How to get from the Istanbul new airport to the city center
A luxurious part of Istanbul, the fabulous Sultanahmet, is what is called a true city center, its heart and its vibrant soul. That’s the place where old and modern cultures meet each other, with its deluxe restaurants, exclusive hotels, and unforgettable sites like Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Topkapi Palace and namely Sultanahmet Square. All of them are worth your attention and you will miss them all right after your departure from the airport.
Yet, getting there from the airport is not as easy as you can consider at a glance. The new airport was built in the opposite part of the city of Istanbul so as not to bother residents and reduce traffic jams.
So, if you want to explore the magic of ancient Istanbul after your arrival at IST airport, you’d have to plan your further transportation to the center so as not to ride in hassle and spend top money on your transfer. Therefore, our blog guide to the most comfortable rides from the airport to the city center can come in handy. We’ll consider in this guide the best transfer options for the airport’s guests depending on their budget and requirements.
What is the distance from Istanbul Airport to the city center
On average, the distance from the airport to Sultanahmet Square is something like 50 km while the same distance from another airport, Sabiha Gokcen, is only 3 km shorter. By the way, don’t you know that Ataturk Airport which was HAVIST airport’s predecessor, was only 48 km from the city center?
To make it simpler to comprehend the routes from the new airport to the central districts of Istanbul, let’s compare prices and timings provided by various options.
| Item | Arrival | Departure |
|---|---|---|
| Cigarette | 3 packs/600 pieces | 9 packs/1800 pieces |
| Cigar | 50 piece | 150 pieces |
| Rolling tobacco/pipe tobacco | 250 g | 750 g |
| Hard liquors (>22% of alcohol) | 1 liter | 3 liters |
| Liquor beverage ( < 22% of alcohol) | 2 litros | 6 litros |
| Perfumaria | 600 ml | 1800 ml |
| Cosméticos | 5 peças | 15 peças |
| Chá ou café | 1 quilograma | 3 kg |
| Doces ou chocolates | 2 quilogramas | 6 quilogramas |
Shuttle transfer depends on the conditions of its provider. Please, get into detail about reservations, costs, schedules of the shuttles provided by hotels, airlines, or HAVAIST itself.
The exact cost of car rent varies depending on the car’s class and the time you rent it for.
Istanbul airport rental car center to get to city center
The most convenient and easy type of transfer available for IST airport visitors are car rentals. These services are available throughout domestic and international terminal of the airport provided by different companies, likewise local Turkish and international services. They provide diverse pricing based on the company’s policy, the car class, and the time you rent it. For example, average rates for car rental in Turkey are the following:
- Economy vehicle starts from 930 TL per day;
- Mini is from 4,245 TL;
- Premium is over 6,355 TL;
- Luxury cars are offered for 13,218 TL for one day.
You have to show your valid driver’s license when you opt for car rental and sign a contract for so many days as you need.
Taxi from Istanbul Airport to the city center
Taxis are among the most alternatively diverse transport methods from IST airport to Sultanahmet. Different services work in this field to service people whose flights arrive to HAVAIST. Thus, you can take a taxi right at the airport or in nearby locations. All of them gladly drive you to the center of the city from Beykoz to Gayrettepe.
Cost of the taxi from Istanbul Airport to Sultanahmet
The taxi’s costs when you need to come from the new airport somewhere to Sultanahmet, Aksaray, or Taksim Square are different depending on the type of a taxi that operates. Orange taxis are the cheapest while premium black vehicles of the finest quality are costly.
As usual, a driver you hire riding a taxi takes from 350 Turkish lira for a ride. Yet, the price can be higher in high traffic hours or bad weather conditions, likewise in tourist season from March to January. Besides, it is recommended to get a taxi booking beforehand, using online services to book a car with your debit or credit cards and under your email or even having its business pages on Facebook, especially if your arrivals to the airport are at midnight or late at night when taxis are not available.
Note that taxis in Istanbul don’t require tips yet they get extra fees for Marmaroy rides and bridge crossings.
Bus transfer from Istanbul Airport to the city center
Buses are among the cheapest and at once diverse transport methods that connect the airport with the city center. A person arriving at the new airport has an excellent opportunity to enter one of the city buses and special buses as well.
- Airport’s HAVAIST shuttle buses operate daily with set timetables according to special route that may run from the airport and end at the most spectacular traveling site like Taksim or Sultanahmet. You can find the station of HAVAIST airport’s shuttle buses on the second floor of the airport’s arrivals hall, where 11 unique buses start their way to their destination and you can travel via them. Thus, on HVIST-12, you may get to Aksaray-Beyazit Square which is close to Sultanahmet and HVIST-16 goes to Taksim Square with only a few stops, and HVIST-14 also comes to the city center.
- Public IETT buses also run from the airport to the city center and Taksim. You can travel by them as additional transport as they are not quick and comfortable, and they do not go directly to Sultanahmet. Yet, if your accommodation is on the Asian side, like in Kadikoy, you can travel by them or get on these public buses to Halkali Marmalay H-9 or Mecidiyekoy H-2 Metrobus station to change your public transport from the airport there after your flight.
- Private shuttle is a great alternative to bus transfer from the airport due to higher privacy. They are offered at the airport by different operators with diverse pricing ranges.
How much is a bus ticket from the new Istanbul Airport to the city center?
The best idea to get your bus ticket from the airport is to buy it at the airport. Yet, you can do this in advance too by using the site of a chosen bus company or by scanning a QR code at the airport’s bus stop. The prices for a bus you want to get in are also presented on each web page, so better check them in advance.
- For HAVAIST buses, please, visit such link.
- For IETT bus options, you can search on this website.
Just keep in mind that buses along with the Istanbul metro are the lowest in price methods to travel from the airport compared to others. Yet, their ride is not counted in minutes, and you need to reserve more time to use them and reach closer to your destinations via buses.
Metro do Aeroporto de Istambul para o centro da cidade: qual linha de metro lá vai
Sendo uma verdadeira rede que abrange toda a cidade, o metro de Istambul é conhecido como o meio de transferência mais rápido e mais barato para viajar do aeroporto para qualquer distrito ou área.
Sabias que uma fabulosa linha de metro M11, concebida para ligar o aeroporto de Istambul à cidade, foi inaugurada há apenas um ano? O seu aniversário é a 23 de janeiro de 2023 e é composta por 16 estações.
Uma linha de metro dedicada especial para o aeroporto, a M11, é a mais rápida de Istambul e os seus comboios circulam para as estações de metro a cada 8 minutos. A linha de metro M11 liga o aeroporto a Gayerettepe, e pode chegar do aeroporto ao fim do percurso (a última estação) em 30 minutos sem qualquer espera, com uma futura mudança do seu percurso para a linha M-2 em Vezneciler, que se liga à M11. Além disso, pode mudar da linha para o comboio T-11 que circula em Karakoy para ir até Sultanahmet para facilitar as coisas.
Para chegar à estação de metro no aeroporto, procure a sinalização nas portas do terminal de chegadas. Nomeadamente, as portas 9 e 13 têm essa sinalização e pode seguir pelo passadiço.
Quanto custa um bilhete de metro do IST para o centro da cidade?
Existe um cartão Istanbulkart contactless pré-pago especial, um cartão de pagamento que pode usar para as suas viagens em vários transportes públicos em Istambul (incluindo Metrobus, elétricos e até ferry). Além disso, um único Istanbulkart pode ser usado por 5 pessoas em simultâneo.
Pode comprar o seu Istanbulkart em máquinas de venda automática especiais na estação de metro, utilizando dinheiro ou cartões bancários de crédito/débito.
Uma dica: Tente obter moeda local, liras turcas, em dinheiro para pagar os transfers. Use apenas os balcões de câmbio do aeroporto para obter moeda suficiente para a sua viagem.
Quanto pagar pelo seu Istanbulkart? Uma vez adquirido, pode carregá-lo com qualquer quantia de dinheiro em todas as paragens. Atualmente, uma viagem só de ida do aeroporto para a estação de metro de Gayreteppe custa 22,83 liras turcas ou mais, e depende do número de paragens. Cada paragem aumenta o preço total. Portanto, é melhor carregar o seu cartão de transporte com pelo menos o triplo desse valor para não ter de contar cada paragem. No entanto, depende da sua atividade e da necessidade de transporte adicional.
Transfer privado de luxo do aeroporto de Istambul para o centro da cidade
Os transfers privados são a opção seguinte para ir do aeroporto para a zona central de Istambul para passageiros individuais e excursões de grupo que necessitem de sair do aeroporto juntos.
Estão pensados para satisfazer os mais elevados requisitos de comodidade e luxo, sem paragens pelo caminho. Assim, poderá aproveitar todas as vantagens, encontrar a melhor opção e reservá-la antecipadamente no site. Os transfers privados são mais caros do que os transportes públicos, no entanto, ao utilizá-los, obtém várias vantagens por um custo razoável, incluindo as seguintes:
- Transporte rápido e sem problemas para Sultanahmet com motoristas experientes.
- Pode reservar e comprar antecipadamente, indicando os detalhes do seu voo.
- O seu motorista oferece um serviço de receção e acompanhamento mesmo na pista de aterragem para o ajudar com a sua bagagem.
- Os shuttles de transporte estão disponíveis para passageiros, sendo a principal escolha para grupos turísticos.
- Os pacotes incluem água engarrafada, ar condicionado e Wi-Fi gratuito para os passageiros do shuttle, juntamente com outros serviços de alto nível.
Frequentemente, um hotel na Turquia que reserve oferece este serviço, por isso, é altamente recomendável ponderar se está disponível. No entanto, se este serviço não estiver incluído no preço total do seu hotel, não se preocupe, pois existem várias empresas, grandes e pequenas, que oferecem guias e veículos privados para levar passageiros do IGA para o centro de Istambul. Além disso, o seu conteúdo pode ser encontrado no Pinterest ou no Facebook para avaliar a taxa de cada operador e evitar ofertas discretas.