Can I pick up at Istanbul Airport and return at Sabiha Gökçen?
Ask before you plan around it. Auris online booking lists Istanbul Airport (IST) and Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) as pickup locations, and the published rule is that pickup and return must be in the same country — but a return at the other Istanbul airport is not something to assume from that. Send your flight details and ask what is possible and what it costs.
This guide is about how to approach the question, not a promise about the answer.
Why travellers want this
It is a common shape of trip, not an unusual request:
- A long-haul arrival at IST and a budget or regional departure from SAW.
- An itinerary that ends on the Asian side — Kadıköy, Ataşehir, Pendik — where SAW is the natural exit.
- A road trip that loops back toward the south-east of the city rather than the north-west.
In all three cases, returning the car to the airport you arrived at means an extra cross-city drive on your last morning.
What to ask, and what to send
Ask in one message so you get a complete answer:
1. Both flight numbers and times — arrival into IST, departure from SAW.
2. The exact dates, remembering that online bookings require at least 3 rental days.
3. Whether a return at SAW is possible on your dates, and what charge applies.
4. How long before your flight the return needs to happen.
5. Who is driving, since the published minimum driver age is 25.
Keep the answer in the thread. A cross-airport return is the kind of detail that should be in writing rather than remembered.
What it costs you in time if you drive it yourself
If a cross-airport return is not available or not worth the charge, the fallback is to return the car at IST and travel to SAW separately — or to drive between them yourself before returning. Be realistic about that drive: it crosses the whole city and the Bosphorus. Our IST to Sabiha Gökçen by car guide covers the route and timing honestly.
The important point is the asymmetry: arriving late at a restaurant is inconvenient, arriving late for a departing flight is a missed flight. Whatever you plan, build in more margin than the map suggests.
Three alternatives that usually work better
| Alternative | How it works | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Return where you collected | Drive back to IST, then scheduled transport or a transfer to SAW | Most trips; simplest and most predictable |
| City delivery and city collection | Have the car delivered to your accommodation and collected from it, published at $15–$30 for Istanbul | Stays where you do not need the car on the first or last day |
| Shorten the rental | Return the car the day before your flight and use transport to SAW | Last day spent in the city centre anyway |
The second is underrated. If the car is collected from your hotel the day before departure, the airport question disappears entirely — see hotel car delivery in Istanbul.
If your trip is Asian-side weighted
Consider collecting at SAW rather than IST in the first place, even if you arrive at IST. A transfer in from IST plus a city or SAW collection can be simpler than a cross-city return on your last morning. IST versus Sabiha Gökçen for car rental compares the two airports, and IST to the Asian side by car covers the drive if you do collect at IST.
Before you book
- Ask explicitly about the cross-airport return; do not infer it from the pickup list.
- Get the charge, if any, in writing.
- Note the published conditions that do apply: at least 3 rental days, pickup and return in the same country, minimum driver age 25, 150 km per day and 3,500 km per month with extra kilometres at $0.10 or $0.20, and a $200 or $300 deposit. The rental conditions page carries the current published terms.
- For the general picture, read one-way car rental in Turkey.
Start on the Istanbul Airport car rental page or the Sabiha Gökçen page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I return a rental car at a different Istanbul airport?
Ask rather than assume. Auris online booking lists Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen as pickup locations and requires pickup and return in the same country, but a cross-airport return should be confirmed with its charge in writing.
What should I send when asking about a cross-airport return?
Both flight numbers and times, your exact dates, whether a SAW return is possible, what charge applies, how long before the flight the return must happen, and who is driving.
Is it better to drive between the two airports myself?
Rarely. It crosses the whole city and the Bosphorus, and being late for a departing flight is a far worse outcome than being late anywhere else. Build in more margin than the map suggests.
What is the simplest alternative?
Return the car where you collected it and use scheduled transport or a transfer to the other airport. Alternatively, have the car collected from your accommodation the day before — Istanbul delivery is published at $15–$30.
Should I collect at Sabiha Gökçen instead if my trip is Asian-side?
Often yes. A transfer in from IST plus a collection at SAW or in the city can be simpler than a cross-city return on your last morning.
Ready to plan your trip? Check the fleet and the published rental conditions, then book online or confirm the details with Auris first.
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