Updated: 12 October 2026
1. Make sure it is a licensed taxi
An official Istanbul taxi has a TAKSİ sign on the roof and a commercial plate: after the city code 34, the letters start with T (for example 34 T 1234). Get into a taxi from a rank, the hotel door or an app, not with someone who approaches you on foot offering a ride.
2. Know the price before you set off
There are two fair ways to ride: the meter is switched on when you start, or the price is fixed in advance. If neither has happened, ask before your luggage goes in. A screenshot or a written message with the agreed amount avoids any discussion at the airport.
3. Tolls are fixed amounts
Bridges and highways in Istanbul charge fixed, published tolls, paid electronically by the car. Crossing a Bosphorus bridge, for example, costs 59 TL for a car in 2026. A request for hundreds of lira as a "toll" at the end of the ride is not a toll. With a fixed-price booking, ask whether tolls are included; with Taksiport they always are.
4. Count your banknotes out loud
Hand over notes one at a time and say the amount as you do, then wait for your change before you get out. If you can, pay by card: it leaves a record and needs no change.
5. Keep the plate number
Take a photo of the plate before you leave, and share your trip with someone if you travel alone at night. With a booking, the plate and driver's name are already in your messages.
6. Go to the right airport
Istanbul has two airports on opposite sides of the city: Istanbul Airport (IST) in the European north and Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) on the Asian side. Check your ticket and tell the driver the code, not just "airport".
If something goes wrong
- Stay calm, keep the plate number and ask for a receipt (fiş).
- Report it to the Istanbul municipality line 153, with the plate, date and time.
- If you booked through us, message us on WhatsApp straight away: we are reachable during your trip.
How a fixed-price booking helps
With Taksiport the price is confirmed in writing on WhatsApp before pickup and does not change with traffic or the route. You get the driver's name, plate and phone in advance, tolls are included, every driver has a card terminal, and if your driver does not come we send another car at the same price.
Fixed prices to Istanbul Airport (IST)
- Sultanahmet1,900 TL
- Sirkeci & Eminönü1,900 TL
- Taksim1,700 TL
- Galata & Karaköy1,700 TL
- Beşiktaş1,700 TL
- Nişantaşı & Şişli1,700 TL
- Kadıköy & Moda2,150 TL
- Üsküdar2,150 TL
Fixed prices to Sabiha Gökçen (SAW)
- Sultanahmet2,300 TL
- Sirkeci & Eminönü2,300 TL
- Taksim2,100 TL
- Galata & Karaköy2,100 TL
- Beşiktaş2,100 TL
- Nişantaşı & Şişli2,100 TL
- Kadıköy & Moda1,500 TL
- Üsküdar1,500 TL
More guides
- Early morning flight from Istanbul: how to get to the airportWhen to leave your hotel, and how to book a taxi for 3–5 am.
- IST or SAW: which Istanbul airport are you flying from?Two airports, two sides of the city: distances and drive times.
- When should you leave your hotel for the airport in Istanbul?A simple rule, drive times by area and the rush hours to avoid.
- Evening flight after hotel check-out: how to use your last dayLeave bags, keep exploring, get picked up from any address.
- Taxi pickup in Sultanahmet, Galata and Cihangir: when the car can't reach your doorPedestrian streets, steep lanes and how to agree a meeting point.
- Airport taxi with family and luggage in IstanbulUp to 4 people in a standard taxi, larger groups and children.
- Going to the airport on holidays and road closure days in IstanbulBayram, marathon and event days: when to allow extra time.
- Paying for your airport taxi in Istanbul: card, lira, euros or dollarsCard or cash, euros and dollars, tolls and tips explained.
- From the Asian side of Istanbul to Sabiha Gökçen AirportKadıköy, Üsküdar, Ataşehir and the coast: times and prices to SAW.