Home / Turkey / Sabiha Gökçen Airport

Car hire at Sabiha Gökçen Airport

Rent a car at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) from local companies. Every offer shows the week’s total, the deposit and whether a credit card is needed.

Cheap car rental at Sabiha Gökçen

Every card is handed over and returned at Sabiha Gökçen, with any delivery charge in the total. The same companies offer most of these cars at Istanbul Airport too, for the same price.

What size of car for the Asian side?

Prices on the tiles are the cheapest car per class in the week used above. A typical offer is far dearer, over €129 a day, because most cars travel from another city and the delivery is charged.

Wherever you rent in Turkey, the same rental terms apply.

How does pickup work at Sabiha Gökçen Airport?

The company meets you where the voucher says and its phone number is printed there too. The rental offices on the arrivals floor are other businesses.

Before you fly

Read the voucher’s meeting instructions and keep a copy you can open without mobile data.

After landing

Call or message the number on the voucher once you have your bags, so the car is ready.

At the car

Check the bodywork and fuel with the company, and make sure any marks are written down before you sign.

Keep the phone number you booked with switched on from the day before pickup until the car is back.

Sabiha Gökçen Airport guide: shops, parking and the drive out

What is in the terminal, how the car park works and what to know on the first drive from the Asian side.

Services in the terminal

  • Exchange office open 24 hours, every day.
  • Bank and ATMs a Yapı Kredi branch on the arrivals floor, and machines of many banks.
  • SIM cards Türk Telekom, Turkcell and Vodafone shops on the arrivals floor.
  • Lounges Yelken, Plaza Premium and Turkish Airlines lounges.
  • Pharmacy open 24/7 on the international departures floor, landside.

Parking and drop-off

  • 3 levelsCovered
  • 1 levelOpen air

The car park stands right in front of the terminal, a short walk away.

Without a subscription, it is charged by the day.

  • Pay at the points in front of the terminal, by cash or card, before you walk to the car.
  • Kerbside parking outside the terminal is banned; cars are towed and fined.
  • Valet points are on both floors and at the CIP lounge, charged on top of parking.

Collecting and returning your car

  1. Meeting point as written in the voucher, with the company’s number.
  2. Return at the agreed point, then to departures for check-in.
  3. Wheelchair help from the assistance phone at the middle entrance of departures.
Booking assistance? Tell your airline before you travel to the terminal, so a wheelchair can be ready when you arrive.

Driving away from Sabiha Gökçen Airport

  1. Motorway link A 1.5 km road joins the airport to the TEM motorway.
  2. Towards Kadıköy Most of the drive runs along the D100.
  3. To the old city The drive to Sultanahmet can pass under the Bosphorus in the Eurasia Tunnel.
In the tunnel There are no cash booths: the toll is taken by HGS, and the limit inside is 70 km/h.

Paying without a credit card or deposit

Some cars here need no credit card, and some ask for no deposit. A few still need a credit card at pickup, so read both rules on your car.

If a credit card is required, it must be the main driver’s own physical card with embossed details. A debit card counts only where the voucher accepts one.

Online you pay 15 to 20% of the rent. The rest of the rent and the delivery charge are paid to the company when you collect, so carry enough for both.

With no deposit held, fuel, fines and tolls are still yours to pay, including the Eurasia Tunnel.

How long does it take to reach Kadıköy or Sultanahmet?

Times are for empty roads. Istanbul traffic is left out, so in practice allow much longer.

From Sabiha Gökçen Airport

The historic Kadıköy ferry pier building with ferries moored alongside, under a blue sky
Sabiha Gökçen Airport→Kadıköy
35 min · 32.9 km
The domes and minarets of the Blue Mosque behind gardens, palm trees and a fountain, under a blue sky
Sabiha Gökçen Airport→Sultanahmet
45 min · 40.6 km
The Taksim Mosque and the Republic Monument on Taksim Square, under a blue sky with white clouds
Sabiha Gökçen Airport→Taksim Square
50 min · 43.4 km

From Istanbul Airport, for comparison

The historic Kadıköy ferry pier building with ferries moored alongside, under a blue sky
Istanbul Airport→Kadıköy
1 h 15 min · 56.5 km
The domes and minarets of the Blue Mosque behind gardens, palm trees and a fountain, under a blue sky
Istanbul Airport→Sultanahmet
1 h 15 min · 48.6 km
The Taksim Mosque and the Republic Monument on Taksim Square, under a blue sky with white clouds
Istanbul Airport→Taksim Square
1 h 15 min · 45.6 km

The airport’s own figures put Pendik about 12 km away. Times on the cards end at the square or district, not at your hotel.

For Kadıköy, Sabiha Gökçen is the shorter drive of the two airports.

Road rules for your first Istanbul drive

Drive on the right, and keep to 50 km/h in the city unless signs show another limit.

Missed a toll?

Tolls recorded on the car are taken from your deposit, with an admin charge added.

Phones

A phone may only be used hands-free while the car is moving. Programme the sat nav before you set off.

Drinking

Limits differ by vehicle type under Turkish law. Not drinking at all before driving is the only safe choice.

Accidents

Phone 112 if anyone needs help, then the company. Get a police report unless the company says it is not needed.

Paved public roads only

Rental cars may be driven on paved public roads only, so any unsurfaced lane is off limits, even for a short cut in the suburbs.

Stays in Turkey

A rental car from Turkey cannot be taken across the border to Bulgaria, Greece or anywhere else, and no extra changes that.

Returning at Istanbul Airport or Ankara

Some cars picked up here can be dropped at Istanbul Airport or at Esenboğa Airport in Ankara. Pick that return in the search to see the extra charge.

Return airport

Enter the airport itself as the drop-off. The one-way charge is already inside each total.

Handback details

Ask the company for the meeting point at the other airport before your final day.

No last-minute swaps

Any change to the return place must be agreed first. The car cannot be left somewhere else.

Flying home from the other airport? Some cars can go back at Istanbul Airport instead.

For a road trip to the capital, a return at Ankara Airport is offered on some cars.

Monthly prices at Sabiha Gökçen

Lowest day rate for a week picked up on the 15th and returned at the airport. Use the shape of the year, then price your dates.

N/A: no cars are listed yet for that month.

Each 24 hours is one rental day; an extra few hours on the return are billed as a full day.

Seats and drivers for a group

Choose the seats, the drivers and any child seats before paying.

Second driver

Add them to the contract before they drive, as an extra where the car offers it. The car shows the fee.

Child seats

Baby seats, child seats and boosters are offered on some cars. Book ahead and check the fit.

Nine seats

Nine-seat vans are listed here. Count bags as well as people.

Pets

Small pets only, and they must stay in a carrier for every journey.

How much cover do you need at Sabiha Gökçen?

Compare each cover level’s deposit and your share of damage on the car you like.

Minimum coverageIncluded as standard
  • Damage to other vehicles (TPL) (included)
  • Damage to your hire car (not included)
Basic coverage
  • Limited collision cover (CDW) (included)
  • Damage to other vehicles (TPL) (included)
  • Glass and tyre damage (not included)
Full Coverage
  • Limited driver liability (Super CDW) (included)
  • Damage to other vehicles (TPL) (included)
Full Coverage Plus
  • Full damage cover (included)
  • No driver liability for accident damage (included)

Not the full range everywhere. Some cars offer only part of the range, so check which levels exist on yours.

Deposit can fall. A higher level can cut the deposit, and on some cars Full Coverage Plus takes it to zero.

Never covered as standard. Wheels, underside, windscreen and interior.

Your part. Report damage immediately and get a police report unless the company agrees otherwise, or the cover can be withdrawn.

Deliberate damage and neglect void cover at every level. The insurance guide explains the excess.

Your licence and permit

Bring the original licence from your country, in Latin script, valid until you return the car. No photocopies, no digital licences.

IDP

An International Driving Permit is strongly advised when your licence is valid only where it was issued.

Experience

Each car lists its minimum age and licence years, which can differ even between similar cars.

Last-day checklist

Build in time for traffic, fuel and the handback before check-in closes.

Fuel

  • Return the fuel level you received. Less is charged at the company’s rate; more is not refunded.

Cleaning

  • A car too dirty to inspect is washed and the cost is yours.

Parking and fines are also the renter’s to pay.

Cancelling or rebooking

There is no change option; cancel and make a fresh booking.

Deadlines

Seven days ahead for normal cars, thirty for luxury cars and convertibles, or 24 hours with the cancellation option.

Refunds

Email support and attach the voucher. The advance comes back within fourteen days, less a 6% fee.

Late cancellations and no-shows lose the advance.

Car hire Sabiha Gökçen Airport questions

Why do some Sabiha Gökçen rental cars cost so much more?

Many cars are delivered to the airport from other cities, and the delivery charge sits inside the price. Compare the full totals.

Will my UK licence be enough on its own?

Not according to the UK government. It asks for a 1968 international driving permit or a UK licence notarised in Turkish; get the permit at home, as it is not sold abroad.

Can I hire an automatic at Sabiha Gökçen?

Yes, automatics and manuals are both listed. Confirm the gearbox on the car you book.

Do Sabiha Gökçen rental cars have unlimited mileage?

Not always. Many cars have a daily allowance shown on the car, and unlimited mileage is a paid extra on some.

Can I keep the car for an extra day?

Tell the company in advance, before the hire ends; the rental terms require it.

Other Turkey pages

Book car rental at Sabiha Gökçen Airport

Choose your landing time and car, then check the full total with delivery, the deposit and the cover.

View Sabiha Gökçen cars