Transportation in Istanbul

Transportation in Istanbul

Istanbul is a city where two continents meet: Asia and Europe. You can have breakfast in Asia and enjoy your lunch in Europe! To move around both continents you will need to use one of the two bridges or a boat. Tourists usually have problems with transportation in Istanbul because the geography of the city does not help very much. This post will  help you to understand how to move around Istanbul.

Istanbul’s traffic is consistently heavy, therefore, it is always crucial to check the traffic conditions and learn your destination before setting out in the city.

Istanbul is one of the most crowded metropolises not only in Turkey but in the world with its population of over 15 million. Two million of the 6,5 million registered cars in Turkey are on the road in Istanbul. There is very dense traffic and it is very important to consider such points as the density of traffic and distance before you set off.

The rush hour in Istanbul is between 07.00 - 10.00 in the morning  and between 17.30 - 20.00 in the evening. It is recommended to travel around the city outside these hours.

There is no traffic jam in the morning around the hotel and tourist districts (Taksim-Beyoglu and Sultan Ahmet). If you are enjoying your day in Sultan Ahmet district (where the Blue Mosque and Saint Sophia are located) and need to go back to your hotel, avoid the traffic jam and try to stay in Sultan Ahmet district until 19:30 - 20:00 o'clock. The best way to get around Old Istanbul’s compact medieval core is on foot.

Taxis - Taksi: There are a lot of taxis in Istanbul, Turks use it a lot and you can catch one very easily. Taxis are yellow and you can see the word "Taksi" written on it. The use of the taximeter is obligatory in Turkey.

Public Transportation: 

Tickets: Tickets to trains, metros, underground train (tunnel), funicular and boats is called "Jeton" and you can easily buy them in kiosks close to each station.

If you are going to stay long in Istanbul, it is advised to buy smart tickets called "Akbil" to travel cheaper in the city. Akbil is a ticket system valid on all means of transportation like bus, train, tram and subway, and it is easy to carry.

The metro is not very used by tourists because  it does not connect to any historical point of the city. Istanbul's metro consists of two lines, the northern line is currently just a short stub connecting Taksim to 4. Levent. If you want to visit the most modern shopping mall of Istanbul you can take the metro at Taksim and go until the last stop (4. Levent). You will come directly to Kanyon Shopping Mall. Istanbul metro is very modern and cover a restrict area of the city. There is also a funicular system connecting Taksim to Kabatas where you can get on ferries and cross to the Anatolian side. This type of transportation is very useful for the tourists that want to go from Taksim to Sultan Ahmet region (where is located the Blue Mosque and Saint Sophia) and to the Grand Bazar as a complement to the tramway railway.

The southern line is most useful for visitors, connecting Aksaray (with its connections to the tram line) to Atatürk Airport, via the Otogar.

Tourism Bus: The ministry of tourism of Turkey offers the service of a red bus with two floors with open roof in Istanbul for tourists. You can catch the bus at Sultan Ahmet's region, in front of Saint Sophia’s Museum.

Tramway Railway: The tramway railway or simply Tramway is a great way of get around in Istanbul. You definitively should use the tramway if you want to go from Taksim to the area of Sultan Ahmet  and Grand Bazaar. Every 5 minutes a tramway passes in the train stop.

"Sea bus" Catamaran
-Passenger catamarans zoom around the city at rush hour, and out to the Princes Islands  several times daily. There are even Sea of Marmara routes to Yalova and Bandirma on the sea's southern shore.

Boat-For the tourists it is interesting to take a one hour boat tour starting the tour at Ortakoy and returning to the same point. This boat tour is done in summer-spring-autumn at the afternoon with the duration of one hour and you will be able to see part of the Bosphorus Strait (the boat make a tour until the second bridge). 

Another option would be taking a boat at Ortakoy or Uskudar and visiting the Maiden’s Tower. At the Maiden's Tower you can drink coffee or tea and watch the panorama including the Topkapi Palace and the old Constantinople. For the ones who stay longer in Istanbul and want to make a longer boat tour, I suggest taking the boat at Eminonu and going until Anadolu Kavagi. The trip will take one and a half hour.