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Getting around in Istanbul

Getting around in Istanbul

Airport
The Atatürk International Airport is the largest and busiest in Turkey and is located 23 km west of central Istanbul. The main airline, Turkish Airlines (THY) has flights to all major European and Asian cities. The Airport facilities include two health clinics with a 24 hour service, pharmacies, environmental health services, lost and found offices, banks, post offices, baggage service, restaurants and cafes, tourist information, shops and exchange offices. All major car hire companies have a desk there.

Sabiha Göksen International Airport (named after the first female combat pilot) on Pendik is located about 50 km east of the Old City on the Asian side. It is becoming more and more popular with budget airlines, like Easyjet. The airport facilities include ATMs, a bank, post offices, duty free shops, gift shops, restaurants and cafés, parking and business facilities.

Travelling from the airport
From Atatürk International Airport, the Havas service bus goes to Aksaray and Taksim Square. It departs from the international and domestic terminals every half hour (between 6 am and 11 pm).The journey takes about 30 minutes. Another option is the taxi service which will cost approximately 45 TKL (£22) and is the quickest and the easiest option. The new metro system has regular trains going to Esenler, the main bus station.

From Sabiha Göksen International Airport, buses coincide with flight times and depart to Kadikov, Bostanci and Kucukyali on the Asian side of the city where other transport is available. Havas shuttle bus service heading towards the city (journey time about 45 minutes) and to Ataturk Airport (journey time between 60 and 70 minutes) are also available. Taxis are available 24 hours a day and are the best option though expensive, costing approximately 75 TKL (£40).

Getting Around
Metro: The "Istanbul Metro", from Taksim to Levent (the city’s busiest business district) is a convenient way to see the downtown and commercial centres. Metros operate between 6 am and 2 am. Tickets can be purchased in station ticket halls.

Buses: Private and state-owned buses operate to different destinations in the city but due to traffic jams, these are slow and crowded. The timetables are incorrect and you can wait up to 30 minutes for a bus. Tickets are available from the kiosks by main bus stops and all buses come to a halt at midnight.

Rail: The trains are run by Turkish State Railways (TCDD) and are cheap but not very comfortable. There are two stations in Istanbul, the Sirkeci Station, Ankara Caddesi on the European side and Haydarpaya Istasyon Caddesi on the Asian side. Both stations include kiosks, restaurants, waiting rooms and ATMs.

Taxis
All cabs in Istanbul are small and yellow in colour and have fitted meters. Taxi drivers tend to be reckless and scams are widespread. They are available everywhere though safer and reliable if ordered from the hotel. ’Gündüz’ means day and ’gece’ night, displayed on the meter, alternatively one light on the metre means day rate, two means the night rate. Taxi rides shouldn’t cost more than TKL 5 within the city centre. Be on alert when catching a cab in Sultanahmet or Taksim as many of the drivers are on the lookout for tourists to fleece.

© TheTravelEditor.com

Reproduced with the kind permission of TheTravelEditor.com

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