How To Get Around Antalya Modes of transportation

As you plan a visit to Antalya, you might be wondering what methods of transportation are available. From taxi or car rental to buses and trams, there is no shortage of easily accessible options. This post gives detailed information about each option, as well as our recommendations, to help as you formulate your itinerary.

City Center Travel

Public Transportation

With a population of around 1.2 million people, the Antalya city center has reliable and economical public transportation that can take you just about anywhere you might want to go. For this reason, you shouldn’t need to rent a car to see places within the city. Car rentals are helpful if you plan on visiting some of the fantastic ruins or beaches outside of the city center. (For a run-down on the best beaches to visit, read this post.)

Public transportation consists of two options here: buses or trams.

Step One: Purchase a plastic AntalyaKart for a one-time fee of 15TL and load money on it if you plan to use public transportation multiple times. If you just need one bus ride, you can purchase a disposable ticket for 9TL. (as of January 2023)

This can be done at authorized points of sale throughout the city. If you are coming into the airport, there are two places to purchase cards that are open 24 hours a day. There are also kiosks all around the city or vending machines close to tramway stops and major bus stations. These card centers are open between 08:30-12:30 and 13:00-18:00 on weekdays, and between 08:30-12:00 on Saturday.

A bus or tram trip costs 8TL, with a 2.50TL transfer fee if you need more than one bus. Students pay 4TL.  (as of January 2023)

You can load or reload your card at any sales point or kiosk, or at  www.antalyakart.com.tr.

Step Two: Download the AntalyaKart app so you can figure out what buses or trams you need to take, where the stops and stations are, and roughly when they might arrive. You can also load more money on your card with the app.

Airport Arrivals

If you are arriving at the airport and desire to use the tram, the station is located right in front of International Terminal 1. If you come during tourist season when Terminal 2 is also in use, you will want to take a taxi to Terminal 1. It is too far to walk. Domestic arrivals will need to walk around 200 meters to get to the escalator that takes you up to the tram stop. 

Nostalgic Tram

For a fun way to view some of Antalya’s most interesting sites, hop on the Nostalgic Tram. This old-timey looking tram has ten stops and covers about 5 kilometers. It runs every day  between 07:00-23:00 and leaves every half hour from the Konyaaltı station (in front of the Antalya Museum) and from Zerdalilik Station (the main station). This scenic tram will take you past multiple popular attractions, including Hadrian’s Gate, the Antalya Harbor, Old-Town Kaleiçi, and Karaalioğlu Park. 

Electric Scooters

New to Antalya in the last couple of years are the cute, electric scooters that can be seen tied to fences and poles in random places all over the city. For short distances around the city center, especially around Kaleiçi or along the Konyaaltı beach, these scooters seem super convenient. There are multiple short-term scooter rental companies in Antalya. Here are a few options: the green Marti scooter, the turquoise BinBin scooter, and the turqouise Tornet scooter. Marti also offers an electric moped, but it requires validating your driver’s license before using (which can be done through their app).

To use any of these scooters, you simply need to download the appropriate app on your smart phone, enter your cell number to receive a confirmation text, find a scooter near you, scan the QR code, and unlock your ride. When finished, follow the instructions on the app to make sure you lock it up correctly.

Rental rates are similar for each company and can be found on the app when you are searching for one to ride. You start with a one-time fee per use, and then per minute charges on top of that. These are automatically charged to your credit card.

We have not personally tried to rent from each Scooter company. But we read in the app reviews that BinBin only takes Turkish phone numbers and credit cards; this might make it difficult for tourists to use. Keep that in mind.

Taxis

If public transportation makes you nervous, taxis are a safe and reliable way to move throughout the city. Our experience here has never been bad, and taxi drivers are usually professional. In other cities we have heard of foreigners being taken advantage of or receiving “foreigner” rates, but here they have always started the meter immediately or agreed upon a price before we began the drive. There are taxi stands throughout the city, as well as taxi buttons scattered about in convenient and random locations that you can push and just wait for a taxi to arrive without having to place a phone call.

Bicycle Rental

Antbis (Antalya bicycle sharing) is another lovely and inexpensive option if the weather is nice and you want to experience Antalya like a local.

You have to be 18 years of age to rent a bicycle. With 90 bikes scattered around nine stations along the coast, it is a perfect way to explore the city near the sea at your own pace. We especially recommend seeing Sahil Antalya and both Konyaaltı Beach and Lara Beach this way.

Renting the bikes is relatively easy and can be done several ways:

1. Obtain a member card at the İşıklar Station for 5TL by presenting your ID and cell number, along with a credit card. After receiving the card, you can load money onto it with your credit card. You will then receive a password at the station kiosk that will unlock a bicycle for you.
2. Without a member card you can use your credit card at the kiosk, but your bank will put a freeze for 24TL on your card. Your hourly charges will be taken from that amount, and whatever you don’t use will be refunded within 1-30 days of returning the bicycle (depending on your bank).
3. Download the Antbis mobile app onto your smart phone and follow the directions. You will be asked to enter your cell number and sent a verification code. Next, it asks for your name, email, passport number, and birthday, followed by your credit card information. If you have a membership number, it can be entered in the app. If you don’t have a membership, the 24TL freeze on your credit card will be applied. The app can be used in either Turkish or English by clicking on the globe icon at the top right corner in the opening screen.

For a one hour bike rental you will pay 1.50TL. For two hours you will pay 2.50TL. For each additional hour after two, you will pay 2TL an hour.

To see a map of bicycle stations and a live update of the bikes available, as well as spaces to park bicycles, go here.

Travel Outside City Center

Car Rental

We highly recommend traveling outside of the city center for an extended amount of time. To do so, we think renting a car is the way to go. It is affordable and allows you to travel on your own schedule and at your own pace. Traffic in Antalya is nothing like the rat race in Istanbul and is manageable if you have experience driving and are comfortable exploring on your own. SIM cards are easy and affordable to acquire so you can use your cell phone, and GPS works well here. We have had great luck with Garenta and recommend just picking up your car rental right from the airport.