Gazipaşa-Alanya Airport→Antalya Airport

Gazipaşa-Alanya Airport and Antalya Airport sit at opposite ends of the eastern Turkish Riviera. The road between them covers about 150 km and takes around 158 minutes, so this is a journey of roughly two and a half hours, not a quick hop. Gazipaşa is a small, calm airport at the eastern end of the Alanya coast. Antalya Airport (AYT) is the main holiday gateway for the whole region, with two international terminals and a domestic terminal.

People make this transfer for several reasons. Some land at Gazipaşa on a domestic flight and need to reach Antalya for an international departure. Some have spent a week in the Alanya or Gazipaşa area and booked the cheaper or more convenient flight out of Antalya. Others are meeting a group that arrives at Antalya, or are building a trip that starts at one airport and ends at the other. Whatever the reason, the questions are the same. When does the car need to leave? What does the road look like? And how do you arrive at the right terminal calmly rather than in a rush?

This page walks through the whole journey with that in mind. It starts with the drive, then covers the arrival at Antalya Airport, the stretch of coast you pass along the way, and the timing that keeps a departure day relaxed.

The route follows the D400 coastal highway westward the whole way. You leave the Gazipaşa airport area, pass through the town of Gazipaşa and its banana and citrus plantations, and then follow the shoreline toward Alanya. The Mediterranean is on your left and the Taurus Mountains stand on your right, close to the road at first and then stepping back as the coastal plain widens near Manavgat.

Gazipaşa to Alanya. The first stretch is a winding coastal road with the mountains pressing in. You pass small settlements and greenhouses, then come around the headland into Alanya, where the castle rock rises above the harbour. This is often the slowest part of the first hour in summer, because the road runs through the built-up resort strip and local traffic mixes with transfers and excursion coaches.

Alanya to Manavgat. West of Alanya the road passes a long line of resort towns and holiday villages such as Konaklı and Avsallar. The shoreline here is lined with hotels, and the highway gives you glimpses of the sea between them. Further on, the landscape opens into the flat Manavgat plain, with river valleys, orchards and irrigated fields. Manavgat itself is a busy market town, and its river is a well-known landmark on this coast.

Manavgat to Serik. Beyond Manavgat you pass the turn-off for Side, home to one of the best-known ancient sites on the coast. The road then crosses a stretch of pine forest and farmland on its way toward Serik. This is the section where drivers on this corridor often make up time, because the highway is wider and the settlements are fewer.

Serik to the airport. Past Serik you are on the final approach to Antalya. The road runs near the Belek resort area and the Aksu district before reaching the airport complex on the northeast side of Antalya city. Allow for slower traffic as soon as you reach the airport approach roads, especially in the busy summer months.

The planning figure for this transfer is 158 minutes, and it is based on normal traffic. For most of the year the journey is steady. The busy points are predictable. They are the stretch through central Alanya, the area around Manavgat and the Side junction, and the approach roads to Antalya Airport.

In peak summer, the traffic is heavier. Excursion coaches, rental cars and airport transfers all use the same coastal highway, and the congestion around Side and Manavgat can add some time. Your driver takes this into account when setting the pickup time, which is one reason to give the exact flight number and departure time when you book.

In spring and autumn the road is calmer. In winter it is the quietest.

If you are heading to an early morning flight from Antalya, the road at night is a different experience. The coast highway is much emptier, the drive is easier to predict, and the main variable is simply how long you want to sleep before you set out.

Gazipaşa-Alanya Airport is small. After you collect your bags, your driver is waiting at arrivals with a sign carrying your name. There are no long walks between terminals, no confusing car parks and no shuttle queues. The driver tracks your flight, so a delayed plane does not leave you without a car.

Because the airport is small, this is a good place to start a long drive. You can put your luggage in the car, settle in and plan the journey before you leave. If you have arrived on a short domestic flight, take a minute to buy water or have a coffee in the arrivals area before setting off. The next planned stop is a good way along the coast, so it helps to start the drive comfortable.

If you are connecting to a departure from Antalya Airport, the timing is the most important part of the plan. The drive takes 158 minutes in normal traffic. On top of that you need to arrive at the terminal in good time for check-in.

The usual advice is to be at the terminal at least 3 hours before an international departure and 2 hours before a domestic one. Add the 158-minute drive to that, and add a small cushion for traffic, a rest stop and the drop-off at the terminal. As a worked example, for an international departure at 15:00, you would aim to be at the terminal around 12:00. Working back 158 minutes plus a cushion, that means leaving Gazipaşa in the early hours of the morning or late the evening before.

If you are arriving at Gazipaşa on a flight and then continuing to Antalya, do not book a tight connection. Your first flight needs time to land, taxi, unload and clear arrivals before the transfer starts. Treat the landing time as the start of a new journey, not the end of the old one. A gap of several hours between the landing at Gazipaşa and the departure at Antalya is a sensible minimum for an international flight, and the more of a gap you leave, the less you have to worry about.

Antalya Airport has two international terminals and a domestic terminal. Terminal 1 handles most European charter and leisure flights, and Terminal 2 serves scheduled airlines. Domestic flights from Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir use the domestic terminal. The terminals are within walking distance of each other, with roughly 10 minutes between them on foot.

When you book, give us your Antalya flight number. Your driver then knows which terminal to use and drops you at the correct door. If you are not sure which terminal your airline uses, check your booking confirmation before the day, because a mistake means a walk or a short shuttle between buildings with your luggage.

On departure day, the drop-off is right in front of your terminal. This matters after a two-and-a-half-hour drive. Your driver helps with the bags and you step straight toward check-in. For a family with children, this is the most useful part of the service, because there are no extra legs, no changes and no waiting for another vehicle.

A 158-minute drive is long enough that small details matter.

• Comfort stops. If you want to break the journey, we can plan a short stop near Side or Manavgat for a coffee, a restroom visit or a few photos. If you are in a hurry, the driver goes straight through.
• Luggage. Tell us the number of suitcases when you book. The vehicle is chosen to suit the group and the luggage, and larger vehicles such as a minivan are available for bigger groups.
• Child seats. Infant and child seats are available on request. Tell us the ages of the children and how many seats you need when you book, and the car is ready before you board.
• Air conditioning. The vehicles are air-conditioned, which is a real advantage on this coast in July and August, when outside temperatures often pass 35°C.

On a long coastal run like this, the options are not equal. The scheduled bus is slow and often involves changes, because it stops at many places and drops you at a bus station rather than at the airport door. A shared shuttle calls at hotels along the coast, so the journey can take much longer than the direct drive. A street taxi leaves you with the meter, the traffic and a roadside discussion.

A private transfer is a single car for your party, from one airport to the other, with a time agreed in advance. You are not waiting for other passengers, you are not changing vehicles and you are not watching the clock on a shared route. Meet and greet at arrivals, flight monitoring and child seats on request are part of the service. Booking also includes 60 minutes of free waiting time after landing. You can pay online or pay your driver on arrival in cash or by card.

The drive follows one of the best-known stretches of the Turkish Riviera, and it is worth knowing what you are passing, even if you do not stop.

Gazipaşa. The area around Gazipaşa is a quieter, more agricultural corner of the coast than the resorts further west. Bananas and citrus fruit grow in the plain between the sea and the mountains. The ancient site of Selinus lies close to the town, a reminder that this part of the coast has a long history of its own.

Alanya. Alanya is the largest town on the route. The medieval castle sits on a peninsula high above the sea, with the harbour and the old shipyard below it. Cleopatra Beach is a long stretch of fine golden sand on the western side of the peninsula. The town has a lively evening scene, a busy harbour front and a wide choice of beaches. For many travellers Alanya is the highlight of the drive, even through a car window.

Side. The turn-off for Side comes about two-thirds of the way along. Side is a small peninsula town with ancient ruins right beside the sea, including a temple on the water's edge. It is a classic day trip from the whole coast and a natural place for a short stop.

Manavgat. Manavgat is known for its river and its waterfall. It is a working town rather than a resort, and it marks the point where the coast opens into a wide plain.

Serik and Belek. Serik is the gateway to the Belek area, which is known for its golf courses and large resort hotels. Many of the pine forests along the final part of the drive belong to this area.

If you are heading to Antalya Airport only to catch a flight, you will not need to stay in the area. If you are spending time in Antalya before your flight, or adding a night at the end of your trip, it helps to know how the city divides up.

• Kaleiçi (the old town). A walled quarter of stone lanes, small hotels and restaurants in restored Ottoman houses, set above the old harbour. It suits couples and travellers who like to walk, with no beach on the doorstep but plenty of atmosphere.
• Konyaaltı. A long pebble beach on the west side of the city, with the mountains behind it and a seafront promenade. It suits families and anyone who wants to be near the sea and the city together.
• Lara and Kundu. The beach hotel zone to the east of the city, closer to the airport. It has large resort hotels and a sandy shoreline. It suits travellers who want an easy start or finish to a holiday and a short final transfer.
• Düden Waterfalls. A park area with falls that drop toward the sea. It is a short outing from the city and a pleasant stop before an evening flight.

Lara and Kundu hotels are about 15 km from the airport and roughly 15 to 20 minutes by private transfer, while Antalya city centre and Kaleiçi are about 13 km away and take 20 to 25 minutes. Belek is about 35 km, and takes 30 to 35 minutes.

Between the two airports you pass some of the most famous names on the Turkish coast, and an extra day or two at either end can turn a pure transfer into part of the holiday.

Alanya offers Cleopatra Beach, the castle and the harbour. Side has its ancient theatre and temple ruins beside the sea. Near Antalya, the old town of Kaleiçi and the Düden Waterfalls are the main sights. Further inland, the ancient city of Perge and the Roman theatre at Aspendos are well-known day trips from Antalya, and many travellers visit them at the start or end of a holiday.

If your schedule allows a stop on the way, talk to us when you book. A stop of a few minutes for photos or a coffee near Side or Manavgat is easy to plan. A longer visit is a different kind of journey and needs a separate arrangement, so it is better to say so early.

Eating on this route is part of the experience. Along the coast you find simple roadside restaurants serving fresh fish, grilled meat and local flatbread, as well as the bakeries and cafés of the larger towns.

In Alanya, the harbour front has seafood restaurants and busy evening promenades. In Antalya, Kaleiçi has courtyard restaurants and rooftop terraces with views over the old harbour.

If you are travelling in the evening, eat before you set out. For early flights, a light breakfast and a bottle of water are usually enough.

A 158-minute drive is a long time for young children, so a little preparation makes the trip easier.

• Tell us the ages of the children when you book, so the right seats are in the car.
• Plan the pickup around nap times where you can. Younger children often sleep well in the car.
• Ask for a comfort stop if you think the children will need one. A short break near Side or Manavgat is easy to arrange.
• Keep snacks, water and a small toy or tablet in a bag you can reach, not in the boot.

Because the car goes straight to the terminal door, a family can keep the strollers and the luggage together and avoid the confusion of a bus station or a shuttle stop.

Many flights from Antalya leave very early in the morning or very late at night, so the transfer often happens at unusual hours. This is normal, and it is part of the planning from the start.

For an early departure, the pickup is arranged around your flight time, with the 158-minute drive and your check-in window built in. The roads at night are quiet, so the journey is smooth, but you should not plan for the shortest possible time. Allow a cushion for a comfort stop and for arrival at the terminal.

For a late landing at Gazipaşa, the driver tracks the flight and is at arrivals when you land. A late arrival does not cancel the booking. The driver follows the actual landing time. After a long day of travel, a car that is simply there is one of the best things about a private transfer.

If you are staying near Gazipaşa or Alanya and flying out of Antalya, the return trip works the same way in reverse. Work back from the flight time.

• Start with the departure time of your flight.
• Subtract 3 hours for an international flight, or 2 hours for a domestic one. This is the time you should be at the terminal.
• Subtract the 158-minute drive, and then a cushion for traffic and a rest stop.
• The result is the pickup time.

In July and August, give yourself a longer cushion. The traffic through Alanya and around Side is heavier, and the airport approach roads are busier. In winter, a smaller cushion is usually enough.

If you have a spare day on either end of the trip, a few places are close enough to visit without much planning.

• From Alanya and Gazipaşa: the castle and harbour in Alanya, the beaches on the western side of the peninsula, and the ancient site at Selinus near Gazipaşa.
• From Side and Manavgat: the ruins at Side, the Manavgat river and waterfall, and boat trips on the river.
• From Antalya: Kaleiçi old town, the Düden Waterfalls, Perge and the theatre at Aspendos.

Each of these is a separate outing, and all are easier with a private car than by public transport. If you want to add one to the day, tell us when you book and we will help you work out whether it fits the schedule.

The Mediterranean climate gives this coast more than 300 days of sunshine a year. Summers are hot, often above 35°C, and winters are mild. The sea season runs from about April to November.

• Spring (April to May). Mild weather, green hills and fewer crowds. The road is quiet and the drive is easy.
• Summer (June to August). The busiest time. Expect hot days, heavier traffic around Alanya, Side and the airport, and a full terminal at Antalya. Allow a longer cushion, and keep water in the car.
• Autumn (September to November). Still warm, with calmer roads. The sea is at its warmest and the traffic eases from the summer peak.
• Winter (December to March). Mild, with some rain. The coast is quiet, many resort businesses close, and the road is at its calmest. Check the weather before a very early departure.

To book, give us your pickup airport, your destination terminal, your flight numbers, the number of passengers and the number of suitcases. Add the ages of any children, and tell us if you want a comfort stop. We then plan the pickup time around your flight.

You can pay online or pay your driver on arrival, in cash or by card. Turkey Transfer drivers are local people who use this coast road regularly. They know the route, the junctions that move faster and how Antalya Airport is laid out.

For a 150 km journey of about 158 minutes, a private car from Gazipaşa-Alanya Airport to Antalya Airport keeps the day simple. You leave from a small, easy airport, you travel along one of the best-known coasts in Turkey, and you arrive at the right terminal door with time to spare.