Istanbul Car Rental Guide
On this page, you will find information concerning car rental in Istanbul airport and downtown. You will also find some general facts about car rental and driving in Turkey.
Rental Restrictions
Driving Restrictions
Traffic is on the right and overtaking on the left. The minimum driving age is 18. The legal blood alcohol limit is 0.5‰. Children under 12 years of age are not allowed to sit in the front seat. Seatbelts are compulsory for front-seat passengers and advisable for rear-seat passengers.
There is no metered parking in Turkey. Parking officials collect fees for on-street parking. Most cities have garages and public parking lots. Do not park on crossings, tramways, entrances, on bends, etc. Vehicles on the main road have priority over those joining from a side road.
Outside built-up areas you must use your sidelights. In built-up areas, sidelights must be used if the vehicle is not visible from 150 metres or less. Headlights should always be used when driving. You are not allowed to use the horn except in cases of extreme danger. In other cases, flash your headlights as a warning. “Park Yapilmaz” means No parking. Do not park within 25 metres of danger signs.
The police are authorised to collect fines on the spot.
Speed limits:| Area | Speed |
| City | 50KM/H |
| Open Roads | 90KM/H |
| Highways | 90KM/H |
Emergency Numbers
Police: 155
Ambulance: 112
Fire: 110
Road Tolls
Tolls are charged on the following motorways:
Erdine - Istanbul
Istanbul - Izmit
Gebze - Izmit
Tsarsus - Pozanti
Ankara - Gerede
Izmir - Cesme
Some useful expressions for tourists visiting Turkey
Car rental agency - kiral arab sirketi
Parking – otopark
About Istanbul
Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and by some counts one of the largest cities in Europe. It is the major city in Turkey’s industry, commerce and culture and the most important import and export centre.
On the banks of the river Bosphorus, Istanbul is one of the truly great romantic cities, with its skyline picked with domes and minarets. The wealth of the city is most visible on the cultural level: there is an abundance of churches, mosques, palaces and beautiful idyllic sites. Most sights are within easy walking distance from each other and a tea garden is never too far away.
Area: 1,991 sq km
Population: 10 million
Country: Republic of Turkey
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +2 (+3 in summer)
Telephone Area Code: 212
Monetary Unit: Turkish Lira
