Real Turkey ExperiencesHow To Reach Cappadocia From Istanbul
PLANE
The fastest means of transportation over long distances is the most valid if you have a big budget and don’t have a lot of time to lose. There are regular flights from the two airports of Istanbul to Cappadocia. The popular airlines are:
* Turkish Airlines: https://www.turkishairlines.com/en-int
* Pegasus: https://www.flypgs.com/en
* Sun Express: https://www.sunexpress.com/en-gb/
The easiest way to find available flights is to use this website: https://www.obilet.com/en/flight-ticket
Important:
There are two airports in Istanbul and two airports in the Cappadocia region.
Which Istanbul airport is better?
Like most, you’re probably staying in the European side (the part of Istanbul that’s closer to the old district) like Taksim or Sultanahmet. If so, you’re better off choosing the Istanbul Airport (Istanbul airport code: IST). IST is closer to the old district. If on the off chance you’re staying in the Asian side of Istanbul, then choose the Sabiha Gökçen Airport (Istanbul Asian side airport code: SAW). You might also look for flights from SAW if there are no seats left on flights from IST.
During the high summer season and national holidays, flights may be fully booked so don’t leave your flight reservations until the last week. Reservations 2-3 weeks prior is a good idea.
How far is Istanbul airport to the city? How do I get to the Istanbul airport?
You might get a taxi but you don’t need me saying that. There are shuttle buses that operate between the most popular station “Taksim” and the airports. Prices change all the time so I’ll link to the websites and you can check yourselves. You can also find the timetables on these websites.
(IST) Istanbul Airport to City (Taksim):
https://www.hava.ist/sefer-saatleri.php?lang=en
(SAW) Sabiha Gökçen Airport to City (Taksim):
Which Cappadocia airport is better?
Cappadocia, if you did your research, is not a city but an ancient region. Cappadocia no longer exists on the map of Turkey. Therefore, when you want to look for flights, search for Kayseri Airport or Nevsehir Airport.
From the center of Cappadocia, Nevsehir Airport is slightly closer than the Kayseri Airport. To the Kayseri airport, it takes about 60 minutes. Nevsehir Airport on the other hand takes about 40-45 minutes. There are more flights available to the Kayseri Airport.
How to get from Cappadocia airport to Goreme (the hotel region)?
The most famous town in Cappadocia is Goreme and many people ask this question. You might try to find a shuttle but the best way is to reserve a shuttle transfer. If you’re not working with an agency, ask your hotel in Cappadocia to arrange a transfer for you. They can probably reserve a seat on one of the shuttle buses for about 10-15 Euros.
Due to the distances, taxis are rather expensive. Shuttle transfers unfortunately stop at different hotels so even though they’re cheap, they might take a long time to get you to your hotel. Some companies provide private transfers and that can be arranged through the travel agents.
BUS
If you’re on a budget, a cheaper option to get to Cappadocia from Istanbul is definitely the bus. Or the extreme budget option, a night bus that leaves in the evening and arrives at Cappadocia very early in the morning, saving you a nightly stay at a hotel.
- How far is Cappadocia from Istanbul?
- About 465 miles (750 kilometers)
The easiest way to find available buses is to use this website: https://www.obilet.com/en
As “destination”, you need to select the town where your hotel is, such as Goreme, Urgup or Nevsehir. Some buses go straight to the towns whereas others might transfer you to a smaller van in Nevsehir bus station. While in the Nevsehir bus station, make sure you get proper guidance from the employees who have been in the bus with you the whole time. Ask them and only them if you’re supposed to stay in the bus or leave and get on another van for your destination. Use simple words, they might not know English very well.
TRAIN
-Is there a train from Istanbul to Cappadocia?
-No.
However, if you’d like to experience a train ride in Turkey, you might get the train from Istanbul to Ankara, the capital of Turkey. There are some important museums and sites in Ankara such as the Anatolian Civilizations Museum or Anıtkabir (Mausoleum of Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey). After a visit to the capital, you might take a bus from Ankara to Cappadocia. These bus rides take between 3-5 hours.