Updated Date : 22.02.2023
Means of Public Transport in Istanbul
As Istanbul is a city with 15 million people, transportation becomes a fundamental matter for everyone. Despite being busy from time to time, the city has an excellent transportation system. Ferries are combining the European side to the Asian side, metro lines that cover most of the attractions, buses to nearly every corner of the city, or, if you want to feel like a local, a strange yellow bus that runs when it is complete. You can have a discounted Unlimited Public Transportation Card with an Istanbul E-pass or you can buy Istanbulkart for most public transportation. All in all, here are some of the most common means of public transportation in Istanbul.
Metro Train
Being the second oldest in Europe after the London metro, the metro system in Istanbul is not widely expanded. It covers the most famous places and quite efficient because of not being affected by the traffic. Here are some of the most helpful metro lines in Istanbul.
M1a - Yenikapi / Ataturk Airport
M1b - Yenikapi / Kirazli
M2 - Yenikapi / Haciosman
M3 - Kirazli / Sabiha Gokchen Airport
M4 - Kadikoy / Tavsantepe
M5 - Uskudar / Cekmekoy
M6 - Levent / Bogazici Uni-Hisarustu
M7 - Mecidiyekoy / Mahmutbey
M9 - Bahariye / Olimpiyat
M11 - Kagithane - Istanbul Airport
Other than the metro lines, there are also famous tram lines in Istanbul. Especially for a traveler, two of them are pretty helpful. One of them Is the T1 tram line covering most of Istanbul's historical sites, including the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Grand Bazaar, and many others. The second one is the historic tram that runs from the beginning to the end of Istiklal Street with the number T2 tram.
Bus & Metrobus
Most probably the cheapest and the most convenient transportation method in Istanbul is the public buses. It may be crowded, the people may not speak English, but you may go anywhere in Istanbul if you know how to use the public buses. Every bus has a number that identifies the route. The locals will not tell you where to go by bus, and they will tell you which number you have to take. For example, bus number 35 goes from Kocamustafapasa to Eminonu. The route is always the same route with punctual departure times. If the road is busy, you can see the same number of buses every 5 minutes. The only downside about the public buses is the rush hour. Traffic in Istanbul sometimes may be pretty heavy.The government also saw this problem and wanted to sort it out with a new system. Metrobus is the latest solution for skipping the traffic in Istanbul. Metrobus means a bus line that runs in the main altar of Istanbul with a particular track. As it has its separate path, it is not affected by the traffic problem at all. The downside of Metrobus is that it can be pretty crowded, especially during rush hour.
Ferry
The most nostalgic way of transportation in Istanbul, without question, is the ferries. Many people are working on the European side and living on the Asian side or vice versa in Istanbul. So, they need to commute every day. Before 1973, the year that the first bridge was constructed between the European side and Asian side, the only way of commuting between the European and Asian side of Istanbul was the ferries. Today, there are three bridges and two tunnels under the sea that connect both sides, but the most nostalgic style is the ferries. Every busy seashore section in Istanbul has a port. The most famous ones are, Eminonu, Uskudar, Kadikoy, Besiktas and so on. Don't miss the chance of using the fastest mean of commuting between the continents.
Dolmus
This is the most traditional style of transportation in Istanbul. These are little yellow minibusses that follow a definite route and work 7/24 in Istanbul. Dolmus means full. The name comes from how it functions. It only starts its journey when every seat is occupied. So literally, when it is complete, it starts riding. After beginning the journey, Dolmus will never stop unless somebody wants to step off. After one steps off, the driver looks for the people that may wave them to step on during the journey. There is no set price for the Dolmus. The passengers pay according to the distance.
Taxi
If you want to reach wherever you are going in Istanbul as fast as possible, the solution is taxis. If you work in a city of 15 million people and your daily routine is searching for the routes with less traffic, you would know the fastest way from A to B no matter what time of the day is. The rules for the taxis are simple. We don't negotiate the price of taxis. In every taxi, the official rule is that they have to have a meter. We don't tip the taxis but round up the fare. For example, if the meter says 38 TL, we hand 40 and say keep the change.
Airport transfers
There are two international airports in Istanbul. The European side airport, Istanbul, and the Asian side airport, Sabiha Gokcen. Both of them are international airports with a wide range of flight schedules from all over the world. The distance from both airports is roughly the same with about 1.5 hours to the city center. Possible transfer options from both Istanbul airports are below.
1) Istanbul Airport
Shuttle: As the Istanbul airport is the newest in Turkey, there is not a metro connection from the city center to the airport directly. Havaist is a bus company that runs buses 7/24 from / to the airport. The fee is about 2 Euros, and the payment has to be done by credit card or Istanbulkart. You can check the website for departure times and terminals.
Metro: There are reciprocal metro services to Istanbul Airport from Kagithane and Gayrettepe regions. You can buy your ticket from the machines at the entrance of the metro or pay with Istanbul Card.
Private transfers and taxi: You can reach your hotel with comfortable and safe vehicles by purchasing online before arriving, or you can buy at the airport from the agencies inside. Airport private transfer fees are around 40 - 50 Euros. There is also the possibility of transportation by taxi. You can rely on airport taxis. Istanbul E-pass provides to/from airport private transfers at affordable prices from both international airports of Istanbul.
2) Sabiha Gokcen Airport:
Shuttle: Havabus company has shuttle transfers from / to many points in Istanbul during the day. You can use the shuttle service by paying about 3 Euros. Cash payments are not accepted. You can pay by credit card or Istanbul Card. Please check the website for departure times.
Private Transfer and Taxi: You can reach your hotel with comfortable and safe vehicles by purchasing online before arriving, or you can buy at the airport from the agencies inside. Airport Private transfer fees are around 40 - 50 Euros. There is also the possibility of transportation by taxi. You can rely on airport taxis. Istanbul E-pass provides to/from airport private transfers at affordable prices from both international airports of Istanbul.
The Final Word
For traveling, we suggest you decide on the type of transport depending on your route and destination. For general traveling, metros, both busses and trains can be the cheapest and comfortable means, but for inaccessible places whose routes do not align with the general routes of public transports, private transports and taxes are ideal.