Turkey Road Trip Cost: How to Calculate It Before You Book

How do you calculate the cost of a road trip in Turkey?

Add five parts: the rental price, fuel, tolls, parking and any extra-kilometre charge. Fuel is kilometres divided by 100, times the car's litres per 100 km, times the price per litre. Tolls and fuel prices change, so use current figures, not old ones from an article.

The rental price is only the start. On a long route the extra-kilometre charge can matter more than the daily rate.

What is the formula?

Total cost = rental + delivery or drop-off charges + fuel + tolls + parking + extra kilometres.

• Fuel: total km ÷ 100 × litres per 100 km × fuel price per litre. A car that uses 7 litres per 100 km needs about 42 litres for 600 km. Multiply by today's price at the pump.
• Tolls: add the motorway and bridge tolls on your route. Check the operator or KGM tariff, and ask how your rental company bills HGS.
• Parking: allow for paid garages in cities and at popular sites.
• Extra kilometres: see the next section.

Fuel type also matters. Our hybrid, petrol or diesel guide shows how it changes the fuel line.

How does a mileage allowance change the budget?

Auris publishes a limit of 150 km per day and 3,500 km per month, with extra kilometres charged at $0.10 or $0.20 each. Confirm which rate applies to your car, and whether the allowance is counted per day or pooled across the rental.

Worked example: a 3-day rental with a 450 km allowance and a 900 km trip leaves 450 extra kilometres. At $0.10 that is $45, and at $0.20 it is $90. It is smaller than a night in a hotel, but larger than most people plan for.

How far can you go within the allowance?

Distances are rough one-way figures from Istanbul, for planning only. The days column is the minimum for a round trip if the allowance is counted per day and you do no local driving.

For long routes, either plan more days, pay the extra-kilometre charge knowingly, or use another way of travelling. See our intercity transport comparison. For specific routes, read Istanbul to Ankara, Istanbul to Çanakkale and Istanbul to Antalya.

What else adds to the cost?

• Delivery: the published Istanbul delivery charge is $15 to $30.
• Cleaning fee: $10 is published.
• Deposit: $200 or $300 is published. It is held, not spent, but it must be available.
• Extras: child seats and a second driver.

Can you see a full worked example?

Example: a 3-day weekend to Sapanca, roughly 300 km including local driving. The published allowance is 450 km over three days, so no extra kilometres are charged if it is counted per day.

• Fuel: 300 km ÷ 100 × 7 L = 21 litres, multiplied by the pump price.
• Tolls: add the O-4 toll both ways at the current tariff.
• Parking: allow for garages and lakeside car parks.
• Extra kilometres: none in this example.

Replace the numbers with your own route.

How do you keep the budget honest?

Ask for a written breakdown before you pay, and compare the total for the whole trip. Read the rental conditions and our how much does it cost to rent a car in Turkey guide, and check live prices on the fleet page. Travelling over a holiday? See Bayram and public holidays.