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Transport
between Sabiha
Gökçen Airport and
the center of Istanbul is
by Havataş airport bus, Havaş
airport bus, private
transfer van, city
bus, taxi,
shuttle van, and car
rental.
The journey between Old
Istanbul and
the airport can take as little as 40
minutes under the best conditions (06:00
am on a weekend morning, for example),
but at other times you must allow 60
to 90 minutes, and perhaps even more.
Airport Bus
Two companies with similar names operate airport
bus services:
Havataş Havalimanı
Yolcu Servisi
Havataş airport buses,
operated by the Istanbul
Metropolitan Municipality, can
take you from Sabiha
Gökçen Airport to Kadıköy on
the Asian shore of the Bosphorus (for
its ferry
docks); to Taksim
Square in Beyoğlu on
the European shore; to the
Yenikapı
Fast Ferry Terminal; and
to
Atatürk
Airport.
From Sabiha Gökçen to and from Taksim
Square, buses depart on
the hour and half-hour from 04:00
am to 01:00 am (ie, no buses from
01:30 am to 3:30 am). The fare
for the 90-minute trip (light traffic)
is TL12.
From Taksim Square you can take a
Havataş or Havaş bus to Atatürk
Airport, or
to the Yenikapı
Fast Ferry Terminal.
Havataş buses also travel between
Sabiha Gökçen Airport and the IETT Kadıköy bus
stops on the shore near the ferry docks
(whence you can take
a cross-Bosphorus
ferry to Karaköy (Galata)
or Eminönü on
the Golden
Horn. From the airport,
departures are on the hour and half-hour
from 04:00 am to 01:00 am; from Kadıköy,
departures are at
15 minutes past and 15 minutes before
each hour from
04:15 am to 00:45 (12:45 am). The fare
is TL8.
See below for more transport options
from Kadıköy.
Havaş
Airport Bus
Havaş airport buses run from Sabiha
Gökçen Airport to Taksim
Square in Beyoğlu on
the European
shore; to the Kozyatağı
Business Center west of Sabiha Gökçen Airport; and
to İzmit, the city76 km (46 miles)
east of the airport. Buses depart the airport
for Taksim on the hour and half-hour from 05:00 am to
00:00 (midnight), and from Taksim from 03:30
am to 01:00 am. The 90-minute trip costs TL12.
From Taksim, other Havaş or Havataş buses can take you to Atatürk
Airport. More...
The airport
private transfer service operated
by Backpackers
Travel is an exceptional value:
not much more than a taxi, but far
more comfort, convenience and security—and
no hassles over the fare. For traveling
parties of three or more,
or anyone with lots of luggage, it's
the best possible option. More...
The daytime fare may be about TL90
to Taksim
Square, TL105
to TL120
to Sirkeci or Sultanahmet, TL110
to the Büyük
Otogar (main bus terminal), but
only TL30
to the coastal town of Pendik,
where you can catch a banliyö treni to Haydarpaşa,
then a ferry to Karaköy and
a tram to Sultanahmet. Tell
the driver Pendik İstasyon.
You'll save money and you may save
time by taking a taxi to an Asian-shore
ferry dock (Üsküdar, Haydarpaşa, Kadıköy),
then taking a ferry to the European
shore.
Shuttle Van
Several travel
agencies have organized
to provide minibus transport from Sultanahmet to Sabiha
Gökçen Airport.
Contact one of my recommended
travel agenciesor
your Sultanahmet
hotel for information. The
vans depart several times daily
and are far cheaper than a taxi,
but they take longer, as they must
drive to various locations to pick
up passengers. (Shuttle vans are
not convenient for traveling from
the airport to the city center.)
Transport from Kadıköy
If you take the Havataş airport
bus or a taxi to Kadıköy,
or a taxi to Pendik then the suburban
train to Haydarpaşa
Station, you have other transport
options.
Upon leaving the bus or taxi at Kadıköy,
say "Feribot?" to
anyone, and they'll point to the dock
right next to the bus stops. Buy a jeton (token)
and board a ferry across
the Bosphorus for
either Karaköy (Galata)
or Eminönü,
then a tram or
a taxi to Sultanahmet, or
a tram to Kabataş and
then the Füniküler to Taksim
Square.
Ferries run
from Kadıköy and
Haydarpaşa to Karaköy from
06:30 am to 00:00 (12 midnight) every
15 or 20 minutes during the morning
and evening rush hours; from 20:00
(8 pm) to 00:00 (12 midnight), ferries
depart Kadıköy for Karaköy every
30 minutes, on the hour and half hour,
with the last ferry departing Kadıköy at
00:00 (12 midnight).
The Harem
intercity bus terminal,
a good place to catch a bus to anywhere
in Anatolia,
is north of Kadıköy and Haydarpaşa,
a short taxi or bus ride. (Ask the
driver for Harem
Otogar, hah-REEM
OH-toh-gahr). More...
Going
from the city to the airport, take
a ferry from Eminönü or Karaköy to Kadıköy, then
ask for help finding the Havataş bus
in the crowd of 50 buses waiting
just north of the ferry dock. Allow
at least an hour to get to the airport
from Kadıköy,
at least two hours from Sultanahmet.
Here are instructions
for going to Atatürk Airport on
the European shore.
Here's
info for transport from Atatürk Airport
to Istanbul's city center.
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