Sabiha Gokcen Transfer Guide: Duration, Price and Meet & Greet

Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW) is located in Pendik on Istanbul's Asian side and is used heavily, especially by low-cost airlines. The main characteristic of transfers from here is that many passengers are heading to the European side, which means you need to account for a cross-city transfer when planning your journey. In this guide, you will find how the process works, how long the trip really takes, and what determines the price.

How does a Sabiha Gokcen transfer work?

The process has four steps, and everything is organized around your flight number.

1. Reservation

Your flight number, landing date and time, number of passengers, number of bags, and destination address are enough. The flight number is not optional; it is what allows the meet-up time to be updated according to the aircraft's actual landing time.

2. Flight tracking

After the reservation is received, your flight is monitored until landing. In case of delay, the driver is adjusted to the new time; in case of an early landing, the vehicle is positioned early. There is no extra charge for waiting.

3. Meet & greet

After collecting your luggage and arriving in the arrivals hall, the driver will be waiting for you with a sign bearing your name. Since Sabiha Gokcen's arrivals hall is more compact than Istanbul Airport, the meeting usually takes place more quickly.

4. Journey

The luggage is loaded and the vehicle departs directly to your address. If there is an intermediate stop, it must be specified in the reservation.

How does the meet & greet work?

The meeting point is shared with the reservation confirmation and is reconfirmed via WhatsApp after landing. Before you exit customs, the driver receives your location, so when you step into the hall, the only thing you need to look for is the sign with your name on it.

You can find the details of this service on our Meet & Greet page. If you need luggage assistance, wheelchair support, or a passenger requiring accompaniment, simply mention it in the reservation.

How long does it take from Sabiha Gokcen to where?

Travel times vary depending on traffic; the following are realistic ranges under normal conditions:

• Kadıköy / Ataşehir — 35-50 minutes
• Pendik / Kartal / Maltepe — 20-35 minutes
• Taksim / Şişli — 60-85 minutes
• Sultanahmet / Fatih — 65-90 minutes
• Istanbul Airport (IST) — 90-120 minutes
• Sapanca / Kartepe — 1.5-2 hours
• Bursa — 2.5-3 hours

Between 07:00-10:00 in the morning and 17:00-20:00 in the evening, you should add 25-40 minutes for European side connections.

For details on specific routes, you can check our route pages for Sabiha Gokcen – Taksim and Sabiha Gokcen – Kadıköy.

Crossing to the European side

There are three routes from Sabiha Gokcen to the European side, and the driver makes the real-time choice based on traffic:

This is not a decision left to the passenger; the driver uses the fastest route according to live traffic data, and since the price is fixed at the time of reservation, a route change does not affect the fee.

How are transfer prices determined?

The factors that determine the price in a Sabiha Gokcen transfer are as follows:

• Side. Transfers within the Asian side are significantly shorter and more affordable than European side connections.
• Distance and route. Routes requiring a cross-city transfer affect both time and cost.
• Vehicle class. The difference between Vito and Sprinter is a difference in capacity and cost.
• Number of passengers and bags. Requests exceeding capacity require a higher vehicle class.
• Time. Night rates may differ.
• Season. Summer months, public holidays, and fair periods increase demand.

The full pricing logic is explained in detail in our article How are Istanbul VIP transfer prices determined?. For a clear quote tailored to your route, you can use the reservation form.

Vehicle and luggage capacity

The rule is simple: calculate one large suitcase and one carry-on bag per passenger.

• Mercedes Vito — 6 passengers, 4-5 suitcases. The most balanced choice for families and small groups.
• Volkswagen Transporter — 7 passengers. Same class as Vito, with one extra seat and more space.
• Mercedes Sprinter — 10, 13, 15 or 19 passengers. For large groups and bulky equipment.
• Midibus — up to 25 passengers. For large groups and organizations.
• Bus — up to 45 passengers. For congresses, weddings, and corporate group transportation.

Please specify non-standard items such as ski equipment, strollers, wheelchairs, or exhibition materials in the reservation. All options are listed on our fleet page.

Night flights and early-morning transfers

Night and pre-dawn landings play an important role in Sabiha Gokcen traffic. At these hours, when public transportation becomes limited, private transfer is often the only practical option. The service is available 24/7; the same flight tracking and meet & greet process applies at night as well.

For departures, use this calculation: you should be at the airport 2 hours before domestic flights and 3 hours before international flights. Add the travel time and a traffic buffer on top of that. For example, for an international flight at 08:00 in the morning from Kadıköy, 3 hours airport buffer + 45 minutes travel + 30 minutes traffic buffer means departure at around 03:45.

Transfer between two airports

For connecting travel, a transfer between Sabiha Gokcen and Istanbul Airport may be required. These two airports are at opposite ends of the city, and the journey between them takes 90-120 minutes. If you have a connecting flight, it is safest to leave at least 4 hours for the transfer. For the process on the Istanbul Airport side, you can refer to our Istanbul Airport transfer guide article.

Hotel and out-of-city connections

For uninterrupted transportation directly to your hotel, you can review our hotel transfer service, and for corporate travel, our corporate VIP transfer service. Since Sabiha Gokcen is on the Asian side, it offers an advantage for out-of-city connections: on routes such as Istanbul-Sapanca transfer and Istanbul-Bursa transfer, the journey is noticeably shorter than from the European side.