Two airports serve Istanbul, and the difference between them can matter far more than the price of your ticket. Pick the wrong one for where you are staying and the money you thought you saved goes back into the journey.
Two airports, two continents
Istanbul Airport (IST) sits on the European side, north-west of the city. Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) is on the Asian side, to the south-east. More than 80 kilometres of road separate them, so landing "in Istanbul" says very little about how close you are to your destination.
Rough travel times
These are normal-traffic figures. Between 07:30-10:00 and 16:30-20:00 it is common for them to grow by half again.
- IST → Taksim / Şişli: about 40 km, 45-60 minutes
- IST → Sultanahmet / Fatih: about 45 km, 50-70 minutes
- IST → Ataşehir / Kozyatağı: about 65 km, 70-100 minutes
- SAW → Ataşehir / Kozyatağı: about 30 km, 30-45 minutes
- SAW → Taksim / Şişli: about 45 km, 60-90 minutes
- SAW → Sultanahmet / Fatih: about 50 km, 65-95 minutes
The rule is simple
If you are staying on the Asian side, choose SAW; on the European side, choose IST. The only reason to break that rule is a very large fare difference — and when you compare, add the transfer cost and the extra hour on the road to the cheaper ticket.
Late-night arrivals
After midnight public transport options thin out. Roads are clear so the drive is quicker, but the risk of waiting at the terminal goes up. A pre-arranged transfer removes that problem: the flight is tracked, so the car is at the door when you land.
What happens if you are delayed
Share your flight number and we follow the flight. If it is delayed, the car arrives at the new landing time and there is no extra charge. This is the clearest difference from looking for a taxi at arrivals.
Do not forget the luggage
Four people with four large suitcases will not fit a standard sedan. Calling a second car at the terminal because of luggage costs more than planning for it. Tell us the number of bags along with the number of passengers and the right vehicle turns up.