Public transportation in Turkey is very crowded, especially at peak times within major Turkish cities, as is the case in Istanbul. Transportation in Istanbul is one of the most crowded in Turkey.
For this, the Turkish government has been keen to allocate huge transportation networks that cover all parts of the city completely, and through it people can avoid private cars and expensive taxis, get acquainted with us on the most important means of transportation in Istanbul.
The most important means of transportation in Istanbul
Autobus:
The most prevalent in the European and Asian parts of Istanbul, and the fee is about (1.80 lira),
It runs in specific lines and has specific gathering centers.
Metrobus:
It is one of the fastest means of transportation in Istanbul, and for this reason, its fee exceeds the usual fare by about (4 liras), and it is widespread in the European and Asian sections alike.
Metro:
It is a subway train, and it is a public means of transportation in Istanbul that runs underground, and there are 3 lines of it in the European section:
- M1: (Aksaray-A.hvalimanı)/(Aksaray-Kirazlı (Ataturk Hawa Limanı)/(Kirazlı-Aksaray).
- M2: (Yenikapı-Hacıosman)
- M3: (Başakşehir-Olimpiytköy) (Olympic Games – Başakşehir)
and one line in the Asian side of Istanbul: - M4: (Kadıköy-Kartal)
There is also the Marmaray metro line that connects the two continents, linking the Asian and European sections of Istanbul.
Tramvay:
It is a train that runs over the ground, and there are two lines in the European section:
T1: (Bağcılar-Kbataş)-(Kabataş)
T3: (kadıköy-Moda)-(Moda – Kadıköy).
One line in the Asian section:
T4: (Habibler-Topkapı)-(Topkabe-Habibler)
Ferry or Vapur:
It is a free public mean of transportation in Istanbul that connects the two parts of the city, and there are 5 outlets spread in the ports of the European section:
(Yenikape – Kabatas – Besiktas – Karakoy – Eminonu).
And 4 outlets in the Asian section:
(Bostanci – Haydarpaşa – Uskudar – Kadıköy).
All previous public transportation uses prepaid electronic cards to ride, called Istanbul Kart or what is known as Akbil:
It is a card that is purchased without balance for the first time (8 liras) from the kiosks in bus stops or from small shops, and you charge it from the refilling places or the “electronic machines Akbel” located at bus stops, metro and ferry terminals.
It would save a lot of money if you get the Istanbul transportation card, you can know all about it through this article.
There is another type of card “Mavi Kart” or the blue card, which is useful for people who roam a lot. It differs from the normal card in that it has a subscription and cannot be exchanged because it contains personal information about its owner and his personal photo, and it is a card valid for two years from the date of its issuance.
Feribot:
It is a ferry, but to transport passengers from Istanbul to many provinces and ports outside Istanbul, such as:
“Princess Islands”, “Yaloa”, “Bursa” and others.
It has two main ports (Harem-Sirkeci), and its fare is paid directly through the outlets on the ferry lines.
Minibus:
It is a small-sized mean of transportation in Istanbul that does not adhere to specific lines or specific stops.
It is paid directly within the lines, and is characterized by two colors: beige in the European section and blue in the Asian section.
Dolmuş:
It is a private transportation service limited to Turkey only, and it is a yellow taxi that can accommodate 8 people and has a specific itinerary and is more expensive than a minibus.
Taxi:
The most expensive mean of transportation in Istanbul, where the meter starts from 3 liras, and every 1 km costs approximately 2 liras.
It also has specific applications that allow you to order the car and specify the starting point, the destination point and the expected cost of the trip, and you must be careful not to be defrauded by taxi drivers.
Pullman buses:
They are large-sized buses used to transport between provinces and can be boarded from (Otogar) in the European section, or from (Harem-Haram) in the Asian section.
Here is a website to find out about transportation companies and booking times for different means of transportation in Istanbul.
trains:
It has two passenger stations, Sirkeci in the European section, and “Pendik” in the Asian section.
Airports in Turkey
Istanbul International Airport “Atatürk Havalimanı” in the European section is the largest airport in Turkey currently in terms of the number of passengers. Istanbul International Airport is located 23 km west of the famous Sultanahmet Square.
Sabiha Gökçen Havalimanı International Airport, located in the municipality of “Pendik” and is about 36 km away from the Asian center of Istanbul “Kadiköy”. Through Turkey’s airports, you can move with internal flights between the provinces of Turkey at different prices according to the distance traveled.
Important tips
We recommend that you download the “Trafi” application on your mobile device from the Google Play Store so that you can know the exact stops and times of the bus.
As well as the Istanbul Ülaşım application for smart devices,
It is a great program to help you know the locations and times of all types of buses and the ferry “ferry boat”, as well as the names of the bus stops in your area.
Read about transportation in Istanbul in Arabic
Tell us what you think about the network of transportation in Istanbul!
