Rize-Artvin Airport (RZV) Guide: Rize, Turkey

Rize-Artvin Airport is one of Turkey’s dramatic Black Sea gateways, built on reclaimed coastal land to serve tea country, mountain villages, Ayder Plateau, Rize, Artvin, and the eastern Black Sea coast. It is a young airport with a growing network, and the ground journey is part of the experience: coastal roads, green valleys, rain, fog, and mountain weather all matter.

This guide is written for travelers who want the useful details first: the real airport name, where it sits, how much to budget for transport, what to expect in the terminal, where to search for flights, and which services to arrange before landing. Prices and routes are updated for June 2026 and should be treated as practical planning ranges rather than fixed promises.

Quick airport facts

Item	Details
Full airport name	Rize-Artvin Airport
Short codes	RZV / LTFO
Also searched as	Rize Artvin Airport, Rize Airport, RZV Airport
City and country	Rize, Turkey
Practical address	Rize-Artvin Airport coastal fill area, Pazar/Rize Province, Turkiye; coordinates 41.179766, 40.848802.
Distance to city	About 33-36 km from Rize city center and much farther to Artvin; Havas/bus, taxi, and private transfers serve both directions.
Updated	2026-06-15

Best for: Rize, Artvin, Ayder Plateau, Black Sea tea country, mountain tourism, and eastern Black Sea road trips.
Main route logic: Istanbul/Ankara domestic strength plus limited international/seasonal routes.
Airport style: modern regional coastal airport with taxis, Havas, buses/minibuses, car rental, and basic food/retail.
Planning rule: weather and mountain-road timing matter more than the simple kilometer distance.

Address and location

Use Rize-Artvin Airport (RZV) for flight searches and Rize Artvin Airport, Rize Airport, RZV Airport as backup search wording in maps, hotel messages, and taxi conversations. The practical address is:

Rize-Artvin Airport coastal fill area, Pazar/Rize Province, Turkiye; coordinates 41.179766, 40.848802.

About 33-36 km from Rize city center and much farther to Artvin; Havas/bus, taxi, and private transfers serve both directions. For a serious itinerary, save the airport coordinates offline, download the city area in Google Maps or Organic Maps, and keep your hotel address in both English and the local language where possible.

How to get from the airport to the city

Option	Typical time	Approximate cost	Best use
Havas to Rize city center	35-50 min	Local shuttle fare	✅ Best budget/mainstream option.
Havas/coach transfer to Artvin	1.5-2.5 hr	Local/regional fare	🚌 Useful for Artvin-bound travelers.
Taxi to Rize center	30-40 min	Metered/quoted; Turkish Airlines notes taxi takes about 30 min	🚕 Best direct city transfer.
Private transfer to Ayder/plateau areas	1.5-3 hr	Quote required	🌲 Best for mountain lodges and groups.

The airport name says Rize-Artvin, but Artvin is a long regional transfer. Confirm whether your hotel is on the coast, in Rize city, Artvin, or a mountain valley.

Transport tips

🧾 Confirm the fare before loading luggage, especially when there is no visible meter or posted rate.
📍 Save the exact hotel pin offline; airport drivers may know districts better than street names.
💵 Carry small local cash for the first transfer, baggage carts, snacks, or phone calls.
🌐 Install an eSIM before departure so you can message your driver immediately after landing.

Public transport and metro

Rize-Artvin has no metro or airport rail. Use Havas, bus/minibus, taxi, private transfer, rental car, or hotel pickup.

Where public transport exists, it is usually best for daylight arrivals with light luggage. For late flights, family travel, heavy bags, or first-time visits, a taxi, hotel transfer, or pre-booked private driver is usually worth the extra cost.

Taxi prices and transfer strategy

Taxi prices around airports are rarely as neat as an official table. Time of day, luggage, driver availability, fuel prices, and whether the destination is inside or outside the central city all matter. The ranges above are realistic planning budgets, but the best practice is simple: agree the fare before moving, keep your phone map open, and avoid changing money with random drivers.

For smoother arrival logistics:

🚕 Use official taxi ranks or a hotel-arranged driver where available.
🧳 Pre-book a transfer if you land late, carry equipment, or travel with children.
🚗 Compare rental cars before arrival with DiscoverCars if you need regional freedom.
🏨 Use Expedia to check hotels near the airport and in the city before choosing a transfer.

Airport facilities, shops, and restaurants

Modern terminal with check-in, baggage, cafes, shops, ATMs, taxi/Havas access, car rental, parking, and basic passenger services.
Weather on the Black Sea coast can change quickly; keep flexible plans for mountain driving.
Food/retail are useful but not big-hub scale.
If heading to highlands, confirm driver experience and winter/road conditions.

The smart rule at RZV is to treat the terminal as a transfer point rather than as a shopping destination. Eat before arriving when possible, keep a refillable bottle where security rules allow, and bring a small power bank. If you have a long delay, an airport-area hotel or city hotel is usually more comfortable than waiting in the terminal.

Airlines and where the airport flies

FlightsFrom lists Rize-Artvin with 5 airlines flying to 9 airports as of June 2026, naming AJet, Flynas, Pegasus, SunExpress, and Turkish Airlines. Domestic Istanbul/Ankara routes are the core, with seasonal and regional additions depending on date.

Turkish Airlines, AJet, Pegasus, SunExpress, Flynas, and seasonal operators should be checked in live search.

Cheap routes to check first

Rize to Istanbul SAW/IST: the core fare benchmark.
Rize to Ankara: useful for domestic connections.
Rize versus Trabzon Airport: compare both for Black Sea itineraries.

Cheap airport strategy is different from simply sorting by lowest fare. Always compare the final cost after checked baggage, seat selection, payment fees, transfer costs, and missed-connection risk. A slightly more expensive flight into the correct airport can be cheaper than a low base fare that forces a long taxi ride or overnight hotel.

Where to buy flights and hotels

Start with broad searches, then verify the exact airport code before paying. This is especially important in cities with more than one airport or with airport transitions.

Need	Recommended booking link	Why it matters
Internet on arrival	🌐 Yesim eSIM	Install before flying so maps, airline apps, WhatsApp, and hotel messages work as soon as you land.
Flights and hotels	🏨 Expedia flights and stays	Useful for comparing nearby hotels, airport overnights, and onward tickets in one search.
Tours and transfers	🎟️ Viator tours and airport transfers	Best for guided city tours, day trips, private arrival transfers, and skip-the-line activities.
Rental cars	🚗 DiscoverCars	Compare local and international rental agencies before accepting a walk-up airport rate.
Travel medical insurance	🛡️ SafetyWing	Check coverage, exclusions, and country wording before travel, especially on complex itineraries.
Support this airport-guide project	🤝 Patreon: HEDONISMcloud	Helps keep airport guides updated with fares, route changes, and city transport notes.

eSIM, internet, insurance, and car rental

🌐 Internet: install Yesim eSIM before the flight. Airport Wi-Fi can be slow, blocked by SMS verification, or unavailable exactly when you need maps.
🛡️ Insurance: compare policy wording with SafetyWing. Read exclusions for the destination, adventure activities, medical evacuation, political/security events, and pre-existing conditions.
🚗 Cars: compare vehicles on DiscoverCars before arrival. Airport counters can run out of automatic cars or quote higher walk-up rates.
🎟️ Tours: use Viator for airport transfers, city tours, day trips, and guided experiences when independent transport is inconvenient.

Practical arrival checklist

Before you fly	Why it matters
Check the IATA code on the ticket	Prevents booking a hotel or transfer for the wrong airport.
Save airline, hotel, and driver contacts offline	Messaging apps may not work until data is active.
Carry local cash	Useful for taxis, snacks, and small airport expenses.
Recheck live departures	Regional schedules can change more quickly than major-hub schedules.
Keep insurance documents accessible	Helps at medical facilities and during airline disruption.

Safety and travel notes

Türkiye is under a U.S. Level 2 advisory due to terrorism, armed conflict risk near the Syria/Iraq border, and arbitrary detentions. For airport travelers, the practical advice is to use official transport, keep documents ready, avoid protests, monitor local news, and leave a buffer for security checks and traffic. Around Rize and Artvin, add landslide, rain, fog, mountain-road, and river/plateau weather risks.

The most reliable traveler is the boringly prepared traveler: documents printed, data working, transport confirmed, hotel address saved, and enough time between every moving part of the itinerary.

Short airport excursion idea

If you have a long layover or an overnight stop, choose one simple plan rather than trying to see everything. Stay close to the city center or a known hotel district, keep the return transfer booked, and avoid cutting the return to the airport too close. In smaller airports, a missed flight may mean waiting a day or more for the next practical departure.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Rize-Artvin Airport from Rize?

About 33-36 km from Rize city center and much farther to Artvin; Havas/bus, taxi, and private transfers serve both directions.

How much is a taxi from RZV airport?

Typical taxi planning ranges are shown in the transport table above. The safest method is to confirm the price before loading luggage and to use a hotel-arranged driver when arriving late or visiting for the first time.

Are there restaurants and shops at Rize-Artvin Airport?

Yes, but the depth of choice depends on the airport size and operating schedule. Expect practical cafes or snack options at smaller airports and a better range at major hubs. Carry backup snacks and water for delays.

Which airlines should I check first?