About Islamabad Intl Airport
Benazir Bhutto International Airport is the third largest airport in Pakistan and serves passengers in Islamabad, the capital of the country. Since 2008, the airport has been named after Benazir Bhutto, one of the most famous politicians of Pakistan. As well as civilian flights, it is also used as a military transportation base for the Pakistan Air Force. At the airport a comprehensive expansion project was launched with a large budget and the renovation was completed in 2015, where the airport was fully modernised. The annual passenger average of Benazir Bhutto International Airport is 4 million 700 thousand people.
Getting to the City Center from Islamabad Intl Airport
In Islamabad, the capital of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, within city transportation is highly developed and quite easy. City transportation is usually provided by bus, metrobus and taxi services. Trains are mostly used for trips outside the city. Railways in Islamabad and its surrounding have a very large network. There are trains a few times a day from the main railway station in the city of Islamabad to the big and modern cities. Buses waiting at Islamabad Airport also have stops near many famous hotels. A large part of the city transportation is carried out by bus, but it is also convenient to travel around by bicycle and phaeton. The fact that bicycle roads are developed in the city is driving many local and foreign tourists in the city and even the locals to take advantage of bicycle transportation. It is very comfortable to go to many places in the city with a small car with two or three wheels called "Riksov". Since these vehicles are small, they take you where you will go quickly without getting caught in traffic. Riksovs, a different and basically good option for transportation, is often located in Qasim Market and Rawalpindi. Islamabad has a cleaner, more modern and wider transportation network than other cities in Pakistan. Islamabad is divided into eight different zones including the diplomatic zone, the trade zone, the education zone, the industrial zone. In each zone there are different shopping areas and public parks etc. that are suitable for the structure of that zone. While public transport does not offer much choice within the city, the buses that are the main means of transportation of the city meet a large part of this need. Apart from city buses, Metrobuses also serve in Islamabad, one of the rare cities that provide different methods of transportation. MetroBus is just like a bus, but it is very fast like a subway. These means of transportation, which resemble the metrobuses in Istanbul, have a single route but it is possible to see the stops in many places of the twin cities (Rawalpindi and Islamabad). There is a small train station and bus station just outside the arrival terminal of Islamabad Airport. It is very practical to meet your transportation needs with city buses and trains departing from here. You can reach to Islamabad city center from the airport by metrobus and buses, as well as by taxi or car rental services. Islamabad city buses have many different routes and some pass through Islamabad Airport. Buses that are quite crowded at some times, although slower than metrobuses, are another practical option for transportation from airport to Islamabad city. You can use buses in times when metrobuses are crowded or for a connected ride. Because buses and metrobus lines are connected to each other, it is very easy to reach them by making a few transfers at the desired times. The 1-C bus line goes to Islamabad Secretariat from Rajalpindi Saddar Terminal via Murre Road. Bus number 3 provides transportation between Raja Bazar and Bari Imam. Bus number 21 travels from Garakhpur to Islamabad Secretariat via Adiala Road. It's a very practical to go to areas I-9, I-10, and Shifa Hospital by transferring from bus number 21 to bus number 22. Bus 101 goes to Faisal Mosque from Pirwadhai Bus Stand via Faizabad. The 104 line goes to Islamabad Secretariat from Tamal via Chungi. The bus number 105 goes from the G-11 Markaz to the Aab Para via the Karachi Company. It is very fast and economical to get to the city center from Islamabad Airport with the metrobus. Metrobuses serving since 2015 have basically one route. This route begins from the Secretariat Terminal and ends at the Saddam Termian. The stops are Parade Ground, Shaheed-e-Millat, 7th Avenue, Stock Exchange, PIMS, Katchehry, Ibn-e-Sina, Chaman Road, Kashmir Highway, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Khayaban-e-Johar, Potohar Road, IJP Road, Faizabad, Shamshabad , Sixth Road, Rehmanabad, Chadni Chowk, Waris Khan Road, Committee Chowk, Liaquat Bagh and Marrir Chowk. Taxis are one of the most preferred options to reach the city center from Islamabad Airport. If you have a chance to bargain, the price they will give you would be much more economical. It would take you about 14 minutes to reach the city from the airport by taxi and it would cost about 28-35 TL as of today. If you prefer transportation from Islamabad Airport to the city center by taxi, you can make your reservation by calling the following companies which offer reasonable price options: Metro Radio Cab (+92515872236) and Yellow Cab / Taxi Service (+92515405077). If you make your pre-reservation by calling the car rental companies located in Islamabad Airport or via internet, you are likely to rent your car at much more reasonable prices. You can get to Islamabad city center from the airport by car in about 15-20 minutes. If your holiday lasts less than a week, it is recommended that you consider the option of public transport (metrobus and buses) instead of renting a car.Bus
Taxi
Car Rental
Getting to Islamabad Intl Airport from the City Center
It is possible to reach Islamabad Airport with buses and metrobuses that you can take from the city. The routes of these buses and metrobuses usually start from Rawalpindi, also called Islamabad's twin city. Within city transportation has improved, but there are not many choices in terms of transportation means. Therefore, public transportation in the city is crowded, especially during heavy traffic hours.
You can reach Islamabad Airport within 15-20 minutes by taxi or by your own car and within 30-35 minutes by bus.
Bus
Islamabad city buses are easily distinguishable from others because of their light color. The local buses are crowded and slow, but they provide transportation at very low fares. The seats next to the bus drivers are reserved for women and children, so you will have to be careful about the place you will sit on the bus. All the bus stations in the city are air-conditioned, large, and modern and there are ticket vending machines and sales points in all of them.
The city buses have a much larger and wider network than metrobuses. Bus 110, one of the most popular bus lines, goes from Mandi Morh to Bahara Kahu via Khayaban.
Bus number 111 goes to F-8 Markaz from Rawat via Al Shifa H8. The area where Islamabad city center is located is called "Blue Area". The 1-B-A bus from this area serves Mandi Morh to the Secretariat.
The bus number 21 is called the airport bus, because it is one of the rare buses that pass through the airport. The stops of this bus are RWP Kachehri, BBIAP Airport (Islamabad Airport), Faizabad, Zero Point, Aabpara, Sarina, SPP and Secretariat.
Metrobus
Metrobus service is provided between twin cities: Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Metrobuses operate from 6.15 am until 10 pm every day of the week. Ticket vending machines are available at all Metrobus stations. Be sure to validate your ticket at the entrance after you have purchased your ticket from the Metrobus station.
Another name given to this service in Islamabad is Islamabad Metro-Pindi Metro. Metrobus service, which has a route of 22,5 km, meets the need of city transportation by serving between the twin cities Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Metrobuses started to operate in 2015, and has 24 different stops in total.
You can buy your tickets from vending machines, or you can use the e-ticket system. 10 of the stops of Islamabad-Rawalpindi metrobus are in Rawalpindi and 14 of them are in Islamabad.
Taxi
Taxis are the most convenient and economical way of transportation for the cases of emergency. Try to bargain with the taxi driver before or after your ride. The only disadvantage of using taxi in Islamabad is that almost all of the taxi drivers do not speak English. Because they do not speak English, mark the place you will go on the city transportation map that you can obtain from the tourist information office before your ride and try to explain it on the map to the taxi driver
Yellow cabs are the most used taxi types in the city. Most of the taxis are not air conditioned but their fees are very satisfactory. Some of the taxi drivers in the city use their personal vehicles as a taxi; they are not affiliated with a specific company. You can also rent these taxis on a daily basis at very reasonable prices.
The number of taxis attached to the major companies operating in the city center is more than that of individual taxis. Some of the taxi companies you can choose to get to Islamabad Airport or city center are Metro Radio Cab (+92515872236) and Islamabad Radio Cab (+9251111888100).
Car Rental
There are quite a number of car rental companies in the city of Islamabad, because many domestic and foreign tourists want to rent their own car and visit nearby cities. It is much more economical to rent your car from the airport by pre-booking, but you are also likely to rent your car at reasonable prices from the city center as there are more local car rental companies than international companies in the city.
If you wish to deliver the vehicle you are renting at the airport at your return, you must make sure that a branch of the company you rented car is also at Islamabad Airport. It takes about 15-20 minutes to get to Islamabad Airport by car from the city, except for heavy traffic hours.
Airport Information
Another popular name for Islamabad International Airport is Benazir Bhutto International Airport. Islamabad Airport, the third largest and most modern airport in Pakistan, is located in Chaklala Rawalpindi outside Islamabad. Some of the facilities and opportunities within Islamabad Airport are VIP lounges, duty free shops, restaurants, free internet access, souvenir shops, ATM machines (Pakistan National Bank, Habib Bank, MCB Bank, Barclays, Citibank) and banks.
