Istanbul Airport to the City Centre

Most visitors to Turkey land at Istanbul Airport (IST), one of the largest airports in the world, about 40 km from the historic centre. Getting into the city is easy once you know the options: a private transfer straight to your hotel, the cheap airport buses, the M11 metro or a taxi. Here is how they compare, plus what to do if you arrive at Sabiha Gökçen on the Asian side.

Your options from Istanbul Airport (IST)

• Private transfer: the most comfortable choice. Your driver meets you in arrivals with a name sign and drives you to the door of your hotel at a fixed price, whatever the traffic. Best with luggage, children, groups or late-night flights.
• Havaist airport buses: comfortable coaches from the arrivals level to Taksim, Sultanahmet, Beşiktaş, Kadıköy and many other districts. Cheap, frequent and running around the clock on the main routes.
• M11 metro: the airport metro line runs to Gayrettepe, where you change to the M2 line for Levent, Taksim and the old city connections. Good value if your hotel is near a station.
• Taxi: official taxis wait outside arrivals and work on the meter. Comfortable, but the price depends on traffic, and a long ride into the old city can cost more than a pre-booked transfer.
• Car hire: rental desks are in the arrivals hall. Driving in Istanbul is not for the faint-hearted; hire a car when you leave the city to explore the rest of Turkey.

Journey times

• To Sultanahmet (old city): about 45 to 75 minutes by road.
• To Taksim and Beyoğlu: about 40 to 70 minutes by road; around an hour by metro with one change.
• To Kadıköy (Asian side): about 60 to 90 minutes by road.

Evening rush hour (roughly 17:00 to 20:00) and Friday afternoons can add a lot of time on the road.

Arriving at Sabiha Gökçen (SAW)

Sabiha Gökçen is Istanbul’s second airport, on the Asian side and used by many low-cost airlines. The M4 metro line runs to Kadıköy, from where ferries cross to Eminönü and Karaköy. Airport buses go to Kadıköy and Taksim, and taxis and private transfers are available outside arrivals. Allow at least an hour to reach the European old city.

Tips for arrival day

• Buy an Istanbulkart from the machines at the airport; it works on buses, the metro, trams and ferries.
• Get a little cash from an ATM in arrivals for small expenses.
• Arriving late? Book a transfer in advance; it is the stress-free choice after a long flight.
• Leaving Istanbul? Allow plenty of time: the airport is huge, and security and walking to the gate can take longer than you expect.

Photo: Arne Müseler, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons