How Does the First Hour After Landing in Istanbul Go With Your Family?

Written by the Marhaba Service team · Updated: 7 November 2026

How Should You Plan the First Hour After Landing?

Share out the roles before you leave the plane, because the first hour is what tires young and old alike. This order works for most families:

1. Before passport control: stop at the toilets first, and take out what the children need from the hand luggage, because the queue may be long.
2. At passport control: one person holds all the family's passports, and the children stay in front of you in the queue.
3. At baggage: one of you stands at the belt while the other stays with the children in one fixed spot.
4. Before the exit: count the suitcases and the pushchair, and do not leave until everything is there.
5. In the arrivals hall: look for the sign with your name.

Do not hurry the children for fear of missing the car. Waiting is free for 60 minutes from the moment you land, then 15 euros for every 30 minutes or part of it, and we follow your flight.

Which Car Suits the Size of Your Family?

Choose the car by passengers and suitcases together, not by passengers alone. These figures come from the Marhaba Service fleet table:

• Four passengers: the Mercedes V-Class with its facing seats suits you, and the price for your district is confirmed in writing. If you have more than 4 large suitcases, choose a Vito.
• Six passengers: the Mercedes Vito is the usual choice, at 95 euros from Istanbul Airport to Taksim.
• 7 to 9 passengers: we send two Vitos, which is 190 euros from Istanbul Airport to Taksim. Tell us how you would like to split the family through our group travel service.

How Do You Ask for a Child Seat?

Ask for it when you book; it is free. Give the number of seats and the age of each child, so that the right seat is ready before you arrive. If you do not ask in advance, it may not be in the car when you land, so it is best to include it in your very first message.

What Should You Tell Us About Your Luggage?

Tell us how many large suitcases and cabin bags you have, and mention the pushchair and anything of unusual size. A folded pushchair takes up roughly the space of a suitcase, and it is best counted as one.

How Can the Drive Be Easier on the Children?

Know the length of the drive before you get in, because a child settles when the parents are at ease. From Istanbul Airport to Taksim it is 45 to 60 minutes, and to Sultanahmet 50 to 70 minutes, depending on traffic. Stop at the toilets before you leave the terminal, and keep a small bag of the child's things within reach, because the large suitcases travel in the back.

If you are landing at Sabiha Gökçen, a fixed-price car from Sabiha Gökçen starts at 90 euros in a Vito, and the drive to Taksim is 50 to 70 minutes depending on traffic. This guide covers only the arrival and the drive; the plan for the following days is yours to arrange once you have settled into the hotel.

When Is a Welcome Inside the Airport Useful?

It helps if one parent is travelling alone with the children, or if an older relative is with you. With our service for families and older guests, the assistant stays with you, the porter carries the bags and the electric cart is available inside the terminal, all within the price. It is charged per person, though, so work out the total for the whole family before you decide: 215 euros per person on arrival at Istanbul Airport. If the only issue for the children is the queue, the priority lane may be enough.

Pack enough in the hand luggage to last the children until the hotel: a light snack, a change of clothes and whatever calms your child. The large suitcases can be slow to reach the belt.

Common Questions