Airport transfer from Istanbul Airport to Sabiha Gökçen Airport

Istanbul International Airport (IST) > Transportation > Sabiha Gökçen Airport

The distance from Sabiha Airport to Istanbul Airport

As both airports were planned to be allocated far from the city center, the total distance between them is quite long. On average, it is 76.8 km, and it includes two general rides, D020 and Istanbul Cerve Yolu/O-2.
If you want to reserve the time to get from Istanbul Airport to Sabiha Airport, please, reserve more than 1 hour plus to get there timely.
By the way, do you know that Sabiha Airport got its name after the fabulous and brave Sabiha Gökçen, the first lady aviator of Turkey?
The distance is not the main criterion when you have to get from Istanbul Airport to Sabiha Gökçen
Airport prices also matter. Before we provide you with detailed info about the main transportation options available for IST travelers, let’s highlight in our blog the prices used for the main transport to get to the domestic airport of Istanbul. You can read about them in the table below.

Car rental from Istanbul Airport to Sabiha Airport

If you have over two years of driver’s experience, the first thing you can do if you wish to get to SAW from Istanbul Airport is to rent a car. Car rental companies are numerous at IST, there are both local operators and worldwide services like Sixt. Just note that the route from Istanbul Airport to Sabiha Airport involves passing a bottleneck, namely, the Bosphorus, which unites Europe and Asia and the city’s north and south parts. Thus, you should consider traffic jams and a bridge fare to pay.

Taxi from Istanbul Airport to Sabiha Gökçen Airport

The next comfortable yet expensive idea is to book a taxi. We cannot say it is the best option and it’s great and the cheapest one. In Istanbul Airport, there are numerous taxi booking services. If you need just a vehicle with a driver to get to another airport, look for yellow cars as they provide a standard pricing (approximately, 300 TL to ride from Istanbul airport to Sabiha Gokcen). If you book a blue taxi, the price will be 15% higher, and black taxis take over 500 TRY per ride from travelers.
In any case, taxis are such an uneven option for transfer from Istanbul Airport to Sabiha Airport. Although people who travel from Canada (Toronto), America, Australia, or Argentina may appreciate English-speaking drivers on the road, according to reviews of people who travel from France, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, Italy, Germany, and China, they need drivers, speaking their languages.
Once you want to book a taxi, we recommend you contact its providers at the airport. They can be found almost everywhere across IST and its offices are marked with a special sign. Besides, you can book a taxi by phone via an app or by calling a reliable taxi company.

Cost of a taxi from Istanbul International Airport to Sabiha Gokcen Airport

The pricing policy of Istanbul taxis is odious. If you are not booking a cab online or in the app, they can make your drive longer to make you pay extra, so, keep in mind to read the terms thoroughly. Typically, you should have 300-500 TRY reserved for one-way taxi transportation and it’ll take no less than 1 hour 10 minutes, and typically it can reach 2 hours before your arrival to SAW. The good news is that during your taxi ride, you can see Sultanahmet and Taksim, so it is more an excursion.

Bus transfers from Istanbul airport to Sabiha Airport

One of the most affordable options for people who travel from Istanbul and need to get to Sabiha Airport is picking up a bus. In Istanbul Airport, multiple buses transfer visitors who travel from another airport including HAVAIST which is an official airport transport operator.

• As the official airport’s reps say, soon they are going to launch a direct bus transfer from IST right to Sabiha Gokcen. That’s nice. Probably, when you travel to Istanbul, this bus is already on the run. In any case, you can ask about it at the Istanbul Airport bus station.
• Take a HAVAIST bus (namely HAVIST-16) to the arrivals terminal floor in front of the car parking area. Its drivers take you directly to Taksim Square, and here you go to another airport bus, HAVABUS, that drives you right to Sabiha Gokcen airport. The advantage is the buses always leave the final stop every 15 minutes.
• One more bus transfer idea is to take the IEET public bus to Taksim in the vicinity of the international terminal and then again change transport and get to HAVABUS.

How much is a bus ticket from the new Istanbul airport to Sabiha Gökçen Airport?

For HAVABUS transportation, the average ticket cost is 41 Turkish liras. If you decide to pick public buses, please, note that you need to buy Istanbul Kart and top it with a necessary amount of money. In IEET buses, a single ticket’s price is 110 liras and you can purchase it using the official site.
However, bus transfer from one destination to another is not very convenient, takes time, and requires long waiting from a passenger, if you plan rides to this direction in advance, and you have less luggage with you, it’s a great idea.

Metro from Istanbul Airport to Sabiha Gokcen Airport

Unfortunately, there is no direct metro connection between the two airports. The only option is to choose the M-11 metro line and then get out on Taksim Square station and hence go to pick up a bus for a further destination.

How much is a metro ticket from the IST to the Sabiha Airport?

Consider the price to be added to the bus ticket’s cost. Typically, a ticket to Taksim from Istanbul Airport by metro costs 16.99 liras and it should be bought using Istanbulkart.

Luxury private transfer from Istanbul Airport to the Sabiha Airport

If comfort, privacy, and relaxation are important to you, the best option is a private transfer. Different companies are providing the services of private transfers from IST airport to Sabiha Gokcen. Some of them offer definitely luxurious and business-class services with AC, Wi-Fi, meeting by a driver at the airfield or the exit of your gate, refreshing drinks on the bus, and others. You can always find more info about Istanbul Airport’s private transfers on its website, yet, you should understand that convenience and safety costs are high, and you have to be sure to reserve more costs to pay for a private transfer company service or a hotel. However, feel free to book a transfer before your arrivals via email with ease and pay with your credit card for it. You don’t need to worry and you can simply relax after your arrival as all the preparations are already made.