Istanbul has two international airports on opposite sides of the Bosphorus. Istanbul Airport (IST) is on the European side, near the Black Sea coast, and Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) is on the Asian side, near Pendik. If your trip combines a Turkish Airlines flight with a Pegasus flight, or you booked two separate tickets, you will probably need to cross between them.
The distance by road is about 80 km. The usual route follows the Northern Marmara Motorway and crosses the Bosphorus on the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, staying well north of the city centre. That avoids most of the inner-city traffic, but it is still a long drive.
How long does the drive take?
Door to door, a car typically takes 75 to 110 minutes between the two terminals. Where you fall in that range depends mostly on the time of day:
- Late night and early morning: usually close to the shorter end, as the motorway is quiet.
- Weekday morning and evening rush hours: expect the longer end, especially near the Asian-side approach to SAW.
- Friday evenings, holiday eves and bad weather: allow extra time beyond the usual range.
Road conditions change, so treat any single number as an estimate. Your driver chooses the route on the day.
Your options compared
| Option | Time (approx.) | Cost | Luggage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private transfer (Mercedes Vito) | 75–110 min | $100 Private / $115 VIP per vehicle, one way | Up to 12 suitcases | Door to door; fixed price, tolls included; pay driver in cash |
| Taxi | Similar to a car, plus waiting time at the rank | Metered, plus tolls | Depends on the car | No fixed price; see our taxi fares guide |
| Havaist bus (direct line) | About 2 hours | Third-party listings: roughly 480–515 TL per person, as of October 2026 | Hold space under the bus | Departures roughly every hour or so, not around the clock |
| Metro + Marmaray + metro | About 2 to 2.5 hours | Public transport fare (Istanbulkart or contactless card) | Hard with big bags | Several changes, long walks and stairs |
Havaist airport-to-airport bus
Havaist, the Istanbul Airport bus operator, runs a direct line between IST and SAW. Third-party timetable sites dated August 2026 list a journey time of around two hours and about 19 departures a day in each direction, with a gap in the early morning hours. They differ on the line code and the exact fare, so check the current timetable on hava.ist or at the Havaist desk before relying on it. At IST, the buses leave from the transport level below the terminal.
The bus is the cheapest door-to-door-ish option, but a two-hour ride on a fixed timetable leaves little room if your first flight is late.
Metro and Marmaray
It is possible to do the whole trip by rail: the M11 metro from Istanbul Airport to Gayrettepe, the M2 to Yenikapı, the Marmaray under the Bosphorus to Ayrılık Çeşmesi, then the M4 to Sabiha Gökçen. It is inexpensive, but with three changes and long walks between platforms it is realistic only with light luggage and plenty of time.
Taxi
Taxis wait outside the arrivals hall at both airports. On a route this long the fare depends on traffic, and bridge and motorway tolls are added. Our Istanbul Airport taxi fares guide explains how the meter works; for app-based options see Uber at Istanbul Airport.
Private transfer
With Istanbul VIP, the fixed price is $100 for a Private Mercedes Vito and $115 for a VIP Mercedes Vito, one way, per vehicle — not per person. Each vehicle takes up to 6 passengers and up to 12 suitcases. The price is the same day and night, with tolls, parking and fuel included. You pay the driver on arrival in cash (EUR, USD or TRY); there is no prepayment. Book Istanbul Airport to Sabiha Gökçen or the reverse, Sabiha Gökçen to Istanbul Airport.
IST to SAW in a private Mercedes Vito — fixed price, pay the driver on arrival.
Is 4 hours enough to change airports?
There is no official minimum connection time between IST and SAW, because the airports don't connect flights to each other — you are making a self-transfer. Add up the stages realistically:
- Leave the first airport. After an international arrival you go through passport control, baggage claim and customs. Around 30 to 60 minutes is common, and it can be longer at busy times. See our meeting point guide for the step-by-step.
- Drive across. Roughly 75 to 110 minutes by car, about two hours by Havaist bus, longer by rail.
- Enter the second airport. Turkish airports screen bags at the terminal entrance, so there may be a queue before you even reach check-in.
- Check in and drop bags before the deadline. Pegasus, the main airline at SAW, states that international check-in desks close 60 minutes before departure and recommends arriving three hours before international flights. Other airlines have their own cut-offs.
- Passport control and security for an international departure, then the walk to the gate.
Put together, 4 hours between scheduled landing and departure is tight. It can work for a domestic onward flight, with hand luggage only, at a quiet time of day and with a car waiting. For an international onward flight on a separate ticket, most travellers will be more comfortable with 5 to 6 hours or more, and an overnight in the city is worth considering for anything shorter if a delay would be costly.
What to do with your luggage
- On separate tickets, you collect your bags at the first airport and check them in again at the second. Ask at your first check-in desk if you're unsure whether the bags are tagged through.
- Our vehicles take up to 12 suitcases, so a family with large bags fits in one Vito. Mention oversized items such as golf bags or prams when booking.
- Long gap between flights? Istanbul Airport has left-luggage offices on the arrivals floor and lockers in the terminal, charged per 24 hours by bag size. You can drop bags, spend a few hours in the city and come back — or go straight to SAW and see the Sabiha Gökçen to city centre guide.
How the transfer works with us
Istanbul VIP is operated by Regatta Turizm, TÜRSAB licence 10138. At IST, your driver waits inside the international arrivals hall right after customs, at the exit of the baggage area, holding a sign with your name. At SAW, the driver waits in the arrivals hall at the exit of the international baggage area, with your name on a sign. We track your flight and waiting time is free.
You can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before pick-up, a child seat is free on request, and you can reach us on WhatsApp at +90 507 055 44 36, 24/7. To book, go to the booking page.
Book Istanbul Airport to Sabiha Gökçen — $100 Private, $115 VIP, per vehicle.
