İZBAN Train from İzmir Airport

1. Where is the İZBAN station at İzmir Airport?

The station is below the terminal, signed from Arrivals — follow the train icon down the escalators. It has a single platform serving both directions, so there’s no separate "north" or "south" entrance to look for.

1. 1

   Buy an İzmirim Kart

   At the airport İZBAN station there is a blue machine/kiosk selling the İzmirim Kart and adding credit. The physical card is 200 TL, or get the Digital İzmirim Kart free in the app — either way, avoid the single-use Bilet35 ticket (it costs more and gives no free transfer).

   
2. 2

   Go down to the platform

   The station is below the terminal — follow the train icon down the escalators. The airport is on the line, so trains run in both directions from here.

   

2. Which direction should you take?

This is the point most English-language sources miss: from the airport you can go both ways on the same platform, and the train toward Tepeköy/Selçuk lets history travelers reach Ephesus without ever entering İzmir city. Check the departure board for your train's destination before you board.

3. How to pay: İzmirim Kart and ticket options

Everything runs on the İzmirim Kart — tap it at the turnstile on the way in and again on the way out. Your fare includes a 90-minute free transfer window onto the Metro, tram or Eshot buses. See the full İzmirim Kart guide for how to buy one and what it costs.

• Fare to the city: about ₺35 per person with the İzmirim Kart, verified June 2026.
• Blocked balance at the airport: İZBAN reserves at least ₺125 on your card when you tap in here — see the İzmirim Kart guide for why.
• Avoid the single-use Bilet35 ticket — it costs more per ride and doesn’t include the 90-minute free transfer.

The same machines that sell the İzmirim Kart also add credit. Tap out at the exit/refund validator when you leave İZBAN and any unused blocked balance is returned to your card. Keep the card if you are staying a while — you will reuse it on buses, the Metro and ferries.

4. Frequency and first/last-train guidance

• Operating hours: roughly 06:00–00:00 — the last trains toward the city run until around midnight, so a delayed late flight can just miss them.
• Frequency varies through the day — check the departure board on arrival rather than relying on a fixed interval.
• Southbound to Selçuk runs daytime services only — see the at-a-glance table above.

5. Luggage and accessibility

İZBAN works with luggage, but it is tight in rush hour and there are stairs at some exits. Solo travelers with a backpack are fine; if you have two large suitcases, a taxi or transfer is far easier than the platform, turnstiles and any onward change.

6. Common mistakes to avoid

• Boarding the wrong direction — there’s one platform for both ways, so check the departure board before you get on.
• Not loading enough balance — İZBAN blocks at least ₺125 on your card when you tap in at the airport, even for a short ride.
• Forgetting to tap out — you lose the refund of any unused blocked balance and the 90-minute free transfer.
• Buying a single-use Bilet35 instead of an İzmirim Kart — it costs more per ride and gives no free transfer.
• Not budgeting the Tepeköy wait if you’re headed to Selçuk — the connection can mean a ~40-minute gap.