Hello all,

I'm travelling with TK on LHR-IST & SAW-TBS on Friday/Saturday nights at the end of this week (around 20 hour stopover). I'm due to arrive into IST just after midnight and I'm trying to work out transport and accommodation options.

I'm aware that public transport schedules to/from the new airport have gone 24 hour since it's full opening. But after midnight, I'd prefer to get to my hotel quickly, so I'm more likely to take a taxi. Does anyone know the usual rate for taxis from the new airport to Taksim/Sirkeci/Uskudar? I don't think Uber is functional in Istanbul - are there any other taxi apps I should download beforehand to make things easier?

I'm choosing between Taksim, Sirkeci or Uskudar for hotel location. I've been to Istanbul a few times before so I won't be trying to see lots of sights. I simply want to maximise my time there and try to avoid travel to SAW on Saturday evening from being too bad. What's Istanbul traffic like on a Saturday evening (my flight is due to depart from SAW at 19:20)? Will having a hotel in Uskudar to leave my luggage in make the journey a lot easier compared to the European side?

This hotel in Uskudar has mixed reviews, but looks like a decent hotels for the current rates (~60USD) so I'm considering it:
Ramada Istanbul Asia - https://goo.gl/maps/mZ3om2C1j3w

Thanks in advance for any experience on this.

Not sure how far the new airport is but from the old one I paid around 65 TLR to the Taksim area. You could look at distances on google maps to get an idea on whether it would be much more or less. don't forget to also compare drive times.

Thanks for the data point. I've travelled to the old airport a few times before. The difference with the new airport is not so much the extra distance as being outside the urban area there are fewer transport options and more chance of for taxis to be overpriced.

There is a direct shuttle bus ( Havaist ) from Istanbul Airport to Sabiha G�k�en Airport. You must ride the Pendik shuttle and disembark at the first stop of that line which would be Sabiha G�k�en Airport. This bus goes from the 3rd bridge so you would be in SAW within 50 mins after leaving IST. If you consider this as an option, I would suggest you to take the shuttle to Sabiha G�k�en Airport, check your bags and then go to one of the nearby hotels that offer a free shuttle from SAW. If you want to spend the time at the city, avoid Taksim, avoid Sultanahmet, avoid the Bosphorus line, avoid Sirkeci and avoid �sk�dar. In all these spots, weekends would be crowded with local visitors with cars in addition to tourists. However, the Ramada �sk�dar is not in �sk�dar, it's in Altunizade where traffic could happen in any unexpected time. Also the direct municipality bus from Altunizade to SAW is not operating anymore so with bags you would probably need to take a taxi from there.

Thanks ISTFlyer. SAW is probably a bit too far from the city for me to spend the night.

Does anyone know what the going rate for taxis from the new airport to central Istanbul (say, Taksim) is? I'm trying to weigh up the cost of booking a private transfer online versus a taxi. Private transfers from the new airport to Taksim are around 50USD (~44km). A taxi from the old airport to Taksim would have been around 10USD from memory (~22km).

A taxi to Taksim from Istanbul Airport would cost around 25-30USD ( around ₺130-₺160 ( depends on if the driver uses the toll road )).

Well, SAW WILL a bit too far from the city to get your flight actually.

Your flight from SAW to TBS is TK380, right? it leaves at 7:15 pm, which means you have to arrive at SAW before 6 pm. This means, that you have to leave the city before 2 pm, otherwise you will stuck in the rush hour/traffic.

You will arrive from LHR at 10:15 pm, which means, you will be around 1 am in your hotel close to SAW - enough time to relax e. g. in the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Istanbul Tuzla.

I'd suggest you stay at Doubletree in Kadikoy. Then Saturday from there either take the Havabus direct to SAW or if you want to avoid most of traffic variable, take Metro from there to end-- and take taxi to SAW from there. Weekend traffic can be nightmare.

Just a quick follow-up. I ended up staying in Ramada �sk�dar and the location worked out well for me.

Late night on Friday (touch down around midnight then a ~25mins walk on the travelators to immigration at the new airport) the taxi took ~45mins and cost 160TL.

The hotel was right next to a metro station - I took that in the morning to �sk�dar ferry station and ate breakfast overlooking the Bosporus. I then took a ferry to Emin�n� and walked around Sultanahmet. I took a train+metro back from Sirkeci at 4pm, for a taxi at 5pm (based on the hotel's advice) which got me to SAW at 17:45.

If anyone has a similar stopover situation in the future (swapping airports between IST & SAW and staying over for a night and a day) and wants to be close to central Istanbul I can recommend Ramada �sk�dar.

Hi, I will be staying at Hotel Polatdemir, Laleli Caddesi, Fatih/İstanbul in Sultanahmet area. I was wondering what is best option to travel on Saturday to SAW airport (domestic flight to BJV at 13:05).
Google suggested public transport route seems a bit complicated and about 3 hours. With all the bags and hassle it seems that there is no budget friendly option except hotel transfer? Thanks.

The hotel is walking distance both to the Vezneciler and Yenikapı metro stations, take metro line M2 to 4.Levent and take bus E-3 to Sabiha G�k�en Airport.

A one-way trip would take about 90-120 minutes.

ISTFlyer you are the best!!! I was quoted 50 Euro for one way transfer from the hotel to SAW. It seems that I should be fine starting transfer after breakfast around 9:00.

Thank you for confirmation on Havaist shuttle bus going between airports. Going back from SAW to IST will be easy. I just need to find some budget friendly hotel close to IST for 10 hours.

You're welcome

Private transfers in IST are always a scam, a taxi from that hotel to Sabiha G�k�en wouldn't cost more than ₺200 including bridges and tolls ( ₺225 if the driver uses the tunnel ) which is not more than �25.

Also there aren't that much budget friendly hotels near IST. It would be hard to find one.

I have a 18h arrival and an 8 h departure to USA next morning. Have not been to new airport. Would like to have dinner in istanbul. Better to stay at or near airport and take taxi for dinner, or stay in the city and take early taxi? Thoughts? Hotel recommendation? I will be with a friend whose never been to Istanbul and would love to at least glance at blue mosque etc...

There are not the many hotels near the new airport. It would be better if you stay in the city if you would take taxi in both directions.
Istanbul is a huge city so there are many hotels so it would be better if you provide your preferred hotel chain.