landing time.
Give us the SAW arrival flight number and, if you have it, the IST departure flight. A flight number you do not know yet can be marked "send later" and added on WhatsApp before you travel.
Luggage costs nothing on this airport-to-airport ride, and golf bags, pushchairs and folding wheelchairs ride free when the vehicle has room. Free child seats are fitted on request; send the ages and the number of suitcases with the booking.
Booking and payment for SAW to IST
Use the Fare Pass on this page or send a WhatsApp message to +90 551 464 26 32 with the date, your SAW landing time, both flight numbers and how many people are travelling. Not ready to book yet? Ask on WhatsApp first; booking the Sabiha Gökçen to Istanbul Airport ride can wait until the times are fixed.
Payment happens at Istanbul Airport, when you arrive: cash in EUR, GBP or TRY, or Visa or Mastercard on the card terminal in the car, contactless welcome. You pay nothing in advance for this connection, and you can cancel it free at any time.
Why this ride always crosses
The ride back to the airport
Questions and answers
What is the fare from Sabiha Gökçen to Istanbul Airport?
The Eco Van costs €70 per vehicle for up to six people. The Vito is €80, the V-Class €85 and the Sprinter €100 for the SAW to IST connection, day or night.
How long is the drive from SAW to IST?
About 84 km and about 59 min on an empty road. In traffic, our estimate for Sabiha Gökçen to Istanbul Airport is 75–105 min.
Is there enough time for a connection from a SAW arrival to an IST departure?
That depends on your tickets and your airline's check-in deadline. Add passport control, baggage reclaim and the cross-city drive, and ask the airline before you book.
Do domestic and international arrivals at Sabiha Gökçen meet the driver in the same place?
Both arrive in the single terminal. Wherever you walk out, the driver waits right at that exit door with a printed name sign.
Does the SAW to IST fare change if the driver takes the tunnel?
No. The driver picks the bridge or the Eurasia Tunnel by traffic, and the fixed €70 Eco Van fare for SAW to IST stays the same.
Can I pay for the Sabiha Gökçen to Istanbul Airport transfer in pounds?
Yes. Cash in GBP, EUR or Turkish lira is accepted, and so are Visa and Mastercard on the terminal in the car.
Can we stop at a hotel on the way from SAW to IST?
A stop between the two airports is priced at booking. Send its address on WhatsApp and we confirm the fare before the ride.