Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gökçen? Which Is Best for Car Hire?

When flying to Istanbul you usually have two options: Istanbul Airport (IST) and Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW). The difference may seem small when booking flights, but if you are hiring a car, this choice directly affects your first hours in the city. In this guide we compare the two airports from a car hire perspective.

The key difference: which side are they on?

Istanbul is divided by the Bosphorus into the European and Asian sides, and the two airports are on different sides.

• Istanbul Airport (IST): in the north of the European side, in Arnavutköy. It offers easy access to districts such as Taksim, Levent, Maslak, Beşiktaş and Sarıyer.
• Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW): on the Asian side, in Pendik. It is the most practical option for the Asian side as a whole, especially Kadıköy, Ataşehir, Kartal and Pendik.

The simple rule is: choose the airport on the side where you are staying. That way you reach your hotel on day one without getting caught in Bosphorus bridge traffic.

Choosing by route

Choose IST if…

• you are staying in Taksim, Beyoğlu, Şişli, Beşiktaş or on the European shore of the Bosphorus,
• you are planning to head to Edirne, Kıyıköy or elsewhere in Thrace,
• a wider choice of flights and international connections matters to you.

Choose SAW if…

• you are staying in Kadıköy, Üsküdar, Ataşehir or elsewhere on the Asian side,
• you are heading towards Şile, Ağva, Sapanca, Kartepe or Bursa,
• you are setting off on a long drive into Anatolia, for example south via Ankara or Bursa.

Staying in Sultanahmet?

The historic peninsula is on the European side. However, because of the narrow streets and limited parking there, you do not need to pick up the car on day one if you are only exploring the city centre. It often makes more sense to use public transport in the centre and hire the car for trips out of the city. For parking and traffic tips, take a look at our guide to driving in Istanbul.

Prices and choice of cars

Prices and the number of available cars vary between the two airports depending on dates, season and rental length. So rather than saying one is definitely cheaper, we recommend checking the current figures. On our Istanbul car hire page you can compare the number of available cars and the lowest and average daily prices at both airports in real time.

• Istanbul Airport (IST) car hire
• Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) car hire

Can I return the car at a different airport?

Picking up a car at one airport and dropping it off at the other, or in another city, counts as a one-way rental. This option may include a drop-off fee; when you choose a different return location in your search, the total price is shown including this fee. Returning to the same location is usually the most economical option.

What to check at pick-up

• Add your flight number to the booking so the supplier can be informed if your flight is delayed.
• When you collect the car, photograph any existing damage and note the fuel level.
• Check that the car has an HGS tag (electronic toll sticker); bridge and motorway tolls are paid with it. Details are in our HGS guide.
• For the steps involved in hiring a car at the airport, you can read our guide to airport car hire.

In short

IST opens onto the European side, SAW onto the Asian side. Choose according to the district you are staying in and the route you plan to take, and you will save both time and bridge tolls. Before deciding, see the current prices at both airports side by side on our Istanbul page.