Scooter rental in Istanbul

Scooter rental in Istanbul starts from ₺1,250 a day for a 50 cc moped, and the middle of 15 day-priced models sits at ₺2,000. Below: how prices climb with engine size, which licence each class asks for, what the deposit and helmet look like, and how to compare two offers for the same model.

What a day on a rented scooter covers

Every scooter on this page is priced by the day, and that one unit makes the models easy to line up against each other — as long as you know what the daily figure does and does not include.

The day rate and what it buys

A scooter rental here means a bike you ride yourself, for one or more full days, not a guided tour or a ride with a driver. The Rent-Trip section on this page brings together 15 scooter models, from a 50 cc moped to a 750 cc adventure maxi-scooter, and the market offers them in three working modes: by the day, for a week or a month, and always self-ridden. Each card shows a starting price per day in Turkish lira. That price is a floor — the lowest figure the model goes out for — rather than a quote for your exact dates. For 10 of the 15 models the seating is stated, and in every one of those cases it is 2 people: a rider and one passenger. In my view, the day rate is the right place to start, but not to stop. It tells you the class of bike and its rough cost; the deposit, the licence check and the pickup point decide whether the deal actually works for you.

Why one model name can mean several bikes

A scooter is often offered as a model "or similar", which means the rental company promises the class and engine size, not the exact bike. In practice, the same model name carries noticeably different prices from one rental desk to another. A Yamaha NMax 125 starts at ₺2,000 a day in our figures, while a second offer for the same model comes to about ₺2,900 — roughly 1.4 times more. The Yamaha Neo's 50 shows an even wider gap: ₺1,250 against about ₺2,200, close to 1.8 times. A Honda PCX 125 runs from ₺1,500 to about ₺2,600, and a Honda Dio 110 from ₺1,500 to about ₺2,000. Behind such a gap there can be a newer bike, a different pickup district, extras bundled into the rate or simply a different company's pricing. The prices on this page are the lower ends of those ranges.

Daily, weekly and monthly rentals

Weekly and monthly rentals exist alongside daily ones, but no separate weekly or monthly rate appears in the figures for these 15 models, so this page does not promise a discount for longer periods. What you can do is work out the ceiling: seven days on a Honda PCX 125 at the day rate comes to ₺10,500, and seven days on a Yamaha XMax 250 to ₺20,300. If a weekly quote lands above seven times the day rate, it is not a weekly deal at all. If it lands below, compare the saving with the deposit you will leave for the whole period — on a long rental, the deposit can matter as much as the price per day.

Day prices from ₺1,250 to ₺11,500

Fifteen models with a daily price are enough to see where prices cluster, how much each step up in engine size costs and where the exceptions are.

Starting prices by engine class

Where most of the prices sit

Eight of the 15 models start at ₺2,000 a day or less: the 50 cc Yamaha Neo's 50, all six bikes in the 110–125 cc class and the Yamaha NMax 155. Six more sit between ₺2,700 and ₺3,950 — the two Vespas, the Honda ADV 350 and three 250–300 cc maxi-scooters. The median across all 15 is ₺2,000, which is exactly the price of the Honda Activa 110 and the Yamaha NMax 125. Only one model breaks out of that band: the Honda X-ADV 750 at ₺11,500, about 9.2 times the price of the cheapest moped and almost three times the most expensive 350 cc bike. For a visitor who wants to rent a scooter in Istanbul for getting around the city, the realistic budget is the ₺1,250–2,000 band; the upper band buys more engine, more comfort for two and more weight to handle.

What pushes a scooter up the scale

Engine size explains most of the spread, but not all of it. The Yamaha NMax 155 starts at ₺1,600 a day, below the smaller NMax 125 at ₺2,000, so a bigger engine does not always cost more. Style counts too: the Piaggio Vespa Primavera 150 starts at ₺3,750, the same as two 250–300 cc maxi-scooters and about 1.4 times the Vespa S 150 at ₺2,700. Inside the 110–125 cc class, the gap from the Yamaha Delight 125 at ₺1,400 to the Honda Activa 110 at ₺2,000 is only ₺600, which means the choice between commuter scooters is more about the bike and the pickup point than about money. Among the maxi-scooters, the Yamaha XMax 250 at ₺2,900 is the entry point, while the Yamaha XMax 300 ABS and the Honda Forza 250 both start at ₺3,750 — a ₺850 step for a similar body size.

Licence and age rules by engine size

The licence question decides which half of the price table is open to you, so it is worth settling before you compare bikes at all.

A 50cc scooter in Istanbul on a car licence

Rental companies hand a 50 cc moped to holders of an ordinary car licence, category B. The Yamaha Neo's 50 is the one model in this group, at ₺1,250 a day, and it is the only bike in the section that rental desks hand over on a car licence alone. For many visitors it is the simplest option: no motorcycle category, the lowest deposit band and a light bike for short hops between neighbourhoods. The trade-off is power. A 50 cc moped is built for streets, not for long climbs with a passenger, and Istanbul is a hilly city, so think about where you will ride before you pick the cheapest line in the table.

110 to 155 cc: the A1 and A categories

From 110 cc upwards, rental companies ask for a motorcycle category. For 125 cc scooters such as the Honda PCX 125 and the Yamaha NMax 125, the requirement stated is A1 or A. For the Yamaha NMax 155 it is category A. The larger maxi-scooters — 250, 300, 350 and 750 cc — sit above both of those, so expect a full A licence to be checked for them too. In practice this splits the 15 models into one bike for car-licence holders and 14 for riders with a motorcycle entry in their licence. Bring the physical licence, not a photo, and check that the category printed on it matches the bike before you travel.

The two-year rule for 125 cc on a car licence

Turkish rules since 2024 let a holder of a category B licence ride a motorcycle up to 125 cc — but not automatically. The B licence has to be at least two years old, and the rider has to complete riding training and pass an exam. Without that extra step, a car licence does not cover a 125 cc scooter, which is why rental desks keep asking for A1 or A on the PCX, NMax and similar bikes. If you hold a B licence only, plan around the 50 cc class.

Minimum age

The minimum age stated for scooter and motorcycle rental is 18. Some companies may set a higher age or ask for a minimum period of holding the licence on the larger bikes, so ask about both when you send a request for anything above 125 cc.

Fifteen models from a 50 cc moped to a 750 cc maxi

The full list below shows every model in the section with its engine size and starting price per day, sorted from the cheapest to the most expensive.

All 15 models side by side

Commuter scooters: 110 and 125 cc

Six models make up the working core of the section: the Honda Dio 110 and Honda Activa 110, and four 125 cc bikes — the Honda PCX 125, Yamaha Delight 125, Yamaha RayZR 125 and Yamaha NMax 125. They start between ₺1,400 and ₺2,000 a day, and the median of the class is ₺1,600. These are automatic scooters for a rider and a passenger, light enough for dense streets and big enough for a day of crossing districts. Between the two best-known 125 cc names, the PCX at ₺1,500 is the cheaper way in than the NMax 125 at ₺2,000, while the Delight 125 at ₺1,400 is the cheapest 125 cc model overall.

Vespas and the NMax 155

The 150–155 cc group is small and mixed. The Yamaha NMax 155 is a practical scooter that starts at ₺1,600 a day and is the one model in the section with a stated fuel use — 2.3 litres per 100 km. The two Vespas are a different proposition: the Vespa S 150 starts at ₺2,700 and the Piaggio Vespa Primavera 150 at ₺3,750. With a Vespa you pay for the look and the brand as much as for the engine, and the gap to the NMax 155 — more than double in the Primavera's case — shows how much.

Maxi-scooters for longer rides and two people

Five models sit at 250 cc and above: the Yamaha XMax 250 from ₺2,900, the Yamaha XMax 300 ABS and Honda Forza 250 from ₺3,750 each, the Honda ADV 350 from ₺3,950 and the Honda X-ADV 750 from ₺11,500. Maxi-scooters have bigger wheels, a longer seat and more power for carrying a passenger up hills or riding further out of the centre. They are also heavier, and for all of them expect a full category A licence to be checked. The X-ADV 750 stands alone: one day on it at ₺11,500 costs about as much as nine days on the Yamaha Neo's 50.

Deposit, helmet and the pickup point

Beyond the day rate, three things shape the real cost and the convenience of a moped rental in Istanbul: the deposit you leave, the gear that comes with the bike and the place you collect it.

How large the deposit is

Deposits for scooters and motorcycles in the city run from €100 to €300, which is roughly ₺5,600 to ₺16,700 at the euro rate of 30 September 2026. For some smaller scooters the deposit stated is €100, about ₺5,600 — close to four days on a Honda PCX 125. The deposit is held, not charged, and it comes back when the bike is returned in the condition it left in. Ask in advance whether it is taken in cash or blocked on a card, in which currency, and how many days the card block takes to clear after return. On a rental of a week or more, the deposit is frozen for the whole period, so include it in the travel budget.

Helmet and extras

A driver's helmet is usually included in the rental, and some offers add a GPS unit and a padlock. A passenger helmet is not always part of the package, so if you plan to ride two-up, ask for a second helmet explicitly and check that both fit before you leave. Look at the visor, the strap and the inner lining — a helmet that slips or rattles at low speed will be worse on a busy avenue.

Where the bikes are collected

Pickup points mentioned for scooter rentals include Kuyubaşı and Ümraniye, both on the Asian side of the city. If you are staying on the European side, the trip to collect the bike is part of the day, so check the exact address, the opening hours and whether the bike can be returned at the same place before you agree. Ask too whether the price on the card applies to that specific pickup point — as the NMax and PCX examples above show, the same model can cost noticeably more at another desk.

What to check at handover

Before you ride off, walk round the bike with the staff and photograph every scratch, the tyres, the mirrors and the fuel gauge. Agree on the fuel level at return. Check that the lights, horn and brakes work, and that the documents for the bike are under the seat or in the storage box. Ten minutes at handover is cheaper than an argument about the deposit later.

Matching the scooter to the trip and writing the request

With 15 models across five engine classes, the shortcut is to start from how you will ride, then let the licence and the budget narrow the choice.

Short hops, two riders or longer rides

For one person moving between nearby neighbourhoods on a car licence, the Yamaha Neo's 50 at ₺1,250 is the only option, and it is enough for short, flat routes. For two people or hillier routes, a 125 cc scooter is the sensible middle — the Honda PCX 125 from ₺1,500 or the Yamaha NMax 125 from ₺2,000 — provided you hold A1 or A. For longer rides with a passenger, or for anyone who simply wants more comfort on the seat, a maxi-scooter starts at ₺2,900 with the Yamaha XMax 250. The Vespas are the choice for style rather than distance, and the X-ADV 750 is for experienced riders who want a large bike and accept the price.

Budgeting a longer stay

Because no weekly or monthly rate appears in the figures, a longer budget starts from the day rate times the number of days. A week on the Yamaha Neo's 50 comes to ₺8,750, a week on the Honda PCX 125 to ₺10,500 and a week on the Yamaha XMax 250 to ₺20,300. Add the deposit on top of each — at least ₺5,600 frozen for the period — and ask the rental company whether a weekly or monthly price comes in below these totals. A quote that beats the day rate times seven is a real long-term price; one that does not is just a series of daily rentals.

What to put in a scooter request

• Dates: give the exact pickup and return dates, so the price can be quoted for those days rather than as a starting figure.
• Licence: state your licence category — B, A1 or A — and how long you have held it, so you are offered only bikes you can legally ride.
• Riders: say whether you ride alone or with a passenger, and ask for a second helmet if needed.
• Pickup: name the district you are staying in and ask which pickup point the bike comes from and where it is returned.
• Exact model: name the model from the cards on this page and ask whether the quote is for that model or a similar one.
• Deposit: ask for the deposit amount, the form it takes and how long it takes to be released after return.

Key points before you pick a scooter

Five figures to keep in mind

• Day rate: the 15 models start between ₺1,250 and ₺11,500 a day, with the middle at ₺2,000.
• Commuter class: six 110–125 cc scooters start between ₺1,400 and ₺2,000, median ₺1,600.
• Licence: a car licence covers the 50 cc moped; 125 cc scooters ask for A1 or A, and larger bikes for A.
• Age and deposit: the minimum age is 18, and deposits run from about ₺5,600 to ₺16,700.
• Same model, different price: one model can cost 1.3 to 1.8 times more at another rental desk, so compare like for like.