Minibus group transfers in Istanbul

Any party that outgrows a six-seat van: two or three families travelling together, wedding guests, a sports team, a choir, colleagues arriving for a conference in the Levent or Maslak towers, a tour group whose guide meets them at the hotel. Above six people, the Sprinter is the simplest choice; between seven and 16 it is one vehicle instead of two or three.

Smaller groups with a lot of luggage can also book it. Six people with ski bags, instruments or several large suitcases each may be more comfortable in a minibus than in a van.

Groups heading to both sides of the city can split: one vehicle to the Old City, another to Kadıköy, each with its own fare. Groups flying in to one airport and out of the other book each leg from the airport concerned, so the fare reflects where the hotel is in relation to that airport.

For larger groups we send two or more vehicles. Send the total head-count and the luggage, and dispatch confirms which vehicles go and what each costs. Each vehicle is priced by the same rule, so a group of 20 on the airport's side might travel in a Sprinter and an Eco Van for €80 plus €50.

If the group lands on different flights, give each flight number and the names that belong to it. Dispatch can plan one vehicle per flight or a single pick-up after the last landing, depending on what you prefer.

The driver holds one printed sign at the exit door the group comes out of. Choose a name everyone knows: the organiser's surname, the team or the company. Ask the group to wait together at the exit once they are through customs, rather than drifting off to the shops or the exchange counters, and let the organiser keep the dispatch number at hand.

All luggage is included. Golf bags, pushchairs and folding wheelchairs travel free when there is room, and so do child seats on request. What dispatch needs is a realistic count of suitcases and bulky items, because a full minibus with 16 people and 16 large cases is a different load from 16 people with cabin bags.

There is no prepayment. The organiser pays the driver at the end, by Visa or Mastercard on the in-car terminal or in cash in euros, pounds or lira. If you plan to split the fare among the group, settle that among yourselves; the driver takes a single payment per vehicle.

Cancelling is free at any time, which matters for groups whose numbers change in the last weeks. If the head-count falls to six or fewer, ask dispatch to switch to a smaller class; if it rises above 16, ask for a second vehicle.