How to get from Istanbul airports (SAW and IST) to the city center?

In October 2026 a participant recommended getting from Sabiha Gökçen to the centre by metro: a taxi to Taksim, he said, is both expensive and slow because of the long distance and possible traffic. Another participant that month put a transfer from Sabiha to the centre at almost 2 hours.

To Şile from Sabiha, a September 2026 suggestion was: the M4 metro to Ayrılık Çeşmesi, change to the Marmaray and ride one stop to Üsküdar, walk to the waterfront bus station (Şemsipaşa) and board bus 139 or 139A at its first stop, which runs to Şile. The author asked whether anyone knew a better option.

For an early flight from Sabiha, travelers staying near Galata Tower were given this option in August 2026: the first Havabus from Taksim Square to Sabiha Gökçen leaves at 3 am and then runs every half hour. At night, without traffic, the ride takes about an hour. You will need to walk or take a taxi to Taksim.

The bus stop at Sabiha, as described in mid-August 2026, is across the road from the airport entrance, behind the Simit Sarayı kiosk. Travelers paid for that bus in cash, in Turkish lira.

On arrival time at Sabiha: in August 2026 a traveler wrote that for international flights — in his case to Russia — he gets to the airport 3 hours before departure, and he had noticed no special procedures for departures from Sabiha.

To reach the European side from Sabiha, August 2026 advice was to take the metro to the end of the line and then a ferry or Marmaray to Eminönü. In September 2026 the interchange was described in more detail: from the airport the M4 line runs to Ayrılık Çeşmesi station, where you can change to the Marmaray train.

From Istanbul Airport (IST) to Sultanahmet, several options were described in July 2026: the metro via Gayrettepe, which then means a tram ride from Vezneciler as well; or the direct Havaist bus to Sultanahmet — no changes, but more expensive.

The same participant suggested an alternative in July 2026: from IST, take the metro line in the other direction to Halkalı station and change there to the Marmaray to Sirkeci. In his view this may be simpler and cheaper than going via Gayrettepe.

From Esenler bus station to Sabiha, according to a late-July 2026 reply, public transport involves two changes, so with luggage a taxi or transfer is more convenient.

Experiences with Havaist from Sabiha vary: in July 2026 a traveler recalled taking Havaist from Sabiha in 2024 but waiting a whole hour for the bus to fill up, while a few years earlier she had taken a taxi from Sabiha without problems. Before this trip she had read many negative reviews of taxi drivers at the new airport.

From Sabiha to Kadıköy, as travelers wrote in late June 2026, there is a direct metro line — the most convenient option, fast and with no changes.

From the new airport to Kadıköy on a Sunday evening, travelers warned in late June 2026, traffic can be very heavy. But a booked transfer will take the bypass rather than going through the city, and you can get there in about an hour and a half.

In the other direction, to the new airport, June 2026 advice was to take the T1 tram to Aksaray and then the Havaist express.

For travel between the airports, a June 2026 tip was the Havaist express from IST to Sabiha, followed by the UM73 bus — about 10 minutes to almost the door of the hotel in that area.