Gaziantep Airport Car Rental

Gaziantep Airport (GZT) serves the largest city in southeastern Turkey, a manufacturing and trading hub that most visitors know for its baklava, its kebab houses and the Roman floor mosaics of the Zeugma Mosaic Museum. The airport lies about 20 km from the city centre and handles both domestic and international flights.

Gaziantep Airport car rental is worth considering if you plan to do more than stay in the city. The region's highlights are spread out: the Euphrates at Halfeti and Rumkale, the Hittite sculpture workshop at Yesemek, and Sanliurfa's Balikligol are all a long way apart and poorly served by public transport for a visitor on a schedule. A car also helps business travellers moving between the organised industrial zones and the city.

On Otorento you compare cars from independent rental suppliers at Gaziantep Airport in one list, with each supplier's conditions shown before booking. Prices vary with dates, car group and supplier, and demand usually peaks in the summer holidays and around religious holidays. All suppliers include free cancellation and 24/7 support.

Think about the car before you book. A small economy car suits city driving and the tight streets of the old town, while a larger saloon or SUV is more comfortable for long, hot days on the road to Sanliurfa or the Euphrates. Gaziantep Airport car rental search results show manual and automatic cars separately, so you can filter for the gearbox you are used to.

Location and getting around

The airport lies southeast of the city. For longer trips, the motorway links Gaziantep with Adana to the west and Sanliurfa to the east; both sections are toll roads charged electronically through HGS. Rental cars usually carry an HGS tag, and the supplier bills the tolls you used after the rental.

If you only need the city, HAVAS airport coaches and taxis run from the terminal; the HAVAS website lists current timetables. For anything beyond the centre, a rental car saves a lot of waiting. Inside Gaziantep, ring roads and wide boulevards make the newer districts of Sehitkamil and Sahinbey straightforward to drive, while the old town around the castle and the bazaars is a tighter grid of narrow streets.

Picking up your car

Several rental companies serve the airport, and the exact handover depends on the supplier you choose: a desk or meeting point at arrivals, a member of staff waiting with your name, or a short shuttle to a nearby office. The booking confirmation names the meeting point and gives the supplier's phone number.

• What to bring: driving licence, passport and the card used for the booking. A licence issued abroad can be used in Turkey for up to six months after entry; check your supplier's requirements if your licence is not in Latin script.

• Deposit: normally a credit card in the main driver's name. The amount and accepted cards differ between suppliers and appear in the car details.

• Flight details: add your flight number so a delayed arrival does not cost you the car. For late-night arrivals, check that your supplier hands over cars at that hour.

• Return: confirm the return point and time in your confirmation, and leave a margin if you are driving back from Sanliurfa or Halfeti on the day of your flight.

Gaziantep Airport car hire handovers are quicker when you have the confirmation, licence and card ready. Note any scratches on the handover form and take photos of the car, the fuel level and the mileage before leaving the car park.

Places to visit by car

• Zeugma Mosaic Museum: Roman floor mosaics, including the famous "Gypsy Girl", recovered from the ancient city of Zeugma on the Euphrates; approx. 22 km.

• Old Gaziantep: the castle, the coppersmiths' bazaar and the restored caravanserais, with baklava shops on every corner. Some historic buildings were damaged in the February 2023 earthquakes and have since been restored; check opening hours before you go.

• Rumkale and the Euphrates: a hilltop fortress above the river, reached via Nizip; approx. 85 km.

• Halfeti: a riverside town partly flooded by a dam reservoir, known for boat trips past the submerged old village; approx. 103 km.

• Yesemek open-air museum: a Hittite-era quarry and sculpture workshop near Islahiye; approx. 109 km.

• Sanliurfa: the sacred fish pools of Balikligol and the old bazaar, a long day trip or the start of an onward route; approx. 156 km.

Driving and parking tips

• Parking in the old town around the castle and bazaars is limited; leave the car in a public car park on the edge of the centre and walk.

• Summer temperatures in the region are very high. A car with good air conditioning matters, and it is better to start long drives early in the morning.

• Roads to Rumkale and Yesemek leave the main highways and become narrower and hillier; allow extra time and avoid driving them for the first time after dark.

• If you are returning the car for an evening flight, allow extra time for city traffic between the centre and the airport.

• Planning to end your trip in another city such as Sanliurfa or Hatay? One-way rental depends on the supplier; change the return location in the search form to see the options.

Nearby locations

For other airports in the region, compare Sanliurfa Airport, Kahramanmaras Airport, Hatay Airport and Adiyaman Airport car hire.