How to find your way around in Istanbul
With its 16 million population, Istanbul is the biggest city in Turkey. Aside from the residents of the city, there are nearly 16 million visitors every year. As a result, the city has a suitable and easy-to-use public transportation system. Let's see how we can use public transportation in a glimpse.
The fastest public transportation system in Istanbul, without a doubt, the rail system. There are three main kinds of rail systems in Istanbul. Metro, light metro, and tram. For touristic visits, the most convenient approach to use is the T1 tram. T1 tram passes through the historical section of Istanbul and has many stops on many famous attractions. For example, to visit Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque or Topkapi Palace, you can use the tram to Sultanahmet station. For Dolmabahce Palace or getting to Taksim, you can use the tram to Kabatas station. For Spice Market and Bosphorus Cruises, you can use the tram to Eminonu station and so on. Metro is also convenient for getting to more landlord distances without being affected by the traffic. You can use the metro to get to the biggest and famous shopping malls in Istanbul. The majority of the renowned shopping malls are located close to the metro stations.
If you want to go to the Asian side or to Princes' Islands, the easiest way is to get on a ferry. There are several ways in Istanbul to get to the Asian side from the European side and vice versa. You can use the Marmaray, which is an underground metro connection between the two sides of Istanbul. Three bridges connect the European side to the Asian side. But if you ask what the most nostalgic and classic way of getting from one side to the other is, the answer is ferries. This was the oldest way of getting from one side to the other and still, many people of Istanbul are using this method for a traditional Istanbul activity, feeding the seagulls with simit. Simit is a bread roll covered with sesame seeds and don't get surprised seeing a seagull eating it in istanbul. For the Princes Islands, the only way to get there is still ferries. It takes about 1 hour and a half to get there from the Kabatas or Eminonu ferry stations.
When it comes to using public buses in Istanbul, there are some positive and negative sides. The positive sides are, it is still the easiest and cheapest way of getting around in Istanbul. There are many bus stops all around the city, and if you know how to combine them, you can quickly get around the city from the beginning till the end of the city. The opposing sides are that the traffic in Istanbul may be pretty challenging depending on the day. There may not be many people speaking English, and the buses may be pretty busy depending on the rush hour. But if you know which number goes where which station to get on and get off, you may love the public buses in Istanbul.
If the place you intended to go to is not accessible with any public transportation method, the only way is Taxi in Istanbul. You may like taxis in Istanbul for several reasons. They are pretty cheap compared to many other destinations in Europe. They are relatively fast and more comfortable compared especially to public buses. The downside is some of the drivers may not be the best examples of their kind. This is a problem in many other destinations globally but better to know that you may encounter some of those bad examples in Istanbul. The good thing to know, we don't haggle the price of a taxi, but we use the taximeter, which is an official requirement in istanbul, or you may use an Uber taxi which is sending only the taxis that are supplying some of the important security and comfort criteria.
The Final Word
But if you ask the most fun way of getting around in Istanbul, the answer is on foot. Walk and see everything on foot, and don't fear getting lost. They say the best way of getting to know a city is getting lost in the streets of that city. The locals are helpful, the roads are beautiful, and everything is waiting for you. Just come and have the experience of a lifetime.