Getting to COP31 in Antalya: Airport, Venue, Hotel Zones and the Shuttle-or-Private-Car Question

COP31 — the 31st UN Climate Change Conference — takes place in Antalya from Monday 9 to Friday 20 November 2026, at the Antalya EXPO Center in Aksu. Around 80,000 participants from 196 countries are expected, with the World Leaders' Summit on 11–12 November. This guide answers the questions delegation officers ask us first: where the venue is, how long the airport leg really takes, which hotel zone to choose, and when the free official shuttle is enough — and when it is not. MAYSCAR is an Antalya company operating since 1993 and an independent provider; it is not an official COP31 partner. For delegation fleets, see our COP31 delegation transport page.

Where the venue is, and how far from the airport

The Antalya EXPO Center sits in the Soğucaksu area of Aksu, on the eastern side of the city — about 6 km by road north of Antalya Airport (AYT). In normal traffic the drive takes around 15 minutes. The official COP31 website advises 20–30 minutes, and that is the number to plan with: during the conference the roads around the venue carry checkpoint controls, and on the two summit days motorcade movements can hold traffic without notice.

Almost every international participant arrives through AYT. The airport has direct connections from most European hubs and the Gulf, and Istanbul offers a domestic connection roughly every hour.

Hotel zones and road times from the venue

Antalya's hotel supply is spread along the coast, and the zone you choose sets your daily commute. Road distances below come from OpenStreetMap routing; the "during COP31" column is what we recommend planning with.

Two practical notes. First, Belek is further than it looks on a map: the road runs east along the coast, so a Belek-based delegation with morning sessions should leave earlier than a Lara-based one. Second, Side and Kemer are over an hour each way during the conference: fine for a team that goes to the venue once a day, tiring for one with side events in between.

The official shuttle: what it covers

Accommodation for COP31 is managed through an official platform, and a free shuttle system will connect the official hotels, the airport and the city centre with the venue. Three things to know:

• The shuttle stops only at hotels on the official accommodation list. A villa or a hotel booked outside the platform has no stop.
• It runs to a published timetable, which the organisers will release close to the conference dates.
• It is designed for the venue commute, not for side events, dinners or meetings across town.

For an individual observer staying at an official hotel and attending sessions all day, the shuttle is usually enough. Delegations tend to add private cars for the situations below.

When a delegation needs its own cars

• Arrivals and departures. A meet-and-greet at the gate with a name board, flight tracking and a fixed price per vehicle takes the uncertainty out of the first and last day, especially for late-night arrivals.
• A head of delegation with a programme. Bilateral meetings in Belek or the city, receptions, a dinner, an early slot at the venue: a dedicated car and chauffeur for the day is the only arrangement that follows the diary rather than a timetable.
• Side events and pavilions. Sessions in one place, a side event elsewhere, back for a negotiation block: a private car or a small van per team.
• Media and production crews. Equipment, early call times and late feeds do not fit a shuttle schedule; a VIP van with luggage space and a standby chauffeur does.
• The Leaders' Summit days. On 11–12 November allow up to three times the usual travel time; a dedicated car with a chauffeur who knows the alternative routes is worth more on those two days than on the other ten.

A note on electric cars

Delegations sometimes ask for them. MAYSCAR has three chauffeur-driven electric cars, a BMW i7, a BMW iX and a Porsche Taycan, available on request and limited in number; the rest of the delegation fleet (Maybach, S-Class, VIP vans and minibuses) is conventional. If one of them matters to your delegation, say so in the brief and it is confirmed early against the dates.

What to send when you request a proposal

A transport provider can quote in one round if the brief contains:

• organisation, number of delegates and the head-of-delegation level;
• arrival and departure flights (or at least dates);
• hotel or zone;
• vehicles required per day, and any special requirements;
• side events, meetings outside the venue and dinners already in the diary;
• chauffeur language, and whether armored vehicles or security coordination are needed.

Accreditation, badges, vehicle passes for restricted zones and official-hotel bookings come only through the UNFCCC and the COP31 organisers; a transport provider prepares the vehicle and chauffeur documents your protocol office needs. MAYSCAR provided the official vehicles and transfers for heads of state at the G20 Antalya Summit in 2015, the same city at the same scale, and plans COP31 delegation transport from a single coordinator. Details and a brief form: mayscar.com/cop31. Fixed airport transfer prices: transfer page.

FAQ

When and where is COP31? From Monday 9 to Friday 20 November 2026 at the Antalya EXPO Center in Aksu, Antalya. The World Leaders' Summit is on 11–12 November.

How far is Antalya Airport from the COP31 venue? About 6 km by road, typically 15 minutes; the official COP31 site advises 20–30 minutes, and security checks on the summit days can add more.

Is the official COP31 shuttle free? Yes, for accredited participants, between the official hotels, the airport, the city centre and the venue, on a published timetable. It stops only at hotels on the official accommodation list.

Which hotel zone is closest to the venue? Lara and Kundu, about 13 km away. Belek is about 29 km, the city centre about 16 km.

Can I book a private transfer from the airport instead of the shuttle? Yes. MAYSCAR runs fixed-price airport transfers with meet-and-greet and flight tracking, and chauffeured cars by the day for delegations.

Are there electric cars for delegations? Three, on request: a BMW i7, a BMW iX and a Porsche Taycan, chauffeur-driven and limited in number. The rest of the fleet is conventional.