Transportation in Istanbul

Istanbul’s a crowded and complex city. Because of that, traffic is one of the biggest problems. For a longer stay you should purchase Akbil, a debit card that can be used for most kinds of public transportation within the city. There’re different kinds of public transportation in Istanbul.

Bus

Private and public buses are very common. According to the traffic time tables can change. So you may wait 10,15 or 20 minutes for a bus. There’re three kinds of buses: The blue-green buses are privately owned and you pay money to get on. Foreign currency’s not accepted. The second kind of buses belong to municipality and are generally crowded. However they’re cheaper. You can buy a ticket or use Akbil to get on. The last type of buses are double-deckers. They can be preferred for longer distances, for example going from the European side to the Asian side or from the Asian side to the European.

Minibus

Minibuses are small buses, you don’t need to wait for a minibus at a bus stop. Simply you get on, pay the money for the driver and tell him to drop you when you want to get out.

Ferry

The ferries are generally used to go from the European side to the Asian side or from the Asian side to the European. So if you want to see the Asian side you can take a ferry from Eminonu, Karakoy or Besiktas.

Subway (Metro)

The metro system is another alternative way. However, it covers a limited part of the city, between Taksim Square and 4. Levent. You can buy a ticket at the entrance or you can use Akbil.

Taxi

There are times you need to take a cab. Because public transit begins at 6,7am and shuts down at about 10pm. The cab driver may not know English. So be sure that he understands the destination correctly. You should also take a look at the meter, it should read GECE if it’s nighttime and GUNDUZ if it’s daytime.