Getting There By Air

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Airlines offering flights to Istanbul from the UK include Turkish Airlines and British Airways (to Istanbul Ataturk) and easyJet and Pegasus Airlines (to Sabiha Gokcen). Flights to Istanbul from the UK take over three hours and cheap flights are available with no-frills airlines especially.

Istanbul Atatürk International Airport (IST)
Tel: (0212) 465 5555.
Website: www.ataturkairport.com

Rebuilt, state-of-the-art Atatürk International Airport is located 28km (17.5 miles) west of central Istanbul, in Yeşilköy.

Airport facilities
Facilities include bureaux de change, ATMs, two 24-hour health clinics, pharmacies, banks, post office, 24-hour left luggage, business-class hotel (including accommodation at an hourly rate), baggage service, restaurants, snack bars, hairdresser, tourist information, shops, duty-free, travel agencies and car hire from Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, National-Alama, Sixt and Ülger. Business facilities are also available.

Transport to the city
The Havaş service bus (tel: (0212) 465 4700; www.havas.net/en) to Aksaray and Taksim Square departs from the international and domestic terminals every 30 minutes (journey time - 30-40 minutes) between 0400-0100. Buses also run every 30 minutes as far as Bakirköy sea bus pier between 0630-2030 (weekdays), 0810-2130 (weekends). Buses also travel to the Akmerkez shopping centre in Etiler every two hours. IETT public buses run from nearby Yeşilköy into the city centre.

There are plenty of taxis outside the airport; insist on the meter being used. A taxi to Taksim should cost around US$20. The Metro has regular trains between the airport and Esenler Otogar, the main bus station, and Aksaray.


Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW)
Tel: (0216) 585 5000.
Website: www.sgairport.com

Sabiha Gökçen airport is located on the Asian side of Istanbul, 50km (30 miles) east of Taksim, the European centre of Istanbul, 1.5km (1 mile) from the TEM motorway, and 12km (7.5 miles) from Pendik sea bus jetty and train station. This airport has relieved some of the overload at Atatürk Airport with its domestic terminal and international terminal mainly serving German cities, plus London and Amsterdam. It also handles a small number of charter flights to central Asia, and cargo and military planes.

Airport facilities
These include information and help desks, ATMs, a bank, post office, duty-free shops, gift shops, bookshops, restaurants, cafés, wheelchair service, a VIP lounge, conference and business facilities and parking. Car hire is provided in both terminals by Avis, Decar, Hertz and WRC.

Transport to the city
The Havaş service bus operates hourly to Taksim between 0400-0100, with stops including Pendik, Bostanci, Kadiköy and Harem. Cheaper IETT public buses run to Levent, Kadiköy and Kozyataği. Taxis are available 24 hours a day and cost at least US$60 to Taksim, more to Sultanahmet.

Approximate flight times to Istanbul
From London is 3 hours 30 minutes; from New York is 9 hours; from Los Angeles is 13 hours; from Toronto is 10 hours and 30 minutes and from Sydney is 22 hours.