Transport in Istanbul

City transport in Istanbul is very convenient but a bit confusing. Most tourists arrive at Atatürk and Sabiha Gökçen airports and stay in the Sultanahmet or Beyoğlu districts. Therefore, the key transport stops you should remember are: in the Beyoglu area — the square with Taksim bus stops and the Karakoy ferry pier. In the Sultanahmet area — the pier and Eminonu square, and on the Asian side — the Kadıköy pier and Üsküdar train stop.

How to conveniently get from Sabiha Gökçen airport to the center of Istanbul

The most obvious option is to take the HavaBus from the airport to the city center, but because of traffic jams, you might spend too much time and energy. Therefore, it’s better to take the HavaBus to the ferry stop on the Asian side, Üsküdar, and then cross the Bosphorus by ferry or train from there. The bus schedule is here.

Ferry across the Bosphorus

My favourite option: take the ferry on the Bosphorus from the Kadıköy stop on the Asian side to the Karakoy or Eminonu stops on the European side. For the price of city transport, you get a water tour, enjoy the views, and feel the power and beauty of the strait. Eminonu is located near the historic center Sultanahmet, and Karakoy is on the side of the Beyoglu district and the central street Taksim. These two ferry stops are connected by the bridge over the Golden Horn, so if you accidentally arrive at the wrong one, don’t worry—just walk to the necessary station on foot.

City buses, trams, metro

The cheapest way to get from Sabiha Gökçen airport to the ferry stop on the Asian side, Kadıköy, is by city buses E9, E11 with a transfer to E16. You can also transfer to the metro. However, city buses make many stops and are much slower than the Havatas express; plus, it’s easy to get confused during transfers. In other cases, traveling by bus around the city is very comfortable. Choose routes using Google Maps or the IETT website.

Underwater across the Bosphorus. The Marmaray Tunnel

The fastest way to cross the Bosphorus and get from the Asian to the European side of the city is the underwater Marmaray rail tunnel. From the HavaBus stop, walk or take a ride to the Üsküdar train station. The total length of the tunnel is 13.6 km (including 1.4 km directly under the water). The tunnel was built from 2004 to 2013, with a total project cost of 5 billion dollars. The ticket price for the train is the same as other city transport in Istanbul — 4 lira without a card, 2.5 with the Istanbul Kart.

The deepest section of the tunnel is located 60 meters below the surface of the bay. By overall depth, Marmaray is the second deepest tunnel in the world after Japan’s Seikan Tunnel. Project website: http://www.marmaray.gov.tr/.
Download the map of Istanbul’s city trains and metro here.
The city train line is marked on the metro map as M3 and highlighted in light blue.

Istanbul Kart – the entire city transport in your pocket

The city card Istanbul Kart almost halves the cost of traveling on public transport. It’s worth buying right away to pay for rides on city buses, ferries, and the train under the Bosphorus. You can buy the card at kiosks or ODM machines at the airport and transport stops. If a single trip on the metro, tram, or bus costs 4 liras, with the card it’s from 2.15 liras and less. Discounts apply for transfers within 2 hours. Several people can use one card, but discounts apply only to one person. The card costs 6 liras.

Ferries

Ferries in Istanbul are a way to see the city from the sea and admire the Bosphorus without overpaying for tours. Any city ferry ride for me is a separate pleasure, and the Bosphorus is beautiful both day and night. The two-hour route to the Princes’ Islands runs along the vast Asian part of the city, so don’t rush to buy a sightseeing tour for 25 liras — you might be satisfied with any of the city ferries that cost 10 times less.

Ferries in Istanbul run along the following main routes; some operate from 7:00 to 21:00, others until 1 a.m. Check schedules and prices at the Sehirhatlari website.

City Ferries:
KADIKOY – EMINONU
KARAKOY – KADIKOY
USKUDAR – EMINONU
KADIKOY – BESIKTAS
HALIC HATTI
BOSTANCI – KARAKOY

Ferries on the Bosphorus:
TO BOSPHORUS – FROM BOSPHORUS
SARIYER – ANADOLU KAVAGI – RUMELI KAVAGI
KUCUKSU – BESIKTAS
CENGELKOY – ISTINYE
KADIKÖY – SARIYER
ANADOLU KAVAĞI – ÜSKÜDAR
ÜSKÜDAR – ORTAKÖY
RUMELİ KAVAĞI – EMİNÖNÜ
İSTİNYE – ÇUBUKLU (VEHICLE)
KÜÇÜKSU – İSTİNYE
BEBEK – EMİRGAN

Adalar Ferry Line – goes to the Princes’ Islands:
BOSTANCI – ADALAR
BEŞİKTAŞ – KINALIADA – BURGAZAADA
BEŞİKTAŞ – HEYBELİADA – BÜYÜKADA
EMİNÖNÜ – KADIKÖY – ADALAR

Bosphorus tours (cost 25 liras):
FULL BOSPHORUS CRUISE
SHORT BOSPHORUS TOUR

City maps were taken from the websites IstanbulMap 360, Anima Turk, and Turkish Airlines.