Hello. I am wondering if anyone has used Safe Airport Transfer to get from Istanbul Airport (IST) to Sultanahmet. I have seen posts on Suntransfers and Welcome Pick Ups but do not recall seeing this anything about this company which seems to have some positive online reviews. Thanks in advance for your help.
Posted by
Salem, Oregon, USA
2659 posts
I've not heard of them, but quick Google search shows fine enough reviews on TripAdvisor and Google. I personally used Welcome Pickups and it was about 10 euro less than what Safe Airport Transfer advertises on its website. Just make sure you read the fine print for important details, such as how long a driver will wait for you if your flight is delayed. And book directly with the company and not through a third party like Viator.
Posted by
Lynnwood, Washington
8831 posts
Also, if you are on a budget, consider the coach options from the airport to different areas of the city. You may find it goes quite close to your hotel. I was delighted in my research to discover the #16 Taksim Square route stops 1 block from my hotel.
Posted by
S.F Bay Area (Marin)
285 posts
We used Welcome Pickups in Istanbul and elsewhere and they have been reliable. Not the cheapest but worth it . And it is prepaid so no hassle with meters or currencies. Actually they often use regular taxis who opt into the app.
Safe Airport Transfer may operate similarly but don't know anything about them
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Thank you for your responses. I have looked at Welcome Pickups and Suntransfers as potential options as well as the transfer from the hotel.
With respect to Welcome Pickups, I noted that some travelers said that the driver did not stay when the flight was late and there was no compensation.
Has anyone used Suntransfers? If so, what was our experience?
Posted by
Portsmouth
5503 posts
I'm currently in Istanbul and prior to arriving I was considering a private transfer however many of them were fairly to quite expensive so I decided to opt for an airport taxi.
As it was my flight was delayed so I don't know how that would have worked if the driver had decided not to wait. Getting a taxi was fine, the official rank is outside the terminal, yellow taxis go to the European side, blue taxis to the Asian side. There's a board displaying the average fares to various districts, all taxis are metered and accept card payments. My taxi was actually cheaper than the expected fare by roughly 400 lira.
Posted by
5 posts
Portsmith: If you took a regular taxi to your hotel from airport...how did you pay? Did you exchange some US Dollars at the airport?
Posted by
Portsmouth
5503 posts
Portsmith: If you took a regular taxi to your hotel from airport...how did you pay? Did you exchange some US Dollars at the airport?
I'm assuming your question was for me?
The taxi's take card payments as well as cash so I just used my debit card that has no foreign transaction fees. I wouldn't ever exchange cash at an airport and as I'm from the UK I wouldn't be in possession of US dollars either.
I didn't need any cash in Istanbul as I was able to pay for everything by card.