Dalaman Airport to Sarıgerme
Dalaman Airport to Sarıgerme is about 15 km and takes roughly 20 minutes by car. A private transfer costs from around €25, or take the Havaş bus.
Sarıgerme is the closest stretch of coast to Dalaman — a long sandy beach backed by big all-inclusive resorts, ideal for a short, fuss-free hop from the terminal.
Every way to get there
Our verdict: for Sarıgerme, a private transfer is the easiest door-to-door option (from €25). Travelling light on a budget? The bus is cheapest (from €3) but slower, with a change in the city.
What it costs for your group
The bus is charged per person, while a taxi or private transfer is one price for the whole car — so the more of you there are, the better door-to-door value looks.
| Group | Bus (per person) | Private transfer | Best value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo · 1 traveller | €3 | €25 | Bus |
| Couple · 2 travellers | €6 | €25 | Bus |
| Family of 4 · 4 travellers | €12 | €25 | Bus |
Which option should you choose?
| If your priority is… | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest price | Bus | From €3, though slower with a change in the city. |
| Speed & comfort | Private transfer | Door-to-door, fixed price, a driver waiting for you. |
| A group of 3–4 | Transfer or taxi | One flat fare splits cheaper than several bus tickets. |
| A late-night arrival | Transfer or taxi | Both run 24/7 when buses and the tram have stopped. |
By transport mode
Bus / shuttle
A two-leg trip via Ortaca; most resort guests just take a transfer.
Where to catch it: Change at Ortaca for the Sarıgerme dolmuş.
Best for solo & budget travellersTaxi
Metered from the rank; fares rise steeply on the longer coastal runs.
Where to catch it: Official taxi rank outside the terminal. Taxis are metered — check it's running before you set off.
Best for small groups in a hurryPrivate transfer
Fixed price, meet & greet and flight tracking — the simplest door-to-door option with luggage.
Where to catch it: Your driver meets you in the arrivals hall with a name sign.
Best for families, groups & late arrivalsCar rental
Per day; the flexible choice if you plan to explore the coast.
Where to catch it: Car-hire desks are in the terminal arrivals area.
Best for travellers who want to exploreSarıgerme & Dalaman in photos
Buying tickets in Dalaman
Dalaman is a resort airport with no train or metro. Public transport is the Havaş shuttle bus, which meets flights outside arrivals and runs to Fethiye and Marmaris otogar (bus stations) roughly every 90 minutes; the municipal Muttaş bus also serves those centres. There is no travel card. Buy your seat from the Havaş desk or on board, where card payment is normally accepted. For villages and hotels off the main route, a pre-booked private transfer or a metered taxi is the realistic option.
Taxi scams & safety in Dalaman
Because most arrivals are package tourists, the main risk is taxi drivers quoting inflated flat fares for the long runs to Fethiye, Ölüdeniz or Marmaris. Use the official taxi rank outside the terminal and ask for the meter, or pre-book a fixed-price transfer so the total is agreed in writing. Ignore anyone approaching you inside the hall with a car. Confirm your name on any booked transfer driver's board before getting in, and never hand over your passport to hold a fare.
Getting from DLM to Sarıgerme
If you're flying into Dalaman with a family in tow, here's a small mercy worth knowing before you land: Sarıgerme is the nearest beach to the airport. It sits about 15 km away, roughly 20 minutes in a car, which makes it the gentlest first day of any holiday. You clear the terminal, you drive past a few fields and pine ridges, and before the little ones have properly kicked off, you're pulling up at the resort. For a stretch of long, soft sand backed by big all-inclusive hotels, that is about as easy an arrival as this coast offers.
The nearest sand, and why that matters with kids
Sarıgerme's beach is wide and flat, the kind you can walk a buggy along without a fight, and the resorts here are built for families who want everything on site. That closeness to Dalaman is the real gift. Twenty minutes means you're not rationing snacks across a two-hour transfer or watching a toddler melt down somewhere near Marmaris. It's short enough that even a fractious car full of overtired children usually holds together. If you've booked one of the all-inclusive places, you can genuinely be poolside within an hour of the wheels touching down.
There's no direct bus — so most families don't bother
Here's the honest snag: no bus runs straight from the airport to Sarıgerme. The Havaş and MUTTAŞ coaches that leave the terminal are aimed at Fethiye and Marmaris, not this stretch of coast. To do it by public transport you'd ride out to Ortaca first, then change onto a local dolmuş heading down to Sarıgerme. Plan on roughly €3–6 per person and about 45 minutes all in, and it won't drop you at your door — you'll finish the last bit on foot or grab a short taxi. For a solo traveller counting every lira it can make sense. With children, cases and a pushchair to wrangle across a changeover, most parents quietly decide against it.
Taxi or transfer: the two most families actually pick
For nearly everyone landing with kids, the choice comes down to two door-to-door options, and both are genuinely straightforward.
- Metered taxi from the official rank. The rank sits right outside the terminal and runs 24 hours, so it's there whatever your flight does. A car to Sarıgerme is roughly €15–28 and takes about 20 minutes. Use the marked rank, make sure the meter is running, and you're away. It suits families who'd rather just walk out and go without arranging anything in advance.
- Pre-booked private transfer. Companies like Kiwitaxi and Welcome Pickups will have a driver waiting for you at the exit, typically €25–45 for the car and the same 20-minute run. You pay a little more, but you know the price before you leave home and there's someone expecting you — a real comfort if you're arriving frazzled or in the dark. Good for anyone who likes the details settled ahead of time.
Working out which is cheaper for your group
The maths is simpler than it looks, and it turns on how a fare is charged. A taxi or private transfer is priced per car, not per head — so two adults and two children pay the same as one person would. Split a €20-ish taxi four ways and it's a few euros each, often no more than the bus once you've bought everyone a ticket and paid for that last hop from the dolmuş stop. The bus charges per person, which is why it only really wins for someone travelling solo and light. For a family, a car to yourselves is usually both cheaper per head and far less hassle. That's the calculation most people quietly run, and it's why the taxi rank does such steady trade.
Landing after dark with tired little ones
Plenty of flights into Dalaman come in late, and that's precisely when Sarıgerme's short hop justifies the cost. The taxi rank and the car-hire desks in arrivals both operate around the clock, so a midnight landing doesn't leave you stranded. A pre-booked transfer takes even that small worry away — the driver tracks your flight and simply waits. Twenty minutes later you're at reception, and a sleeping child can be carried straight up to bed rather than hauled through a bus change at some unlit junction.
A couple of things worth doing
- If you're hiring a car, the Avis, Europcar and Sixt desks are right there in arrivals (roughly €22–41 a day), which gives you the freedom to explore Dalyan and the turtle beach later without booking transfers each time. Just remember a booster or child seat if you'll need one.
- Whichever option you choose, keep a bottle of water and a snack within reach for the drive. It's a short run, but a happy, hydrated child at the resort gate beats a hungry one every time.
So don't let the missing bus put you off — Sarıgerme is the closest, kindest beach to Dalaman, and getting there really is as gentle as this coast gets. Whichever way you go, you'll be settled in and the holiday properly begun before you know it.
