Car Rental with Driver in Istanbul

Travel comfortably and safely in Istanbul with our chauffeured car rental service. Choose from 87 vehicles; daily rates start from 1,600 TL including VAT. Your car is delivered free of charge anywhere in Istanbul and to both Istanbul Airport (IST) and Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW).

What is chauffeured car rental and who is it suitable for?

Chauffeured car rental is a rental format where the car is delivered to any point in the city and driven by a professional driver. You are not behind the wheel; you use your time for work, rest, or meetings. In this section, we will discuss the advantages this format provides and in which situations it is preferred by guests and locals.

Advantages of renting with a driver

The driver handles parking, navigation, and HGS payments - no need to search for a spot in central Şişli or Beşiktaş or deal with bridge traffic. During rush hour, when traffic is heavy on the European and Asian sides, finding parking in the Taksim area can take 20-30 minutes. You get off at the hotel or restaurant entrance with the driver, and the car waits for you at the designated spot. During the ride, you can work on your laptop, make phone calls, or just relax. Without the need to follow the road and signs, you save up to an hour a day in heavy city traffic. The driver also resolves toll-related issues - crossings over the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge and the Eurasia Tunnel are recorded via HGS, so there's no need to stop to pay.

In which cases is a chauffeured vehicle preferred

As Rent-Trip, we transport guests to business meetings, weddings, transfers, and tours all over the city — from Istanbul Airport to the Kadıköy and Sarıyer districts. This format is especially suitable for routes covering multiple points during the day: a meeting in Levent, lunch in Bebek, an evening in Sultanahmet. For business trips, renting with a driver is more advantageous than a taxi when used for 4 hours or more — instead of several separate journeys, you pay for a single car that waits for you between locations. Families with children choose this format for trips to the shores of Sapanca or Şile: you don't have to install a child seat yourself or monitor the driver's fatigue on a long road. Groups of up to 9 people rent minivans with a driver for transfers and wedding convoys.

Prices and Rental Formats

The cost of the service with a driver along with the vehicle varies by vehicle class and rental duration — daily rates on the Rent-Trip website start from 1,600 TL and go up to 15,000 TL for top-class models.

Daily, weekly and monthly prices

An economy class car, such as the Fiat Egea Hatchback or Dacia Sandero, costs 1,600 TL per day. If you need the car for a week, the total starts from 9,600 TL; monthly rental starts from 33,600 TL. In our tariff, a week is calculated as six days and a month as 21 days; therefore, the longer the duration, the lower the effective daily rate. For a 2-3 day trip, it is more advantageous to stick to the daily rate; however, for a business trip or long vacation, the difference between the daily and monthly prices reaches 30-40%.

What's included in the price

All prices on the Rent-Trip page are stated including tax — VAT included, i.e., 20% is already added to the amount. Compulsory traffic insurance legally covers every vehicle registered in Turkey, so you don't need to pay separately. The driver assigned to the car bears fuel costs within the agreed route, HGS payments at bridge crossings, and parking fees at the destination. What exactly is included in a specific rate is set out in the rental agreement — stated in the contract.

• VAT: VAT of 20% is already included in the stated price.
• Compulsory traffic insurance: Compulsory insurance applicable to all vehicles in Turkey.
• HGS: Electronic payment system for bridge and tunnel crossings; the toll is paid by the driver.
• Fuel: 1. Fuel for the agreed route is included in the rental fee.

2. If a one-day car is needed for airport transfer or guest pickup, the daily rate remains the simplest solution starting from 1,600 TL - without long-term commitment and with delivery of the car to any point in the city.

Car Models and Classes (Table)

Rent-Trip's chauffeured car rental fleet comprises 87 vehicles in four classes: Economy, Comfort, Sedan, and SUV. The class determines not only the price but also the type of journey the vehicle is suitable for. Below is a comparison of the classes, followed by a table of popular models.

Comparison of Economy, Comfort, Sedan, and SUV

• Economy: compact hatchbacks and sedans starting from 1,600 TRY/day — Fiat Egea, Renault Clio, Hyundai i20; fuel Petrol or Diesel, transmission Manual or Automatic.
• Comfort: Larger and more powerful, starting from 1,950 TL per day — Toyota Corolla Hybrid, Volkswagen Golf, Honda Civic; suitable for intercity trips.
• Sedan: business class starting from 2,900 TRY/day — Volkswagen Passat, Toyota Camry, Škoda Superb; hybrid versions of Camry and Accord are quiet on the highway.
• SUV: Dacia Duster and Opel Mokka start from 2,100 TL per day; the high driving position is more comfortable for families with children.

For trips in central areas with narrow streets, an Economy-class hatchback is more practical, whereas for a long route like Cappadocia, a sedan or hybrid is more suitable.

Popular models and features

Toyota hybrids start at 1,900 TL per day in the Rent-Trip fleet — the Yaris in the Economy class and the Corolla in the Comfort class. If your route passes through HGS toll bridges, the driver covers the toll, and the trip details are set out in the rental agreement.

How does the vehicle delivery and rental process work?

The vehicle rental process revolves around delivering the vehicle to you: we bring the vehicle to your location—hotel, office, or airport. Rent-Trip has no physical office, so the entire process takes less time than going to an office. Below, we explain how it practically works from reservation to the end of your journey.

How is the vehicle delivered?

We deliver the chauffeured vehicle to every point of the city and to both airports: Istanbul Airport (IST) on the European side and Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) in Pendik on the Asian side. There is no need to go to an office for the car: we meet you at your hotel in Şişli or Beşiktaş, in front of your office in Maslak, or at the terminal exit. The driver arrives at the agreed time, helps with luggage, and checks the route before departure. Delivery is included in the service; there is no separate delivery fee. You only need to confirm the address and time on the rental day—the driver handles the rest.

How does the process work in chauffeured rental?

You reserve the car, we deliver it, the driver takes you along your route—that's what a standard rental day looks like. In practice, the process proceeds as follows:

• Reservation: You select the model and dates on the website; approval requires a passport and a credit card issued in the main driver's name.
• Delivery: At the appointed time, the driver waits for you at the specified point — at the hotel, airport, or an address in the city.
• Journey: You set the route, the driver drives the car, parks it, and pays the HGS on bridges and tunnels.
• Completion: The vehicle is taken back from the point of delivery or at the end of the agreed route.

Program and route details are set out in the rental agreement. If your plans change during the day, simply inform the driver in advance: he will adjust the route according to traffic. On journeys lasting more than one day, the car stays with you, and the driver waits at the agreed point.

Documents and Requirements

To rent a car with a driver in Istanbul, a foreigner needs a minimum set of documents: a passport with an entry stamp for Turkey, a valid driver's license from the country of residence, and a credit card in the main driver's name. Age and driving experience affect the available vehicle classes—the higher the class, the stricter the requirements. The full list of conditions for a specific model is set out in the rental agreement.

Documents for foreign drivers

• Passport: ... the original must bear a border crossing stamp — the stamp is applied upon entry at IST or SAW airports.
• Driver's license: ... a driver's license from the country of residence is valid if issued in Latin letters — for example, standard European or Turkish licenses.
• International Driving Permit: If the local license is not in the Latin alphabet, an International Driving Permit (IDP) is required - issued in the country of issue before travel.
• Credit card: is required for a bank card guarantee block in the main driver's name; Mastercard and Visa work without issues in Turkey.

Age and experience conditions

Age restrictions start from the standard driving age and increase with the vehicle class. For economy-class vehicles, the minimum age and at least one year of experience suffice, while Sedan and SUV have higher requirements — this relates to the vehicle's value and insurance conditions. In our practice, it is easier for a guest to choose a class appropriate to their age than to seek an exception: if you are 23, a Fiat Egea or Renault Clio rents without issues, but a Toyota Camry may require additional approval. The exact age and experience figures for each model are set out in the rental agreement, so please state your date of birth during reservation — we will check the suitability of options before vehicle delivery.

A credit card remains a mandatory requirement for every vehicle class: the block amount and release time depend on the model and are specified in the contract. Remember that the card must be in the main driver's name — someone else's card is not accepted, even with the owner's permission. At vehicle delivery, your passport with an entry stamp is checked at every point in the metropolis — in Şişli, Kadıköy, or right at the airport terminal exit.

Where to Go with a Driver

Renting a car with a driver in Istanbul eliminates the traveler's biggest worry: navigating an unfamiliar city with heavy traffic. The driver not only follows the route but also handles parking, HGS payments, and lane selection, allowing passengers to focus entirely on meetings or the city views. This format is equally suitable for business trips on the European side and weekend family outings.

City routes

In the city, a chauffeured car solves the transportation problem between districts spread across different continents. A business meeting in Levent, lunch in Beşiktaş, and dinner in Kadıköy on the Asian side in the evening: the driver plans the route considering traffic and tells you whether it is better to go through the Eurasia Tunnel or the bridge.

• Airport transfer: Transport to the IST terminal in Arnavutköy or the SAW terminal in Pendik, including waiting for the passenger.
• Work schedule: Multiple addresses in a row in Maslak and Şişli without searching for parking between meetings.
• Weddings and celebrations: The car stays with the guests all evening; the driver waits outside the venue in Sarıyer or Üsküdar.
• City tour: A route along Sultanahmet, Beyoğlu, and the Bosphorus shore without parking hassle.

Out-of-town routes

Outside the city, the driver handles long distances where concentration is key. It takes about an hour and a half to reach Şile and Ağva via the coastal road, and about two hours to Sapanca. For Bursa and Uludağ, the route via the Osmangazi Bridge is suitable; for Edirne, there is a direct highway along the border. Each of these trips fits into a day, but thanks to the driver, the return journey does not become a tiring stage in the dark.

Practical tips

When planning your route, keep in mind that crossing the Bosphorus takes significantly longer during peak hours than during the day. The Rent-Trip driver knows the typical traffic congestion on both sides and, if the schedule allows, suggests the best departure time to shift the trip. For a trip to Cappadocia lasting about eight hours, it's better to split the journey into two days with an overnight stop, so both passengers and driver maintain a comfortable pace. Route details, rest stops, and waiting times are set out in the rental agreement, so both parties know the schedule in advance.

HGS and bridge crossings — who pays in chauffeured rental

The bridges and tunnels connecting Istanbul's two sides operate with the HGS system; in chauffeur-driven rentals, the driver covers these crossings, and you don't have to deal with navigation. If your trip extends from the European side to the Asian side, the tolls are a natural part of the route.

Current tolls

The driver keeps the vehicle's HGS tag active, and tolls are processed within the scope specified in the rental agreement. Unpaid crossings can result in a fine of four times the amount, so when planning the route, choosing a tunnel over a bridge makes a difference not only in traffic but also in cost. For example, passing through the Eurasia Tunnel at night costs half the daytime rate — the driver knows this difference and, if the time is suitable, suggests the route accordingly.

Who manages HGS

In chauffeured rental, the driver handles HGS transactions: payment is made at the time of crossing, and you have no hassle of subscription or balance top-up. As the vehicle owner company Rent-Trip keeps the HGS account of each vehicle up to date and records tolls to the contract after the trip. While in self-drive rental this responsibility passes to you, in the chauffeured format all bridge and tunnel costs are consolidated into a single item. When planning long routes, it is useful to consider that high-fee crossings like the Osmangazi Bridge increase the total cost—bridge-free routes like Sapanca instead of Bursa or Uludağ balance the budget.

Frequently made mistakes and how to avoid them

The most common mistakes in chauffeured rental are skipping document checks before reservation and not clarifying the daily plan. Most of these mistakes can be prevented with a few minutes of verification at the beginning of the process.

Things to consider before reservation

• License check: An international driving permit (IDP) is mandatory for licenses not issued in the Latin alphabet; do not go to the airport without taking the document.
• Credit card match: The security block is made only with a card issued in the main driver's name — someone else's card is not accepted, even if the owner is present.
• Age and experience: For the economy class, a basic age and one year of experience are sufficient, while in the Sedan and SUV classes the conditions are higher; they are set out in the contract.
• Address and time confirmation: On the delivery day, confirm your location and time — the driver will be ready at your hotel or terminal exit at the agreed time.
• Route planning: If there are multiple stops during the day, share the address list in advance; the driver determines the most efficient route based on traffic.

Practical tips for renting

If there is a change in the daily plan, notifying the driver at least one hour in advance allows time for alternative arrangements regarding traffic and parking. For a weekend getaway on the Şile or Sapanca route, clarifying the return time facilitates returning to the European side without getting caught in evening traffic. In busy city schedules, choosing the bridge over the Eurasia Tunnel changes the cost—at night the tunnel costs 140 TRY, half of the daytime rate; the driver knows this difference and suggests it if the time is appropriate. All conditions, the deposit amount, and return details are specified in the rental agreement; reviewing the contract together at delivery eliminates potential questions later.