Driving from Rome to Istanbul
Istanbul lies 1,371 km (852 mi) east of Rome, +1 h on the clock. What the numbers say about getting there.
Driving takes about 20 h 55 min without stops, over roughly 1,673 km (1,040 mi) of road; add breaks, fuel and any border.
| Rome | Istanbul | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Italy | Turkey |
| Population | 2.3 million | 15.7 million |
| Elevation | 52 m (171 ft) | 39 m (128 ft) |
| Time now | UTC+2 (Europe/Rome) | UTC+3 (Europe/Istanbul) |
Clocks in Istanbul are 1 h ahead of Rome right now, so a 20 h 55 min journey lands 21 h 55 min later by the destination clock.
What changes when you arrive in Istanbul
Crossing from Italy into Turkey: money changes from the Euro to the Lira (TRY); sockets are Euro, Schuko; the dialling code becomes +90; the emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1061257 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25743529.
Where to book car hire from Rome to Istanbul
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Staying in Istanbul
Our booking partner lists 7,063+ places to stay in Istanbul (statistics below are from the first 1,000). Of the 510 with a star rating, the largest group is 4-star (264), and 148 are five-star. Across 860 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.7 out of 10. Guests have left 1,170,336 reviews in total.
Book a hotel in Istanbul
Live rooms and prices from our booking partner, booked and paid for here. Free cancellation is marked where it applies.
Common questions
How far is Istanbul from Rome?
1,371 km (852 mi) in a straight line, east of Rome; by road roughly 1,673 km (1,040 mi).
How long does it take to get from Rome to Istanbul by car?
About 20 h 55 min, estimated from distance and typical speeds. Timetables and traffic decide the real figure.
Is there a time difference between Rome and Istanbul?
Istanbul is 1 h ahead at the moment (Europe/Istanbul against Europe/Rome).
What currency do I need in Istanbul?
The Lira (TRY).
Where can I stay in Istanbul?
Our booking partner lists 7,063+ places to stay in Istanbul, bookable on this site.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.