Transportation in Istanbul
Transportation in Istanbul
Tourists usually have problems with transportation in Istanbul because the geography of the city does not help very much. 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. With this article I hope to help you understand how to move around Istanbul, which type of transportation to choose and when to choose. I hope it will be use full to the tourists !
Traffic in Istanbul is chaotic ! Watch out the for the rush hour! Istanbul has around 14 million inhabitants and as a big metropolis it has a lot of traffic problems. If you can, avoid moving around during the rush hours. There is no traffic jam in the morning around the hotel and tourist districts .
If you are enjoying your day in Sultan Ahmet district ( where the Blue Mosque and Hagia 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. Ask in your hotel reception how long does it takes from your hotel to the airport. Try always to be on time ! For international flights it is recommended to arrive at the airport 2 hours before your flight departure. If you are arriving in Istanbul at night around 18:00 ~19:00 you will catch a very bad traffic until you reach your hotel.
Taxis - Taksi: They 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, which means "taxi" in Turkish. The use of the taximeter is obligatory in Turkey. Use always your hotel service to call a taxi and if you are somewhere in the city, go to a 5 star hotel and ask for a taxi, they will help you. Avoid catching a taxi in the street, but if you don't have another choice, choose a modern car and a driver with good appearance. Taxis in Turkey are much cheaper than in Europe, and it is a way of transportation used by Turks.
Taxi in front of
Saint Sophia Museum
Walking : it is a pleasure to walk in Sultan Ahmet, where you can appreciate the beauties of the Blue Mosque, Saint Sophia and Hippodrome, you can also visit Topkapi Palace and the Underground Cistern. Another place to walk would be the street of Beyoglu and you will get to the most central and commercial area of Istanbul. And if you have enough time in Istanbul, you should also walk nearby the Strait of Bosphorus.You can make beautiful walks from the region of Bebek towards Arnavutkoy or Sariyer. You will appreciate the beauty of the sea, see some Turks fishing along the Bosphorus or enjoying their favorite drink: Turkish Tea !
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.
Public Transportation Schedule: Istanbul is a metro pole with a colorful night life, but mostly public transportation does not provide services during the evening, they finish the transportation service around mid-night. Therefore watch out ! Be aware that taxis charge night tariff after mid-night and it is almost the double of daily tariff.
Bus - Otobus: this kind of transportation is not recommended for the tourists unless you need to go to a specific neighborhood and you can not use the train or can not afford a taxi. Avoid to take a bus in the rush hours in the morning (between 7:30 and 9:00 o'clock) and in the afternoon (between 18:00 and 19:30 o'clock).
Tourism Bus: The ministry of tourism of Turkey offers the service of a red bus with two floors with open roof in Istanbul for tourits. You can catch the bus at Sultan Ahmet's region, in front of Saint Sophia. Please check the schedules, prices and bus circuit in the place.
Tramvay Railway - Tramvay: The tramvay railway or simply Tramvay is a great way of get around in Istanbul. You definitively should use the tramvay if you want to go from Taksim to the area of Sultan Ahmet ( where the Blue Mosque and Saint Sophia are located) and Grand Bazaar). Once again avoid to take the tramvay during the rush hours in the morning (between 7:30 - 9:00 o'clock) and in the afternoon (between 18:00 - 19:30 o'clock). If the tramvay comes and you can believe your eyes .... it is too crowded ! wait for the next one, every 5 minutes a tramvay passes in the train stop. Carry your money, passport and important documents in a secure way, there are some pick pockets at the tramvay. This transportation is very useful for the tourists.
Tramvay railway
Funicular subway - Furnikuler: The funicular subway is a train that connects the region of Kabatas and Taksim. This type of transportation is very useful for the tourists that want to go from Taksim to Sultan Ahmet region and to the Grand Bazaar as a complement to the tramvay railway.
Funicular subway
Tunel subway - tunel : Tunel is a short subway train that connects Karakoy and Tunel. This kind of transportation is used by the tourists that are at the Spice Bazaar, cross the Galata Bridge and want to go to Taksim- Beyoglu
Tunel subway
Underground Metro - Metro: The Istanbul Metro (Turkish: İstanbul Metrosu) is a rapid transit railway network that serves the city of Istanbul, Turkey. It is operated by İstanbul Ulaşım (Istanbul Transport), a public enterprise, controlled by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. The oldest section is the metro is M1 line, which opened in 1989; it now includes 70 stations in service, with 30 more under construction.
The system currently consists of five lines named M1, M2, M3, M4, and the M6 Mini-Metro. More lines are under construction or planned: M5 (Üsküdar-Çekmeköy/Sancaktepe) will be on the Asian side, while M7(Mecidiyeköy-Mahmutbey) will be on the European side.
he M1 was initially called "Hafif Metro" (which literally translates as "light metro"). Although it was built as a fully grade seperated line, the M1 line operates with shorter train sets and shorter station platforms than is standard on a traditional metro line, hence its "light metro" designation. The M1 line was later extended from Aksaray towards the western suburbs, reaching Atatürk Airport in the southwest in 2002. Construction of the M2, began on September 11, 1992, but faced many challenges due to the numerous archeological that were discovered during the drilling process, which slowed down or fully stopped the construction of many stations especially at south. Taking into account the seismic activity in Istanbul, the entire network was built with the cut and cover method to withstand an earthquake of up to 9.0 on the Richter Magnitude scale.
The first section between Taksim and 4.Levent entered service, after some delays, on September 16, 2000. This line is 8.5 km (5.3 mi) long and has 6 stations, which all look similar but are in different colours. In 2000, there were 8 Alstom-built 4-car train sets in service, which ran every 5 minutes on average and transported 130,000 passengers daily. On January 30, 2009, the first train sets built by entered service. Eurotem will build a total of 92 new wagons for the M2 line. As of January 30, 2009, a total of 34 trainsets, each with 4 cars, were being used on the M2 line. A northern extension from 4. Levent to Maslak was opened on January 30, 2009. On September 2, 2010 the northern (temporary) terminus Darüşşafaka followed. The southern extension of the M2 line from Taksim to Yenikapi, across the Golden Horn via Haliç station on the bridge and underground through the historic peninsula, entered service on 15 February 2014. The Taksim-Yenikapı extension is 5.2 km long, with four stations. The total cost of the extension was $593 million. At Yenikapı it will intersect with the extended light Metro and the Suburban train lines.
The trip between the Şişhane station in Beyoglu and the Haciosman station in Maslak is 20 km (12.4 mi) long and takes 27 minutes; including Şişhane - Taksim (1.65 km, 2 minutes), Taksim - 4. Levent (8.5 km, 12 minutes), and 4. Levent - Haciosman (8.1 km, 12 minutes.) The total length of the European side of the M2 line will reach 23 km (14.3 mi) when all 16 stations from Hacıosman to Yenikapı will be completed; not including the 936 metres long Golden Horn Metro Bridge, the 0.6 km long Taksim-Kabataş tunnel connection with the Seabus port,the 0.6 km long Yenikapı-Aksaray tunnel connection for the M1 line,[20] and the 13.6 km long Marmaray Tunnel.
On the Asian side, construction is in progress of the remaining portion of the 26.5 km (16.5 mi) long M4 line from Kadıkoy to Kaynarca, yielding a total of 19 stations. It cost € 751 million and was built by the Astaldi / Makyol / Gülermak consortium.[24] The first section opened on August 17, 2012, terminating in Kartal. Construction of the 20 km (12.4 mi) long M5 (Istanbul Metro) line from Üsküdar via Ümraniye to Sancaktepe started in March 2012. The Marmaray Tunnel (Bosphorus undersea railway tunnel) connecting the Asian and European metro lines opened on October 29, 2013.
Istanbul Metro
Boats : Boats are a very useful way of transportation in Istanbul . Istanbul is a city where two continents meet each other: Asia and Europe. The Bosphorus Straits divides the city into the Asian and European region. A lot of people live in Asia but work in Europe. There are just two bridges which connects both continents and a lot of people use boats to cross the Bosphorus strait. The government offers a service of public transportation through a lot of regions of the city. 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 Constantinapole. 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. It will take you until the last boat stop at Anadolu Kavagi at the Asian side of the city. You will need to stay there for almost 3 hours, and at your stay you can eat in one of the delicious fish restaurants and have a walk up the hill to see a beautiful view of the Black Sea from an old fortress. This is a nice boat tour but it takes almost a day and it is recommended for the tourists that spend more then 3 days in Istanbul.
Dolmus in Istanbul
Minivan Public Transportation - Dolmus: This type of transportation was very interesting and it was a very nostalgic one. Ten years ago you would be able to see old Chevrolet cars around the city, today you see brand new minivans working as dolmus. Those cars were called "dolmus" that means "fill" in Turkish, so the car would be filled up (dolmus) with people and continue its way. The advantage of dolmus is that it pick up passengers anywhere and it stops also at any part of the city. Of course this bring a chaos to the traffic ... but this would be another topic to talk about. Dolmus price is more expensive then buses but Turks use this type of transportation a lot. You will se dolmus all over the city, but tourists do not use it because in tourist areas there are better ways of transportation.
Other ways of transportation...
Transfers airport-hotel: You can use taxis for airport transfers. If you can not afford a taxi, you can use a Havas Bus that will take you until the city center. After getting in the city center you will need a taxi to your hotel. But if your group has more than 2 persons, taking a Havas bus will not minimize your cost. Another option would be to take the metro. The inconvenient is that there is a train transfer, so you will have to move from one station to another with your luggage. And after getting to the city center you will need a taxi to go to your hotel.
Car rental: It is not a good idea to rent a car in Istanbul. As a tourist you will have serious problems trying to find your way, you will also have problems with local drivers and the local traffic which is not a piece of cake ! And your last problem would be parking your car ! Renting a car would be a good option if you want to travel at the interior of Turkey, so that you can stop wherever you want and take your time and enjoy the country side.
The Lord of Istanbul Travel Planner has a modern and big fleet of private vehicles including vans and minibuses. Our vehicles are air-conditioned Mercedes Vito and Sprinter and our drivers know Istanbul very well. We provide private transfer services to/from both Ataturk Airport and Sabiha Gokcen Airport to any accommodation in Istanbul. Transfer services are also provided to/from cruise ports and airport to airport.
For more information do not hesitate to keep in touch
thelordofistanbultravelplanner@gmail.com
www.thelordofistanbultravelplanner.com
https://twitter.com/lordofistanbult
http://lordofistanbultravelplanner.blogspot.com.tr
https://www.facebook.com/lordofistanbultravelplanner
WhatsApp:0090 533 6413242
Transportation in Istanbul
Tourists usually have problems with transportation in Istanbul because the geography of the city does not help very much. 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. With this article I hope to help you understand how to move around Istanbul, which type of transportation to choose and when to choose. I hope it will be use full to the tourists !
Traffic in Istanbul is chaotic ! Watch out the for the rush hour! Istanbul has around 14 million inhabitants and as a big metropolis it has a lot of traffic problems. If you can, avoid moving around during the rush hours. There is no traffic jam in the morning around the hotel and tourist districts .
If you are enjoying your day in Sultan Ahmet district ( where the Blue Mosque and Hagia 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. Ask in your hotel reception how long does it takes from your hotel to the airport. Try always to be on time ! For international flights it is recommended to arrive at the airport 2 hours before your flight departure. If you are arriving in Istanbul at night around 18:00 ~19:00 you will catch a very bad traffic until you reach your hotel.
Walking : it is a pleasure to walk in Sultan Ahmet, where you can appreciate the beauties of the Blue Mosque, Saint Sophia and Hippodrome, you can also visit Topkapi Palace and the Underground Cistern. Another place to walk would be the street of Beyoglu and you will get to the most central and commercial area of Istanbul. And if you have enough time in Istanbul, you should also walk nearby the Strait of Bosphorus.You can make beautiful walks from the region of Bebek towards Arnavutkoy or Sariyer. You will appreciate the beauty of the sea, see some Turks fishing along the Bosphorus or enjoying their favorite drink: Turkish Tea !
Bus - Otobus: this kind of transportation is not recommended for the tourists unless you need to go to a specific neighborhood and you can not use the train or can not afford a taxi. Avoid to take a bus in the rush hours in the morning (between 7:30 and 9:00 o'clock) and in the afternoon (between 18:00 and 19:30 o'clock).
Tourism Bus: The ministry of tourism of Turkey offers the service of a red bus with two floors with open roof in Istanbul for tourits. You can catch the bus at Sultan Ahmet's region, in front of Saint Sophia. Please check the schedules, prices and bus circuit in the place.
Boats : Boats are a very useful way of transportation in Istanbul . Istanbul is a city where two continents meet each other: Asia and Europe. The Bosphorus Straits divides the city into the Asian and European region. A lot of people live in Asia but work in Europe. There are just two bridges which connects both continents and a lot of people use boats to cross the Bosphorus strait. The government offers a service of public transportation through a lot of regions of the city. 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 Constantinapole. 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. It will take you until the last boat stop at Anadolu Kavagi at the Asian side of the city. You will need to stay there for almost 3 hours, and at your stay you can eat in one of the delicious fish restaurants and have a walk up the hill to see a beautiful view of the Black Sea from an old fortress. This is a nice boat tour but it takes almost a day and it is recommended for the tourists that spend more then 3 days in Istanbul.
Other ways of transportation...
Transfers airport-hotel: You can use taxis for airport transfers. If you can not afford a taxi, you can use a Havas Bus that will take you until the city center. After getting in the city center you will need a taxi to your hotel. But if your group has more than 2 persons, taking a Havas bus will not minimize your cost. Another option would be to take the metro. The inconvenient is that there is a train transfer, so you will have to move from one station to another with your luggage. And after getting to the city center you will need a taxi to go to your hotel.
Car rental: It is not a good idea to rent a car in Istanbul. As a tourist you will have serious problems trying to find your way, you will also have problems with local drivers and the local traffic which is not a piece of cake ! And your last problem would be parking your car ! Renting a car would be a good option if you want to travel at the interior of Turkey, so that you can stop wherever you want and take your time and enjoy the country side.
The Lord of Istanbul Travel Planner has a modern and big fleet of private vehicles including vans and minibuses. Our vehicles are air-conditioned Mercedes Vito and Sprinter and our drivers know Istanbul very well. We provide private transfer services to/from both Ataturk Airport and Sabiha Gokcen Airport to any accommodation in Istanbul. Transfer services are also provided to/from cruise ports and airport to airport.
For more information do not hesitate to keep in touch
thelordofistanbultravelplanner@gmail.com
www.thelordofistanbultravelplanner.com
https://twitter.com/lordofistanbult http://lordofistanbultravelplanner.blogspot.com.tr https://www.facebook.com/lordofistanbultravelplanner
WhatsApp:0090 533 6413242
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