My trip plans are not finalized yet, but my question is how long would it take to get from Sultanahmet to Sabiha Gökçen Airport via taxi? This would be on a Saturday at the end of May (flight leaving at 7 pm). And how much would this taxi ride cost (three adults with luggage)? Thanks!
Posted by
Sidney, B.Columbia, Canada
18 posts
Hi Gabriel-My Wife & I will be leaving downtown Istanbul 5th October to the same airportfortunately our flight to the UK(easyjet)is mid-day-We haven't decided yet how we are getting to the Airport-I've noticed a lot of Istanbul hotels give you a good taxi rate if you stay 3 nights or more(we haven't booked our hotel yet!)From what I've read, it's going to cost around 60.00europersonallyflying that early, I would stay out at the airport Hope this helps- John
Posted by
Lunenburg County, Nva Scotia, Canada
5 posts
Hi Gabriel! When we visited Istanbul, we let our hotel in Sultan Ahmed arrange transportation from the airport. (We flew into Atatürk International, which lies in Europe.) When we emerged from customs, our driver was waiting, holding a sign with my name. It cost us about US$30, which we thought pretty reasonable for a one hour ride at rush hour. You're flying through Sabiha Gökçen, Istanbul's other airport, 20 miles east of the Bosporus in Asia. It's much farther from the old city and there's no easy way to drive straight downtown because you'll have to take the bridges. I don't think I'd go so far as to stay out at the airport, and miss out on those golden hours in Istanbul. Let me offer an alternative suggestion, though: Overnight in Asia your last night. If you were to spend your last night at a hotel in the Üsküdar neighborhood, you'd be just a ferry ride from the Golden Horn, and less than two miles along a four-lane street from the freeway. From Üsküdar to Sabiha Gökçen Airport is at least 20 miles, most of it on the freeway, and could take as long as an hour, probably less. It would take a lot longer from the old city. I'd e-mail a hotel in Üsküdar and ask how much it costs to get to Sabiha Gökçen Airport. Chances are, they get this question all the time and can arrange transportation for you, as well as keeping your bags all day while you're sightseeing. By the way, when we visited, we rented a car once we'd seen the old city and traveled around Turkey on our own. You'd have no use for a car for Istanbul sightseeing, but we found having our own wheels the unparalleled best way for seeing the rest of the country at our own pace. Happy travels! David [email protected]