Istanbul Hotels

Air

Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport (formerly Yesilköy) is located 25 kilometers (16 miles) west of central Istanbul, in Yesilköy. The airport handles both international and domestic flights. It is the main international gateway to the country and heavily congested as a result. Airport facilities include banks, post office, baggage service, restaurants and snack bars, tourist information, shopping facilities, hotel reservation services, travel agencies, bureaux de change, ATMs, car hire and a conference center at the international terminal with technical facilities for up to 200 delegates. The Havas service bus to Aksaray and Taksim Square departs from the domestic terminal every 30 minutes (between 06.00 and 23.00). Taxi's are the quickest and easiest way to get into town (around 20 minutes under normal traffic conditions) and are readily available outside the airport. However, they are far more expensive than the bus service. Sabiha Göksen International Airport in Pendik, Kurtköy, opened in early 2001 and was meant to relieve some of the overload at Atatürk Airport. At the present it handles mainly charter, cargo and military planes. The airport has two terminals and is located 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) east of the Asian center and 45 kilometers (28 miles) east of the European center of Istanbul. Airport facilities include information and help desks, ATMs, a bank, post office, duty-free shops, gift shops, bookshops, restaurants, cafés, a VIP lounge, conference and business facilities and parking. There is a Havas shuttle bus service heading towards the city (journey time about 45 minutes) and to Ataturk Airport (journey time between 60 and 70 minutes). Taxis are available 24 hours a day.

Public Transport

Train

Turkish State Railways (TCDD) operates the national railway network. The trains are fairly slow and lack air conditioning, although fares are very cheap. There are two stations in Istanbul: Sirkeci Station, near Eminönü on the European side, and Haydarpasa Station, near Kadiköy on the Asian side. Trains departing to Sofia, Belgrade, Bucharest and Budapest (with transfers to Munich and Vienna) leave from Sirkeci Station (departing around 22.00). Trains heading for Turkish destinations leave from Haydarpasa Station. There are express trains between major Turkish cities but cheaper rural routes can be extremely slow. Both stations are well equipped with restaurants, newspaper kiosks, waiting rooms and ATMs and are fairly central. Haydarpasa Station on the Asian side is connected to the European side by ferry to Karaköy port while Sirkeci Station is a short walk or taxi ride from Eminönü port.

Tram

The tram system runs in a similar way to the buses with tickets interchangeable between the two. Istanbul has two tramways on the European side. A quick, modern commuter tram runs from Eminönü through Sultanahmet and onto outlying suburbs. It divides at Aksaray, where visitors should change trains to get to Esenler Otogar, the bus station. The other, referred to as the Nostaljik Tramvay, is slower and drives the length of Istiklal Caddesi from Beyoglu to Taksim Square and back. It is connected to Karaköy by the Tünel underground, which runs up and down the steep hill between Karaköy and the Istiklal Caddesi.

Subway

The "Istanbul Metro", from Taksim to Levent (the city's busiest business district) was opened in 2000 and it is very convinient if you want to see the downtown and commercial centers. Hours of operation are between 06.00 and 02.00. Tickets can be purchased at the entrance of the metro.

Bus

There are numerous private and state-owned city buses in Istanbul that operate to different destinations in the city. However, because of traffic jams, these are slow, uncomfortable and usually crowded. The timetables often do not reflect the actual situation; you may have to wait for a bus for 20 or 30 minutes. The services come to a halt at midnight. Tickets are available from the kiosks by main bus stops. Bus drivers sometimes fail to stop at the smaller bus stops and distances between the main stops can be quite long. The safest, cheapest and most convenient method of internal transport, especially for travel to southern Turkish resorts, is Turkey's system of intercity coaches. The International Istanbul Bus Terminal (Uluslararasi Istanbul Otogari) serves all international and domestic lines and is located in Esenler, about ten kilometers (six miles) from the city center. Most of the major intercity companies have free service buses from central Istanbul to the bus station. Tickets can be booked at any time before departure at the ticket offices, most offices take credit cards. The offices are located along Sirasilveler Caddesi in Taksim.

Taxi

The taxis are yellow and have fitted meters. They can be hailed almost anywhere in the street. However, it is safest to order them from a hotel, which minimizes the chance of being cheated. The meters go up 50% after midnight but visitors should watch for drivers trying to put the night meter on during the day. 'Gündüz' means day and 'gece' night, digitally displayed on the meter; alternatively one light indicates the day meter and two lights the night meter. The dolmus (shared taxi) either run a circular route, such as Taksim-Besiktas and Taksim-Nisantasi, or travels longer journeys within the city and suburbs. They will cram as many standing passengers in as possibly will fit. The fee is about the same price as a bus ticket and can be paid in cash when boarding.

Tickets

Bus, metro, ferry and tram tickets are usually available near the main stops. They can be purchased either from a kiosk, all main bus and metro stops and ferry terminals or from a private seller, who adds about 25% to the price. An akbil (electronic token) can also be purchased in advance. This token is valid for a number of journeys, at a slightly better rate, and is good for buses, ferries and the metro.

Car

The main motorway from the Turkish border at Edirne goes straight through to Istanbul, Ankara and beyond. Although the road network throughout Turkey is extensive, with various numerous carriageways and three-lane highways, maintenance can be poor and conditions dangerous. Turkey has one of the worst accident rates in the world and driving is thus not recommended. Istanbul is home to bad traffic jams and extreme examples of bad driving. Drivers almost never stop at pedestrian crossings and tailgating is standard. It is not a good idea for foreigners to take the risks or endure the hassle of driving in Istanbul unless strictly necessary Drivers bringing cars into Turkey must show their registration documents and driving licence at the place of entry. Visitors arriving from Europe must have a Green Card as well as appropriate insurance. The speed limit on motorways is 120kph (70mph), on main roads 90kph (55mph) and in town's 50kph (30mph). Driving times to Istanbul: from Ankara: 7 hours and from Antalya: 12 hours.

Water

Passenger ferries are by far the most pleasant way to travel in Istanbul. The Bosphorus Strait divides Istanbul into its eastern Asian side and its western European side. Central Istanbul, including the historic sites, is on the European side. The two largest ports are Eminönü and Karaköy. Karaköy port is where luxury cruise ships headed for the Aegean and Mediterranean dock, as well as smaller CIS vessels. The major commuter ferry lines mainly depart from Eminönü, Karaköy, Besiktas and Üsküdar. Both Eminönü and Karaköy ports and all the ferry terminals and quays around them, have rows of buses, taxis and dolmus lined up outside. Tokens for the passenger ferries can be bought from dockside kiosks. The primary routes run roughly every twenty minutes (between 07.00 and 23.00, with exception of the Eminönü-Kadiköy service, that stops at 20.00).