Travel Information

Planning your trip to Sakarya for GITMA 2025? This section provides essential details on recommended hotels, transportation options, and directions to Sakarya to help ensure a seamless and enjoyable travel experience.

Traveling to Sakarya

Traveling to Sakarya from Turkey’s main airports is straightforward, with several transportation options available:

By Bus: Take the Havaist Airport Shuttle to Istanbul Otogari (main bus terminal). From there, intercity buses operated by companies like Metro Turizm and VIB Turizm run to Sakarya. The total journey is approximately 3.5 to 4 hours.
By Train: Use the Havaist Shuttle to reach a central metro station in Istanbul. Proceed to Söğütlüçeşme Station and board a high-speed train to Arifiye Station in Sakarya. The combined journey takes about 4 to 5 hours.
By Car: Taxis and private transfers are available at the airport. The drive to Sakarya is around 190 km and takes approximately 2 hours, depending on traffic.

By Bus: Havasak operates direct bus services from Sabiha Gökçen Airport to Sakarya. The journey lasts about 1.5 to 2 hours.
By Train: Take the Havabus or a taxi to Pendik Station in Istanbul. From there,high-speed trains run to Arifiye Station in Sakarya. The total travel time is approximately 2.5 to 3 hours.
By Car: Taxis and private transfers are readily available. The drive to Sakarya is about 120 km, taking roughly 1.5 hours

Access from Sabiha Gökçen International Airport

Sabiha Gökçen Airport is located on Asian Side of Istanbul and usually serves flights from Europe, Middle East, Caucasian and Russia. There are two shuttle services servicing Sakarya from Sabiha Gökçen Airport:

Havasak (https://www.havasak.com.tr/)
Tanriverdi Turizm (https://www.asiltanriverdi.com.tr/).

They both operate right across arrival gate in the city buses section platform 5. Havasak operates from 7am to 1 am on beginning of every hour. We could not find specific hours’ form Tanrıverdi Turizm. The trip takes about 1 hour 20 min and except one brief stop at Sapanca, it is direct to Sakarya Bus Terminal: (https://yandex.com.tr/harita/org/sakarya_buyuksehir_terminal).

The bus will cost 250 TL (about 8 Dollars)

Access from İstanbul Airport.

İstanbul Airport is located European side of the city and serves all over the World especially long haul flights. Istanbul Seyahat
(https://istanbulseyahat.com.tr) is the major bus company serving from Istanbul airport to Sakarya and other destinations. The buses leave level -2 platform 19 at bus transfer level. Tickets are 500 TL (about 16 Dollars). Time of services are
07:30 – 10:30 – 12:00 – 13:30 – 15:30 – 17:30 – 19:30 – 21:30 – 00:30. It taken about 2 hours and 30 minutes to reach Sakarya Bus Terminal. On the way bus stops briefly at a couple of places.
From Sakarya Terminal, best way to reach your hotel is to take taxi. It should cost around 15 Dollars.

From Sakarya Terminal, best way to reach your hotel is to take taxi. It should cost around 15 Dollars.

By Bus: First, take a shuttle or taxi to Ankara's main bus terminal (AŞTİ). From there, intercity buses to Sakarya are available, with a journey time of approximately 4 to 5 hours.
By Train: Take a shuttle or taxi to Ankara Train Station. High-speed trains operate to Arifiye Station in Sakarya, with a travel time of about 3 to 4 hours.
By Car: Private transfers and taxis can be arranged. The drive covers around 310 km and takes approximately 3.5 to 4 hours.

Additional Tips:

Tickets: It’s advisable to book bus and train tickets in advance, especially during peak travel seasons.
Local Transport: Upon arrival in Sakarya, local taxis and public transportation are available to reach your final destination.
Language: While many transport staff speak basic English, having key destination names written in Turkish can be helpful.

By following these guidelines, you can plan a smooth journey to Sakarya from any of Turkey’s major airports.

Accommodations

To ensure your stay in Sakarya is as comfortable as possible, we have carefully selected a list of excellent lodging options to suit various preferences and budgets. Here are our four main recommendations, curated to provide the best experience during your visit.

Sezginler Vocational Hotel:

Sezginler Vocational Hotel offers affordable accommodations with prices starting at $40 for single rooms and $52 for doubles. Guests can enjoy an open buffet breakfast, and the hotel is located 13 km from the Sakarya University campus. While it does not have an English webpage or WhatsApp communication, English-speaking staff are available for assistance.