How to Get from Istanbul Airport to City Center

This content was last updated on 24.01.2024 22:20

Istanbul Airport, also known as New Istanbul Airport (IATA abbreviation: IST), is the main gate of two passenger airports serving the city of Istanbul (the other being Sabiha Gökçen on the Asian side) and the gateway to Turkey. Opened in 2019, Istanbul Airport is located on the European side, 35 km northwest of Istanbul.

There are direct flights to this airport from almost all airports in Turkey and from major European cities. Turkish Airlines is the main hub of the airline, which also serves as the main transfer point for all flights to the Middle East, Far East, Africa and North America.

How to Get to Istanbul from the New Airport?

The most comfortable and used options for transportation from Istanbul Airport to Istanbul are bus, taxi or car rental. Travel time from the airport to the center of Istanbul is approximately 30 minutes for the northern suburbs of the city, 45 minutes for the central areas of Istanbul and 60 minutes for those on the Asian side. The airport will also be connected to several lines of the Istanbul metro in the near future.

Practical Informations and Advices

• The journey between Istanbul New Airport and the city center takes an average of 60 minutes.
• HAVAIST Buses are the most practical, Private Transfer is the most comfortable and fastest.
• There is no Metro line between the airport and the city center yet. It will be possible to reach Gayrettepe by metro with the M11 line, which also includes the Istanbul New Airport route, from Gayrettepe, which is still under construction.
• For arrivals from the city center to Istanbul New Airport, it is recommended that those with domestic flights arrive at the airport at least 1.5 hours before the flight time, and those with international flights at least 2.5 hours before the flight time.
• When you include approximately 1.5 hours of transportation time from the city center to the airport and a 30-minute delay just in case, it would be good to depart for the airport approximately 3.5 - 4 hours before your flight time.

By Bus

The bus is the most used and also the cheapest option. All buses arrive and depart from the -2 level, which is lower than the arrival floor. 

Transportation to Istanbul New Airport by IETT Buses

The cheapest buses to get from Istanbul Airport to Istanbul are those of the IETT Municipal Buses, which currently manages public transportation in Istanbul. They are a little slower than others, but cheaper. The ticket price for the trip is only 25 TL. (1.5 Euros)

IETT Municipal Buses are the most used transportation method for transportation to Istanbul New Airport. There are 7 bus lines in total. You can see the current stop and departure times of the line services from the iett.istanbul link. 

Bus ticket payment can be made with IstanbulKart (the smart card of public transport in Istanbul), it can be refilled several times. It is accepted on all public transport in Istanbul, can be used by several people at the same time, and children up to 5 years old can travel for free.

• H-1 Mahmutbey Metro – Istanbul New Airport
• H-2 Mecidiyekoy – Istanbul New Airport
• H-3 Halkalı – Istanbul New Airport
• H-6 Mescid-i Selam/Arnavutköy – Istanbul New Airport
• H-7 Alibeyköy Cep Otogarı – Istanbul New Airport
• H-8 Hacıosman/Sarıyer – Istanbul New Airport
• H-9 Cevizlibağ – Istanbul New Airport

Transportation to Istanbul New Airport with HAVAIST

You can also reach Istanbul New Airport by HAVAIST Buses. There are 9 bus lines.  You can see the current stop and departure times of the line services from the link hava.ist. There are round-trip flights 24 hours a day. Depending on the traffic situation, it takes about 100 minutes to reach Istanbul New Airport by HAVAIST Buses.

• HVIST-5 (Esenler Otogar – Istanbul Airport)
• HVIST-6 (Halkalı – Başakşehir – Istanbul Airport)
• HVIST-7 (Beylikdüzü – Çatalca – Istanbul Airport)
• HVIST-8 (Avcılar – Bahçeşehir – Istanbul Airport)
• HVIST-9 (Kadıköy – Tepeüstü – Istanbul Airport)
• HVIST-10 (Pendik – Sabiha Gökçen Havalimanı – Istanbul Airport)
• HVIST-13 (Bakırköy – Yenibosna – Istanbul Airport)
• HVIST-14 (Taksim – Beşiktaş – Istanbul Airport)
• HVIST-15 (Yenikapı – Aksaray – Istanbul Airport)

Payment

You can make the payment in the vehicle by credit or debit card.

You can also make secure online payments via the website or mobile phone application. You make your transaction by having the QR code sent to you after the payment scanned by the device inside the vehicle.

By Taxi

There are three different types of taxis from Istanbul Airport: cheap yellow taxis, more comfortable turquoise taxis, and black taxis for a high level of service. Taxi fares from Istanbul Airport to the city range from 100 to 250 TL (5 to 15 Euros) for the European side areas of Istanbul and 300-450 TL (20-25 Euros) for the Anatolian side of Istanbul, and the duration of the journey is between 45 and 60 minutes.

Rental Car

If you need to visit Turkey as well as visit Istanbul, car rental is a comfortable and convenient choice. Car rental is quite cheap (20-30 euros per day). In addition, gasoline prices in Turkey are much lower than in many European countries.

Where to Stay at Istanbul Airport

If you have an early flight and don't want to risk missing your flight, or if you want to arrive late at night and go straight to your hotel, choosing to sleep at or near Istanbul Airport is a good solution.

Sleeping at or near the airport is a good choice, even when you have a long break overnight. Many of Turkish Airlines' connecting flights to Istanbul have a long overnight stay and are therefore the perfect solution for a comfortable rest.

There is only one hotel in Istanbul Airport and that is YOTEL Istanbul Airport. Located just a 5-minute walk from the passport control point, the hotel is the most comfortable sleep solution, especially for a family or business traveler with children.

Book a Room at YOTEL Istanbul Airport