Ankara Esenboğa Airport is the only airport in the capital of Turkey, Ankara. The airport is located about 30 km away from the Ankara city centre. Ankara Esenboğa Airport opened in 1955 and had more than 15 million passengers in 2018. More than 20 airlines are flying from here to different locations in both Turkey and the world. You can fly about 15 different international locations from Ankara Esenboğa Airport like Moscow, Düsseldorf, Vienna, Frankfurt, Baku and more.
Ankara may not the most touristic places in Turkey but it has its own unique landmarks and city life worth to see and experience. The mausoleum of the founder of the modern Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Anıtkabir is in the Ankara. There are also other both historical and modern places to see like Kocatepe Mosque and Atakule. You can also visit the shopping districts and malls, parks and museums. It would be a nice option to visit the capital of Turkey, Ankara.
Where Is The Ankara Esenboğa Airport Airport?
Ankara Esenboğa Airport is located around 30 km away from the city centre (Kızılay) on the northern part of the city, Yenice district. Ankara not the biggest city of Turkey and transportation from the airport to the central district are pretty easy than the airport of Istanbul. It is also possible to go to Eskişehir and Konya by using the high-speed rail line.
Transportation Options From/To Ankara Esenboğa Airport to the Ankara City Center
If you’re coming to Ankara you have various transportation option to go to the city centre from Ankara Eseboğa Airport and back also of course. Unfornuatlye there no train or metro lines at the airport but still you have other cheap and fast transportation options.
Train Lines
There are no active or planned train lines to the Ankara Esenboğa Airport for now which is quite bad for the airport of the capital of Turkey.
Metro Lines
There are no active metro lines to the Ankara Esenboğa Airport now but there is one in planning and its construction is about to start. This line will consist of 7 stations will be integrated with other metro lines.
Bus Lines
Because of the lack of the metro and train lines, all burden of transportation is over the buses. Luckily there are two different companies for transportation from the airport and the city centre. One is a private company (Havaş) and the second one (BELKO Air) belongs to the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality.
Havaş Buses
Havaş is the oldest public transportation company of Turkey for airport transportations. From 1958, Havaş is carrying people to the different airports of Turkey like Ankara. Havaş airport lines operate between the main coach station (AŞTİ) and the Ankara Esenboğa Airport 7/24. Shuttle frequency is 30 minutes between the 02.15 and 23.45. Havaş buses departure points on AŞTİ is the floor platforms #129 and #130 and arrival terminal of the airport. Duration for the trip is around 45 minutes and the ticket prices are 11.00 Turkish Lira. You can the ticket prices by cash and don’t any public transportation card. There is no reservation system for the buses. You just need to wait to get on the bus. You’ll see the queue outside the airport.
BELKO Air Buses
These buses are quite like the Havaş buses and they are operating between three different routes. Also, the ticket prices are the same as Havaş buses. BELKO Air routes are 442-A (AŞTİ), 442-K (Kızılay) and 442-B (Batıkent). It is possible to go to the all major district of Ankara with BELKO Airbuses. All the lines operate every 30 minutes during the day, only expect between 00.00 and 05.00.
Taxis
You can always use taxis to go to Ankara city centre or the Ankara Esenboğa Airport. They are fast but may not be cheap as the buses. Even if you decided to use the taxis please ask the price before you get in. Taxi drivers probably won’t know the English or other foreign languages but they will know the places if you show them from Google Maps or other applications.
Private Transfer
There are numerous agencies operating to the Ankara Esenboğa Airport from any point in Ankara and same for from the airport. You can arrange your transfer before your arrival but always don’t forget to ask for receipt and reservation confirmation.
Car Rental
If you want to be free during your travel in Ankara renting a car is another options. There world-wide car rental companies in Ankara Esenboğa Airport like Garenta, Sixt, Avis, Budget, Hertz and Europcar, much more. You can find them both domestic and international terminals. If you’re planning to go to the other cities besides the Ankara don’t forget to ask them for the badge that you can use to pay the highway and tunnel fees which is “Hızlı Geçiş Sistemi”.
Pros and Cons of The Airport
Pros
- New, modern and high-tech
- Ticket prices are lower than the Istanbul Airports
- Low-cost airlines
- Easy to the city center
- Close to the Istanbul-Ankara highway
- The new metro line is in construction.
- Easy to reach near cities like Eskişehir, and Konya
Cons
- No active metro or train line
- No flights to the major cities of the world.
My suggestion for going to the Ankara city centre from the airport, use buses. They are cheap, fast and offers you a small city tour. Airport buses also have places to put your luggage. I hope you will enjoy your time in Ankara, feel free to ask anything about getting to the Ankara city centre from Ankara Esenboğa Airport.
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