Is Nevşehir Airport or Kayseri Airport better for Cappadocia car rental? Do I need an International Driving Permit in Turkey? What insurance should I choose for a Cappadocia rental car? Can I rent a car directly in Göreme without using the airport? Related guides Choosing where to land and rent a car is the first major decision for a Cappadocia trip in central Turkey on the Anatolian plateau. Two airports serve the region: Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport (NAV) and Kayseri Erkilet Airport (ASR). Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport (NAV) is the most convenient airport for Göreme because the drive is about 40 minutes, and the same route also works well for Ürgüp, Avanos, and Uçhisar. That shorter transfer is useful if your first day includes a sunrise viewpoint, a hiking trail in Rose Valley, or a balloon chase photography pickup at dawn. NAV has a smaller rental counter footprint than ASR, and that affects availability. Avis and Sixt have physical counters inside the terminal, about 25 meters past baggage claim, while other operators such as Garenta, Avec, Cizgi, Nissa, Eren, and LocalRent often use a meet-and-greet pickup outside the arrivals hall. In practice, NAV’s compact fleet means manual and automatic cars can disappear early, especially for a Fiat Egea, Renault Clio, Renault Symbol, or Renault Taliant during peak months. According to customer reports on Şikayetvar and forum discussions on Ekşi Sözlük, NAV renters should verify the pickup time, car condition, and fuel policy before confirming preauthorisation on the card. Those reports also mention occasional issues such as closed offices, dirty vehicles, or tire problems, so a full walk-around and timestamped photos are important. NAV pickups can involve a preauthorisation hold or a franchise-style excess, so confirm whether your quote includes CDW, SCDW, FDW, zero excess, or full coverage before you pay. Kayseri Erkilet Airport (ASR) is the region’s larger commercial airport, and its car rental market is more competitive for most travelers. The drive from ASR to Göreme is about 1 hour 15 minutes, but the trade-off is a broader choice of brands, including Avis, Hertz, Europcar, Enterprise, Alamo, Sixt, Garenta, Avec, Cizgi, Discover Cars partners, and LocalRent affiliates. ASR usually has more automatic options than NAV, including compact models like the Kia Picanto, Fiat Egea, Renault Clio, Renault Taliant, and family sedans such as the Skoda Octavia. For travelers planning long loops across Cappadocia, a Dacia Duster is a practical choice for rougher roads near the fairy chimneys, the underground cities, and the Ihlara Valley approach road. Industry estimates often put manual-transmission share in Turkey at around 80%, so automatic availability is a measurable advantage at ASR rather than a vague convenience. Kayseri Airport does not have a telecom shop in the arrivals hall, so travelers who need a Turkish SIM should buy one earlier at a transit airport such as Istanbul. From ASR, the drive to Göreme usually follows either the toll-free D300 or the faster Ankara-Niğde motorway, which requires HGS payment through a transponder linked to the rental car. That route choice matters if you plan to visit Derinkuyu, Kaymaklı, Selime, Soğanlı Valley, Love Valley, Pigeon Valley, Red Valley, Devrent Valley, Paşabağı, or the fairy chimney areas around Ürgüp. Use ASR if you need an automatic Skoda Octavia or a family-size Dacia Duster, because the larger inventory reduces the chance of paying a premium for the last available car. Picking up a car at Turkish airports is straightforward if you prepare the right documents and understand the insurance structure. Drivers usually need a valid license, passport, and a credit card in the main driver’s name; some suppliers also place a preauthorisation on the card before release of the vehicle. IDP rules depend on script: an International Driving Permit is generally not required for Latin-script licenses, but it is important for many non-Latin scripts. Rental contracts in Turkey often reference Kasko, CDW, SCDW, FDW, excess/deductible, or franchise language, so the quote should state whether the booking is zero excess or only basic coverage. Enterprise, Alamo, Avis, Sixt, Europcar, Garenta, and local suppliers can all apply different damage hold amounts, and the amount may range from about €120 to €250 or from 4,000 TL to 6,000 TL depending on supplier, vehicle class, and insurance level.