There are two international airports in Istanbul - Istanbul New Airport and Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport. Istanbul Ataturk Airport has moved to the new airport and there are no flights at Ataturk Airport. Istanbul New Airport is located on the European side of Istanbul. Driving from Istanbul New Airport to Taksim will take about 1 hour. Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport is located on the Asian side. There are domestic flights at Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport.
Official name is Istanbul Airport with IATA code IST. Most people call it Istanbul New Airport or Istanbul Grand Airport.
Istanbul New Airport is 40 km. (25 miles) from Taksim. It will take about an hour to reach Taksim. It is 36 km from Levent Wyndham Grand Hotel.
Istanbul is a huge city with multiple city centers. Distance will vary depending on which city center you are going to. Taksim is 40 km from Istanbul New Airport. Sultan Ahmet is 50 km from Istanbul New Airport.
Taxi fare from Istanbul New Airport to Taksim one of the city centers of Istanbul will cost 125 TL (€20). The taxis in Istanbul are metered. Recently, there has been two new lines of taxis in Istanbul. There are three types of taxis - yellow, turquoise and black line. Yellow lines are standard taxis. Turquoise taxis are more luxury cars like Mercedes, VW Passat even Tesla. Turquoise taxi ride will cost 145 TL from Istanbul New Airport to Taksim. Black line is Mercedes Vito VIP with 9 seats. Black line taxis from Istanbul New Airport to Taksim will cost 250 TL.
When compared to European cities, taxis are cheap in Istanbul. When compared to car rental, renting a car is much cheaper than riding by taxi.
Taxi Line | Car Segment | Car Make | Price (From Istanbul New Airport to Taksim) |
Yellow | Economy car | Hyundai Accent, Fiat Linea | 125 TL |
Turquoise | D Segment cars | VW Passat, Renault Talisman Mercedes C Class, Tesla | 145 TL |
Black | VIP vans | Mercedes Vito 9 Seater | 250 TL |
Uber is banned in Istanbul. You can be fined if the police pulls you over. In Istanbul, not only the driver but the passenger is also fined. Fines can be up to 330 TL (€50).
Economy rental car price in Istanbul is 125 TL (€20) per day in low season including taxes and insurance. Basic insurance is included in all rental cars in Istanbul. Purchasing full coverage insurance is optional. You can rent a car in Istanbul if you are above 18 years of age.
Car Segment | Car Make | Price per day including taxes and insurance |
Economy cars | Hyundai Accent, Fiat Linea, Renault Clio | 125 TL - 200 TL |
Intermediate cars | VW Jetta, Ford Focus, Renault Fluence | 145 TL - 300 TL |
Full-size cars | VW Passat, Mercedes C Class, BMW 3 Series | 300 TL - 600 TL |
Luxury vans | Mercedes Vito 9 Seater | 750 TL - 1200 TL |
Istanbul is a huge city with multiple districts. Public transport is usually crowded with locals and it is complicated to figure our routes. Best way to discover Istanbul is a rental car. Parking is easy and guided.
Almost all hotels have parking. Valet service is very common in Istanbul. It costs around 20 TL. Street parking is also common in Istanbul. A parking supervisor will approach you and you can pay the fee directly in cash. Street parking is 8 TL per hour depending on location. There are private parking lots around the city. Shopping malls offer free parking for 3 hours.