Getting Around Turkey: Car Hire, Transfers, Buses and Domestic Flights

Turkey is a large country — roughly 1,600km from the Greek border to the eastern edge near the Armenian and Iranian frontiers. If you haven’t sorted your flights yet, our flights to Turkey guide covers airlines, airports, and how to find good fares. Distances that look manageable on a map can take a full day to cover by road. Knowing which transport mode suits each leg of your trip saves both time and money.

Domestic Flights

For long-distance travel within Turkey, domestic flights are often the sensible choice. The Istanbul–Cappadocia route takes about 90 minutes by air versus 12 hours by bus. Istanbul to Trabzon on the Black Sea coast is under two hours by air.

Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines both operate dense domestic networks. Fares on short routes frequently come in under £40 one-way if booked a few weeks ahead — competitive with bus fares once you factor in time. Pegasus in particular runs sales on domestic routes.

For a trip that combines Istanbul with the Black Sea coast, Cappadocia, or the far east, building in a domestic flight at each end saves significant ground time.

Car Hire

Car hire makes the most sense for routes where public transport is slow, infrequent, or absent. The main use cases in Turkey:

The Aegean and Mediterranean coasts — the stretch from Bodrum through Marmaris, Fethiye, Kaş, and Kalkan is best explored by car. The roads are good, the scenery is excellent, and the smaller bays and villages between towns are only accessible by car or boat.

Cappadocia day trips — while the main sites (Göreme, Uçhisar, Derinkuyu) are accessible by tour, hiring a car gives you flexibility to reach the less-visited valleys and underground cities at your own pace.

Eastern Turkey — Mardin, Şanlıurfa, Göbekli Tepe, Van, Doğubayazıt — public transport connections exist but are infrequent. A hired car with a comfortable pace is the most practical way to cover this region.

Main roads in Turkey are generally in good condition. Mountain roads in the Kaçkar and Taurus ranges require more care, especially outside summer. An international driving licence is recommended alongside your national licence.

Compare car hire across suppliers at major Turkish airports via GetRentacar.

Airport Transfers

Istanbul Airport (IST) is 40km from the city centre. In traffic, a taxi can take 90 minutes or more. The metro connection (to Gayrettepe) is fast but requires a transfer to reach most hotel areas. Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) on the Asian side adds further distance and a Bosphorus crossing.

A pre-booked transfer with a fixed price removes the uncertainty. This is particularly useful for late arrivals, early departures, or when travelling with luggage and family.

Antalya, Bodrum, and Dalaman airports are all 30–60 minutes from the main resort areas. Taxis at these airports are available but metered rates can be high at peak hours.

Kiwitaxi offers fixed-price transfers from Istanbul, Antalya, Bodrum, and other Turkish airports. The driver meets you at arrivals with a name board.

Intercity Buses

Turkey’s intercity bus network is one of the best in Europe. The main carriers — Metro Turizm, Pamukkale Turizm, and FlixBus (which operates in Turkey) — connect all major cities. Buses are clean, air-conditioned, and often run overnight.

Prices are low: Istanbul to Ankara (roughly 450km) typically costs under £15. Istanbul to Antalya overnight runs are popular and a good way to save on accommodation.

Tickets are sold at the bus terminal (otogar), through company websites, or through aggregator apps like Obilet or Busbud. Istanbul’s main bus terminals are Esenler (European side) and Harem (Asian side).

Dolmuş (Shared Minibus)

The dolmuş is a shared minibus that runs fixed routes between towns and villages. They depart when full rather than to a timetable. Fares are paid in cash to the driver. In tourist areas, dolmuş routes connect the main towns along the coast — useful for short hops without the cost of a private taxi.

Taxis and Rideshare

BiTaksi is the main taxi-hailing app in Turkey, similar to Uber. It works in most cities and gives you a fare estimate before booking. Regular street taxis have meters; in tourist areas, some drivers prefer to agree a flat fee in advance — always confirm before getting in.

Uber operates in Istanbul in a limited capacity but BiTaksi is more widely used and reliable.

If you’re planning to use your phone for maps and navigation throughout, getting an eSIM before you fly saves dealing with data roaming charges on the road.