Sabiha Gökçen sits on the Asian side of Istanbul. If your hotel is in Sultanahmet or Taksim, you are crossing the Bosphorus, and that changes the journey completely.
Realistic journey times
To Sultanahmet or Taksim: 60 to 90 minutes, sometimes more between 16:00 and 20:00. To Kadıköy, Ataşehir or Bostancı: 30 to 50 minutes. To Sapanca: about 90 minutes, and Sabiha Gökçen is actually the closer airport for that trip.
The bridge question
Crossing to the European side means either the Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridge or the Eurasia tunnel. Tolls are included in the price we quote, so you never hand money to the driver mid-journey.
Arrivals hall
Sabiha Gökçen is much smaller than Istanbul Airport, so finding your driver is easier. We wait inside with a name board. Flight tracking works the same way: if you are late, we are late with you, at no extra cost.
Late-night landings
A large share of flights into Sabiha Gökçen land after midnight. Public transport thins out at that hour and the taxi queue can be long. A pre-arranged private transfer is worth more at 02:00 than at any other time of day.
Which airport should you fly into?
If your hotel is on the European side, Istanbul Airport is usually the better choice even if the ticket costs a little more. If you are staying on the Asian side or heading to Sapanca, Sabiha Gökçen wins easily.
See our airport transfers, or send us your flight details from the home page form and we will price it for you.
