ISG Sabiha Gökçen Airport Hotel
Istanbul - Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Uluslararasi Havalimani Pendik
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The Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (in Turkish Sabiha Gökçen Uluslararası Havalimanı, IATA code: SAW) is Istanbul’s second airport and is located on the city’s Asian side. Turkey’s main airport is Istanbul International Airport (also known as Istanbul International Airport), which is situated on the European side.
Opened in 2001, Sabiha Gökçen Airport is located in Kurtköy, approximately 40 km from Taksim Square, and is served mainly by Pegasus Airlines, Air Arabia, Qatar Airways, SunExpress and AnadoluJet. There are direct connections to and from major UK airports including London Stansted, London Luton and Manchester, as well as connections to major European hubs.
The airport is named after Sabiha Gökçen (1913–2001), Turkey’s first female pilot and adoptive daughter of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Turkey’s first president. In addition to being the city’s second airport, Sabiha Gökçen is one of the world’s busiest airports and has been repeatedly awarded for its efficiency.
To reach your hotel or Istanbul’s city centre once you’ve landed, book an airport transfer online, which is the most convenient option.
Sabiha Gökçen Airport is located approximately 40-50 km from the Sultanahmet district, the true heart of Istanbul that is home to landmarks such as the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace. Passengers arriving at this airport have several options to reach the city centre, including shuttle buses, ferries, metro, taxis and private transfers.
One of the most economical ways to reach Istanbul’s city centre from Sabiha Gökçen Airport is via the shuttle bus service run by Havabus. Buses depart from the airport every 30 minutes between 6:30 and 00:30 and take approximately 90 minutes to reach Taksim Square. During rush hour, however, journey times can be considerably longer as the route passes through central areas of the city. From Taksim Square, you can then take the metro, a taxi or another bus to reach your final destination.
Havabus ticket prices vary depending on the destination: to Taksim you’ll pay approximately 170-220 Turkish lire (around £2.50-3.50), whilst to Kadıköy the cost is approximately 170 Turkish lire (around £2.50-3). You can pay in cash (Turkish lire) or by credit card directly on the bus. The shuttle buses are comfortable, with air conditioning, Wi-Fi and dedicated luggage space.
An economical and scenic way to reach central Istanbul, namely the Sultanahmet district, is to take the Havabüs shuttle to Kadıköy and then catch a ferry from there. Kadıköy is a port still on the city’s Asian side and can be reached in about an hour via the Havabüs service, which departs from just outside the arrivals terminal.
Once in Kadiköy, you can board a ferry that takes approximately 45 minutes to reach Eminönü, a lively port near the Sultanahmet area. Ferries from Kadıköy depart every 30 minutes from early morning until 21:00 in the evening. The ferry fare with Istanbulkart is approximately 30-45 Turkish lire.
IETT (Istanbul Electricity Tramway and Tunnel) operates Istanbul’s public transport and runs two bus lines connecting the airport with the port: the E10 and the E11. In particular, the E-10 line (Sabiha Gökçen Airport – Kadıköy) reaches Kadıköy port more economically than Havabus services but has 66 intermediate stops and typically takes 115 minutes.
The E-11 line, meanwhile, also runs from the airport to Kadıköy, taking approximately one hour. Other alternatives available to reach the city centre are the E-3 bus, which stops at Levent where Line 4 metro station is located, and bus 16S, which also stops at Uzuncayır Metrobus station. IETT bus fares are approximately 35 Turkish lire with Istanbulkart, the rechargeable transport card that costs 165 Turkish lire and can be purchased at the airport.
In October 2022, the M4 metro line opened, making it much easier to connect Sabiha Gökçen Airport with the city centre. The M4 line features 23 stations and connects the station at Sabiha Gökçen Airport with Kadıköy, where the ferry terminal is located. The line operates from 6:00 to midnight on weekdays and 24 hours on weekends, with trains every 5-6 minutes.
Metro tickets are purchased from machines at the station entrance, but you’ll need Turkish lire to pay. You can also purchase an Istanbul Kart here, the city’s rechargeable transport card. The ticket fare with Istanbulkart is 27 Turkish lire (around £0.40), whilst a single ticket costs 40 Turkish lire.
By metro you’ll reach Kadıköy station in approximately 52 minutes, and from there you have 2 options to reach Sirkeci (the central Sultanahmet area): one more scenic, the other more practical. Your first option is to get off at Kadıköy (the terminus) and then catch the ferry to Eminönü, a port very close to the Sultanahmet area. Your second option is to get off at Ayrılık Çeşmesi (the second-to-last stop) and then take the Marmaray line, which passes through the tunnel beneath the Bosphorus and reaches Sirkeci station in the Sultanahmet area.
Another way to reach Istanbul’s city centre from Sabiha Gökçen Airport is by taxi. Taxis can be found just outside the airport’s arrivals terminal and a journey from the airport to the Kadıköy area typically costs between 700 and 1,000 Turkish lire (around £10-15), whilst to reach Sultanahmet on the European side, the cost rises to approximately 900-1,200 Turkish lire (around £13-18). Prices and journey times, however, can vary depending on the time of day and traffic conditions. The journey typically takes 60-90 minutes depending on your destination.
It’s recommended to use apps such as BiTaksi or Uber (which in Istanbul works with official taxis) to get a price estimate and avoid possible surcharges.
An alternative to TAXIs is to book in advance a private transfer to or from Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport airport. A driver will pick you up at the airport arrivals (thus avoiding taxi queues), at your hotel or wherever you prefer, to take you to the desired address.
It is the best solution if you do not want to waste time, do not want to use public transport, have a lot of luggage or are travelling in a group. To book a private transfer to or from Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport airport visit this site.
Car hire is a convenient option for those who want greater flexibility, especially for travellers planning to explore Turkey beyond Istanbul. Sabiha Gökçen Airport has all the major international operators (Avis, Hertz, Europcar, Budget, Sixt) and numerous local companies (Garenta, Circular, Europrent), all located in the arrivals terminal.
The journey time to reach the centre of the Asian side is approximately 40-60 minutes, whilst to the European side you’ll need 60-90 minutes, following the O-4 motorway and crossing one of the Bosphorus bridges (15 July Bridge or Bosphorus Bridge) or the Eurasia Tunnel.
To rent a car in Istanbul we always recommend comparing the rates of all companies with DiscoverCars because in our opinion it offers the best prices, allows cancellation up to 48 hours before rental and offers a very cheap comprehensive insurance policy.
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