Gazipaşa Airport (GZP) sits east of Alanya, and Side is roughly 90 km to the west — so you're looking at about 75–90 minutes on the road, traffic depending. Here's the honest headline: Side is actually much closer to Antalya Airport (AYT), so if you had a choice of airports, AYT would have been the shorter hop. But plenty of flights — especially some charters and low-cost routes — land at GZP, and if that's your ticket, this is the trip you're making.
The short answer: for GZP to Side, a pre-booked private transfer is the practical door-to-door option. Public transport does technically exist, but it means heading into Gazipaşa or Alanya first and then changing onto a westbound connection — which is slow and awkward with luggage.
Below I've laid out every realistic option honestly, so you can pick what genuinely fits your group and budget — not just what a booking site wants to sell you.
The quick answer — how to get from Gazipaşa Airport to Side
| Option | Journey time | Rough cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private transfer | ~75–90 min, direct | Fixed price — get an instant quote | Families, groups, luggage, late arrivals, door-to-door |
| Taxi | ~75–90 min, direct | Mid-to-high (metered or agreed) | Small groups happy to agree a price at the rank |
| Public transport (bus/dolmuş, with changes) | 2.5–4 hrs+ with changes | Budget | Solo/couple travellers, light luggage, no rush |
| Car hire | ~75–90 min self-drive | Mid-range + fuel/tolls | Those touring the wider region independently |
Distance and road conditions
It's roughly 90 km from GZP to Side, running west along the D400 coastal highway — the main artery that threads the whole Antalya coast together. It's a good, largely dual-carriageway road for most of the way, and the drive is straightforward.
The pressure point is Alanya: the D400 passes right through the edge of the city, and in the summer months this stretch can crawl. Here's the thing — between roughly June and September, when the resorts are full, expect the journey to sit at the slower end of that 75–90 minute window, and occasionally longer if you hit Alanya at a bad moment. Real time always varies with traffic and season, so treat these figures as approximate. Out of peak season, and outside of afternoon check-in/check-out rushes, it flows nicely.
Private transfer — the practical choice for this route
On a 90 km run with a mid-route bottleneck like Alanya, a pre-booked private transfer earns its keep. A driver meets you in arrivals, helps with the bags, and takes you straight to your hotel door in Side with no changes and no waiting around after a flight.
Pros: one vehicle the whole way; fixed price agreed when you book (no surprises, no meter anxiety after a long day); child seats can be arranged in advance; space for real luggage; and it runs whatever time you land, including the middle of the night.
Cons: it's not the cheapest option for a solo traveller with a backpack — if that's you and you're not in a hurry, public transport is genuinely fine (more on that below).
When it genuinely wins: you're a family with young children, a group of 3 or more (a taxi seats only four and struggles with the cases), you're arriving late at night, you've got heavy or bulky luggage, or you simply want a fixed price and a door-to-door ride with zero faff. The transfer price is fixed at booking and depends on distance, vehicle size and season — get an instant quote to see your exact fare. For the full picture on both airports, see our complete guide.
Taxi
Taxis wait at GZP arrivals and will happily run you to Side. It's direct and door-to-door, same as a transfer — the differences are price certainty and capacity. A taxi is metered or priced on agreement; on a 90 km trip that lands in the mid-to-high range, and night-time tariffs are higher, so for a very late arrival it can add up. The other limit is hard: a standard taxi seats four passengers and can't swallow the luggage of a full family. If there are three or more of you with cases, a booked transfer is usually the calmer, more predictable call. If it's just a couple with light bags and you don't mind settling the price at the rank, a taxi is a perfectly reasonable choice. It's worth reading up on the taxi vs private transfer trade-off before you decide.
Public transport (dolmuş / bus with changes)
Let me be straight with you: there's no single direct public service from GZP to Side. To do it on the cheap you'd first get from the airport into Gazipaşa or Alanya, then pick up a westbound intercity bus or dolmuş (shared minibus) heading towards Manavgat/Side, and quite likely change again to reach Side itself. It's doable and it's the budget option — but with two or three changes and luggage to haul each time, it comfortably turns a 90-minute drive into a half-day mission.
I won't quote you specific line numbers, fares or timetables, because these change by season and get updated regularly — please confirm the current routes, prices and schedules locally before you rely on them. The honest summary: brilliant if you're a solo or couple traveller, travelling light, watching every lira and not in a rush. Not the one if you've got kids, cases or a late arrival.
Car hire
Hiring a car at GZP makes sense if you're planning to explore the wider coast independently rather than just get to Side and stay put. The D400 is easy to drive, and Side has parking, though the old-town core is pedestrianised so you'll leave the car on the edge. Note that Turkish motorways and some fast roads use the HGS electronic toll system — check the rental includes a working transponder so you're not caught out. For a single airport-to-hotel run, car hire is more hassle (and paperwork) than it's worth; for a touring holiday, it's a good shout.
Which option is right for you?
| Traveller | Best choice |
|---|---|
| Solo, light luggage | Public transport if you're on a budget and not rushed; transfer if you want it easy |
| Couple | Taxi or private transfer — both fine; transfer for a fixed price |
| Family with young children | Private transfer (child seats, door-to-door, no changes) |
| Group of 5+ | Private transfer (one vehicle beats splitting across taxis) |
| Late-night arrival (23:00–06:00) | Private transfer — public transport won't be running |
| On a tight budget | Public transport (bus/dolmuş with changes) — genuinely the cheapest |
| Heavy or bulky luggage | Private transfer or taxi — skip the changes |
So, is a private transfer worth it here?
On this particular route — 90 km, one traffic bottleneck at Alanya, and no direct public service — a private transfer is worth it for most people arriving to actually start a holiday: families, groups, anyone with real luggage, and anyone landing late. If you're a lone budget traveller with a rucksack and time to spare, I'll happily point you at the bus instead. For everyone else, a fixed door-to-door price takes the sting out of a long travel day. You can get an instant quote in under a minute and see exactly what it costs for your group.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Gazipaşa Airport from Side?
It's roughly 90 km west along the D400 coastal highway, which works out at about 75–90 minutes by car. Real journey time depends on traffic — the Alanya stretch is the main slow point, especially in the June-to-September peak season.
Is there a direct bus from Gazipaşa Airport to Side?
No, there's no single direct public service on this route. You'd travel into Gazipaşa or Alanya first, then change onto a westbound bus or dolmuş towards Manavgat and Side — usually with one or two changes. Always confirm the current schedules and fares locally, as they change by season.
Would it have been closer to fly into Antalya Airport instead?
Yes — Side is significantly closer to Antalya Airport (AYT) than to Gazipaşa (GZP), so AYT is the shorter transfer if your flight offered a choice. But many charter and low-cost flights use GZP, so if that's where you're landing, this guide covers your trip. See our Antalya vs Gazipaşa comparison for how the two airports stack up.
How much does a transfer from GZP to Side cost?
The price is fixed when you book and depends on the distance, the vehicle size and the season — so the fairest thing is to get an instant quote rather than rely on a ballpark. Booking in advance means the fare is locked in with no meter and no surprises on arrival. You can get an instant quote for your exact group in about a minute.
Can I get a child seat for the journey?
Yes — with a private transfer you can request child seats when you book, which is one of the main reasons families choose it over a taxi. It's much easier to arrange in advance than to hope one's available at the rank. See our family transfer and child seats guide for details.
What if my flight lands in the middle of the night?
Public transport won't be running for late-night arrivals (roughly 23:00–06:00), so your options are a taxi or a pre-booked private transfer. A transfer is the calmer choice here because your driver is already scheduled to meet your flight — no standing at a rank at 3am with tired children.
Is a taxi cheaper than a private transfer for this route?
Not necessarily. A taxi is metered or priced on agreement, and night tariffs are higher, so on a 90 km run it often lands in a similar mid-to-high range — but without the fixed price you get when you pre-book. The bigger factor is capacity: a taxi seats only four and can't manage a full family's luggage.
Can I do this trip by dolmuş?
Partly — dolmuş (shared minibuses) cover shorter local hops, so you might use one for a leg of the journey, but not the whole 90 km in one go. You'd combine it with an intercity bus and likely a change or two. It's the budget route and fine if you're travelling light and unhurried; confirm the current routes locally first.
To sum up: GZP to Side is about 90 km and roughly 75–90 minutes, with no direct public service — so a private transfer is the practical door-to-door choice for families, groups and late arrivals, while budget solo travellers can honestly save with a bus-and-dolmuş combination if they don't mind the changes. When you're ready, book a private transfer or get an instant quote at bookridenow.com/en. Heading elsewhere on the coast? Check our guides for Side to Alanya and Antalya Airport to Side.