Airport Shuttle Service in İstanbul
İstanbul has a very reliable, comfortable and affordable airport shuttle service called Havataş , which services both of Istanbul’s international airports: Atatürk International Airport (IST) and Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW). This service is highly recommended as both airports are a considerable distance from your student housing and the university. From Besiktas: Atatürk International is 25 km/16 miles on the European side, while Sabiha Gökçen is 27 km/17 miles on the Asian side.
Cost and where to buy tickets
Ticket prices cost between 11 and 14 TL depending on the route. You can buy your ticket as you board the bus, paying the bus driver directly, and you can pay in either TL or USD.
Bus Routes and Schedules
Buses run between both airports and Taksim Square, leaving every half hour to/from both airports. For the most up-to-date bus schedules, check Havataş Airport Service . Check here for bus routes to/from the airports and Kadikoy or Yenikapi.
Where to catch the HAVATAŞ bus
At the airport: for either airport, passengers can catch the Havatas bus outside the departures terminal, in the ‘domestic service’ traffic lane (usually the 2nd lane).
From Taksim Square to either airport: passengers can catch the Havatas bus across from the Divan Hotel, in front of the Point Hotel just off of Taksim Square.
Public Transportation
You can also get between Atatürk Airport and the city center by metro & tram, by connecting from the M1A metro line (which operates between Atatürk Airport and Yenikapı station) to the Kabataş tram line.
The easiest way from student housing or the university is to go to the Kabataş tram stop (by bus or taxi), which has two transfer locations that connect to the M1A metro line: the Yusufpaşa and Zeytinburnu stops. If you are carrying luggage or a heavy backpack, transferring at the later Zeytinburnu is better, because the tram and metro stops are integrated, while the Yusufpaşa tram stop requires a longer walk to/from the Metro line (0.2 miles/350 meters).
Payment can be made by using Istanbul Transportation card.
Please click to see Istanbul Transportation Map