Staying Outside the Official COP31 Hotels? How to Reach the Venue Every Day
COP31 shuttles only stop at official platform hotels. If you booked elsewhere, here is how to reach the Antalya EXPO Center every day.
COP31 runs from 9 to 20 November 2026 at the Antalya EXPO Center in Aksu, and the host country is putting on free COP31 shuttle buses for participants. There is one condition that is easy to miss. According to the UNFCCC's participant information, shuttle stops will only be placed at hotels listed on the official COP31 accommodation platform. If you rented an apartment, booked a hotel that isn't on that list, or are staying wherever your organisation found space, you may have to reach the nearest stop on your own.
This guide is for that group: how to check whether the shuttle covers you, what your realistic options are, and how long the daily run to the venue takes from each part of Antalya.
Who the COP31 shuttle does not reach
The official accommodation platform is run by Coral Travel, and the shuttle network is built around its hotels. The people most likely to fall outside it:
- Apartment and short-let guests. Holiday rentals are not on the platform, so there is no stop at your door.
- Guests in hotels that are not on the list. Plenty of good hotels in Antalya are not part of the COP31 allocation at all.
- Anyone staying in Kemer or Side. The platform sells rooms in both, but the partner's own FAQ says its shuttle transfer service covers only Belek, Boğazkent, Lara, Kundu, Kaleiçi and Konyaaltı. Check before you assume a bus will come.
The fastest check is the official transport map at transport.cop31.tr, which shows routes, stops and official hotels. Timetables are due to be published closer to the conference, so look again in the first days of November.
How long the daily ride takes from each area
| Area | Distance to the venue | Usual drive |
|---|---|---|
| Lara and Kundu | about 15 km | about 20 min |
| Belek | about 20 km | about 25 min |
| City centre and Kaleiçi | about 22 km | about 30 min |
| Konyaaltı | about 30 km | about 45 min |
| Side | roughly 55–60 km | about an hour |
| Kemer | roughly 65 km | 70–90 min |
The first four rows use the figures published by the official accommodation partner. The Side and Kemer rows are our own estimates for the normal road route. From Kemer you cross the whole city, so morning traffic makes the biggest difference there. Build in extra time on 11 and 12 November, when heads of state attend the World Leaders' Summit.
Four ways to get to the EXPO Center
| Option | Works well if | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Walk or taxi to the nearest shuttle stop | You are a few minutes from an official hotel | You depend on the shuttle timetable both ways |
| AntRay tram | You stay near the tram line in the city | The line reaches an EXPO stop, but connections from outside the centre add time |
| Taxi each way | You only need a handful of trips | Expect queues at the rank when sessions end; fares add up over two weeks |
| Pre-booked private transfer | You want a fixed morning pickup and a car waiting at night | Needs booking ahead; best value when a team shares it |
The official transport page also lists ride-hailing apps and taxis at designated ranks. Both work for one-off trips. Over twelve conference days, the question is less the price of one ride and more whether you will find a car at 21:30 on a night when thousands of people leave at once.
Evenings are the hard part
Mornings are predictable. Almost everyone heads in between breakfast and the first sessions, and shuttles are timed for that. Evenings are not. Negotiating rooms at climate conferences often run late, side events and receptions fill the evenings, and the final days of a COP have a habit of running past the scheduled close.
If you use the venue cloakroom, collect your things before it shuts at 19:00. For the ride home, the useful setup is a pickup time you can move by message during the day: tell the driver the latest you might leave, then confirm once you know.
Sharing one vehicle with your team
Small delegations, NGO teams and press crews often keep one vehicle for the whole fortnight. A VIP Economy VAN carries up to 7 passengers and a Minibus up to 16. One pickup point, one driver who learns your schedule, and a single cost split across the team is easier to plan than a stream of taxi receipts.
The same driver can handle your arrival at Antalya Airport. Our overview of airport transfer prices lists current fares to every area in the table above.
Need a daily ride to the EXPO Center?
Send us your address, dates and group size, and we will reply with a fixed daily price.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The host country is providing complimentary shuttles across the Antalya region during COP31. Routes link official hotels, Antalya Airport and the city centre with the venue, and timetables are due to be published closer to the conference.
Yes, but only from a stop. Stops are placed at hotels on the official accommodation platform, so you would need to walk or take a taxi to the nearest one. Measure that distance on the official transport map before you rely on it every day.
The AntRay tram line runs east to an EXPO stop, and a branch of the same line serves Antalya Airport. It works well if you stay near the line in the city. Check current timetables before you plan your days around it.
Plan for roughly 70 to 90 minutes each way, because the road crosses the whole of Antalya. That is our estimate for normal traffic; the morning rush and the summit days on 11 and 12 November can make it longer.
Yes. A fixed morning pickup with a flexible evening return is a common setup for teams. A Minibus carries up to 16 passengers; message us your group size and dates for a daily price.