Antalya Airport to Side and Alanya: The East Coast Transfer Guide

Ask arriving travellers to guess how long the drive to Alanya takes and most will say two and a half hours or more. The real figure is about 89 minutes for 127.2 km, and that surprise sums up the whole east coast: distances look long on the map, but the highway keeps speeds high nearly the entire way. Here is how the seven main stops between the airport and Mahmutlar compare, so you can match the destination to the holiday you are planning.

Why the east side is faster than it looks

Leaving Antalya Airport eastbound, you are on a wide, flat highway within minutes, and it stays that way for most of the corridor. There are no mountain passes and few lights; the road runs straight behind the coast. Only after the Side turn-off does the route drop to the coastal road, where speeds fall and hotel entrances follow one another. That is why Sorgun at 67 km takes about 51 minutes, while Mahmutlar at 138.5 km still needs only about 97 minutes — the extra kilometres are the fast kind.

The seven stops, nearest to farthest

• Side — 66.8 km, about 56 minutes, from €40. An ancient harbour town with a Roman theatre and temple ruins beside sandy beaches; sightseeing and swimming share one postcode.
• Sorgun / Titreyengol — 67 km, about 51 minutes, from €40. A quiet hotel zone in pine forest around a small lake; chosen for calm, not nightlife.
• Manavgat — 67.7 km, about 53 minutes, from €40. A working river town famous for its waterfall, and the junction for the surrounding resort villages.
• Okurcalar — 97 km, about 69 minutes, from €45. A compact strip of large all-inclusive resorts; most guests stay on hotel grounds.
• Avsallar — 102.9 km, about 73 minutes, from €50. Incekum's fine sand and shallow water make it a steady favourite with families.
• Alanya — 127.2 km, about 89 minutes, from €55. A proper city with a Seljuk castle above Cleopatra Beach, plus restaurants and year-round life.
• Mahmutlar — 138.5 km, about 97 minutes, from €60. The long-stay address east of Alanya: apartments, markets and everyday infrastructure rather than resort walls.

Per vehicle, not per person

All prices above are for the whole car — a Comfort sedan taking 3 passengers and 2 bags. On a long leg this matters. A group of six books one Premium Van (V-Class) at a single fixed price; up to 12 people fit in a 12 Seater with 8 bags. Split the fare and the per-head cost of a private transfer to Alanya or Mahmutlar usually undercuts anything charged per person — and there is no meter running along the way.

Practical notes

We run these transfers ourselves, so these are our own rules rather than general advice. Your driver waits inside the terminal with a name sign, tracks your flight number, and delays cost nothing extra. There is no prepayment: the price is fixed at booking and paid in cash to the driver at the end of the ride. The transfer is private — only your group, no other passengers, no stops en route — and it runs 24/7 at the same price, night flights included. The return leg works the same way, and a child seat is fitted if you note it in the booking form.