Getting a taxi in Antalya - Guide for Tourists

As a regular traveller, it can always be a bit of a gamble taking local taxis in the city you’re visiting.

The simple fact is, scamming happens, and whilst a lot of taxi drivers are great, there are a few that will absolutely see you as a walking dollar sign. I experienced this first hand in Sofia, where I was scammed at the airport (you can read about my misadventure here), so I’m well aware that it can, and does, happen.

A lot of the time, if a taxi app like Uber or Bolt is available, then I will normally always use one of these. It’s nice to know the price before you depart, and I do like the added safety it brings. Antalya is where I make an exception though, so let me explain why this Turkish city is one of the better places you can get a taxi.    

Taxi from the airport:

Okay, time for a confession. I know I have just been waxing lyrical about taxis in Antalya, but from the airport, I still like to get an Uber, as the service is available in Antalya. 

I’m normally tired at the end of the flight, and just want to get to my destination. I am sure you will be fine getting one of the many taxis outside the various terminals, but for me, I don’t want to risk the potential of paying too much, so I go for Uber, so at least I know the price. 

I recently arrived back in Antalya, and I paid 618.50 Turkish Lira to my destination near Hadrian’s Gate (pretty central tourist location). This was slightly more than it should have been, as my driver went to the wrong terminal, but it still is very reasonable, and works out to £13.99, €16.85 and $17.85 (exchange rate correct as of the 1st December, 2024, though to be clear, I took this taxi earlier this year).

Taxis in Antalya:

The taxis in Antalya are easy to spot!

Big tip to kick things off:

Always make sure that the meter is on. If you do nothing else in that taxi, just ensure that the meter is ticking along.

And here are a couple of extra tips: Available taxis will have the light illuminated on the top of the car. And whilst you can pay by card on a lot of journeys, drivers usually prefer cash and if you want to pay by card, make sure you ask the driver before you set off. 

I have been to Antalya twice now, and honestly, the taxis here are right up there for ease, sheer amount of them, and cost. As mentioned above, they are metered, with every journey starting at 20 Turkish Lira. I’m still in a big Antalya whatsapp group, and someone shared these, which are the correct taxi rates from earlier this year:

Taximeter fees in Antalya:

Taximeter opening: 25.00₺

Km Fee: 30.00₺

Unit Meter (100): 3.00

Hourly Fee: 120.00₺

Short Distance Fare: 100.00 ₺

Unit Time (1min): 2.00₺

The prices above will allow you to estimate how much a ride should cost, if you have an idea of the distances involved.

There are taxi stands everywhere in Antalya

They appear highly regulated, and only one person has refused to put the meter on so far, and that’s because there was a bike race, and roads were closed, so he was unsure how long it would take and wanted a guaranteed payment.

Even in this example, it wasn’t a crazy high price, but probably more than it would have been if metered.

Most of the time Antalya taxi drivers will put on the meter automatically, but if they don’t just remind them early on into the journey, and if they refuse to do it, then look elsewhere. 

I don’t speak Turkish, so I’d always show the driver the destination on my phone. This would lead to them sometimes taking my phone, and using the Google Maps on my phone as their own personal map. This wasn’t a big deal for me, but it did mean I had to ‘rawdog’ my 15 minute journey. I made it through.  

They are calculated based on the distances involved, so naturally, longer journeys will cost more, which will lead to more money for the taxi driver.

Did I jinx myself?

When I started writing this, I thought that the taxis in Antalya were up there with the best I’ve experienced on my travels. They are still very good, but I’ve had a couple of experiences recently, which I felt warranted sharing.

I was going to meet a friend for dinner, and it was one of those places that was just too far for walking (I was running late), so I decided to get a taxi. The first one I tried heard the location I said, and said the road was too busy. It was peak time, so I took it as gospel, and went to the next taxi stand.

Bear in mind, I was looking at Google maps at the time, and the roads looked pretty clear, but I just dismissed it, and headed to the next place.

Here, the men sit on a bench outside their little taxi stall, and as soon as you walk towards them, one will approach you. There were two taxis sitting on the rank, and again I went to try my luck. Again, they heard where I was going, calculated it wasn’t worth their while, and said that both taxis were prebooked, which I am 99% sure is nonsense. 

Their attitude was really not good, and they got a bit aggressive, so I wouldn’t recommend using these guys on your trip to Antalya if you can get an alternative. This stand was on the super busy/super touristy road near the old town in Antalya (Ataturk), a few minutes down from Hadrian’s Gate towards Isiklar. There's a picture of their stand below, just for your reference.

I wouldn't recommend this taxi stand/company

In the end, I went back to ol’ faithful, Uber, and was picked up in a few minutes. Still, this was a good reminder that it’s not always plain sailing with taxis in any city, even if the ones in Antalya are better than most. 

Taxi Buttons:

Another big plus point for taxis in Antalya, is that they have these taxi buttons all over the city. This means that wherever you are, you should have no issues getting yourself to your next destination.

You can find these taxi buttons all over Antalya

These buttons are everywhere as well. On a few occasions, I found myself in the suburbs of the city, far away from the centre and the tourist destinations, and I still didn’t have any issues finding a button.

Sometimes it might take a little while for a taxi to come after you’ve pressed it, but I think the longest I had to wait was 15 minutes, and that was in the area I mentioned previously, away from the centre. 

This is what the buttons look like, and you can normally find them on trees, or lampposts. I thought these were a great addition to Antalya in general, making it even easier for tourists (and locals) to navigate the city. 

Summary:

They do have scooters in Antalya, which are also good, but the roads can be slightly scary to navigate, and I’d say taxis offer much better value for money. The scooters are great for shorter distances, and are particularly good for getting around Konyaalti and the Beach Park area, but if you’re going a decent distance, then I’d recommend a taxi. 

The last thing you want after a flight is to get scammed, and I hope this guide helps you in getting a taxi from the airport to your hotel/apartment easily. 

I know I highlighted the one bad experience, but don’t let that put you off too much. By and large, the taxis in Antalya are some of the smoothest I’ve taken. The local drivers normally have a lot of respect for tourists, and as mentioned, things are highly regulated. 

I hope all of your taxi rides in Antalya are nice and easy, and as always, any questions, feel free to leave a comment, or drop me a message!