Istanbul Guide

210

¨ Bus Usually slow and crowd ed; you’ll need an İstanbulkart to travel as drivers don’t sell tickets. Most services operate between 6am and 11pm. Tickets & Passes ¨ Jetons (ticket tokens) can be purchased from ticket machines or offices at tram stops, iskelesi (ferry docks) and funicular and metro stations, but it’s much cheaper and easier to use an İstanbulkart. ¨ You must have an İstanbulkart to use a bus. ¨ Pay the driver when you take a dolmuş (shared minibus); fares vary according to destina tion and length of trip. ¨ Ticket prices are usually the same on public and private ferry services; İstanbulkarts can be used on some private ferries, but not all. ¨ İstanbulkarts cannot be used to pay for Bosphorus ferry tours. Tram An excellent tramvay (tram way) service runs from Bağcılar, in the city’s west, to Zeytinburnu (where it connects with the metro

at €27.90. The Marmaray (direction Gebze, every 15 minutes) links Sirkeci Sta tion and Halkalı. Passengers can change in Sofia for Bel grade in Serbia. The Bosfor Ekspresi operates in high season (June to October) only; its carriages are attached to the İstanbul–Sofya Ekspresi until it crosses the Bulgarian border, where the Bosfor Ek spresi branches off at Dim itrovgrad, heading north to Bucharest. The journey from Halkalı to Bucharest takes 21 to 22 hours and ticket prices start at €31.40. Note that services, timeta bles and ticket costs change regularly. Travellers wanting to make their way to Iran can take the high-speed train to Ankara and then connect with the weekly Trans-Asya service to Tabriz and Tehran; the trip from Ankara takes 2½ days. A fast-train service op erates up to eight times daily between Ankara and İstanbul. This takes approxi mately 4½ hours and ticket prices start at ₺71. The most convenient place to board the train is at Söğütlüçeşme station in Kadıköy, which is easily accessed from Sirkeci Station via the Marmaray (direction Gebze, every 15 minutes). Transport Getting Around İstanbul

Car & Motorcycle Sensible locals never drive into or within the city due to the horrendous traffic condi tions, and we recommend you follow their lead. GETTING AROUND İSTANBUL Public transport is cheap and efficient; children under six years of age travel free. Purchasing an İstanbulkart (transport card) is highly recommended. Tram The easiest way to travel between the Bazaar District, Sultanahmet and Beyoğlu, with a new line open along the west ern shore of the Golden Horn in early 2021. Frequent services expanding metro network is modern and efficient. Most routes operate between 6am and midnight, although some operate 24 hours on Fridays and Saturdays. Ferry The most enjoyable way to travel around the city; ferries on major routes oper ate between 7am and 9pm (approximately). from 6am to midnight. Metro The city’s ever

İSTANBULKARTS İstanbul’s public-transport system is excellent, and one of its major strengths is the İstanbulkart, a rechargeable travel card similar to London’s Oyster Card and Paris’ Navigo. İstanbulkarts are simple to operate. As you enter a bus or pass through the turnstile at a ferry dock, tram stop or metro station, swipe your card for entry and the fare will automatically be deducted from your balance. The cards offer a considerable discount on fares (₺2.60, as opposed to the usual ₺5, with additional transfers within a two hour journey window: ₺1.85 for the first transfer, ₺1.40 for the second, ₺0.90 for the third). They can also be used to pay for fares for more than one traveller (one swipe per person per ride). The cards can be purchased from machines at metro, ferry and funicular stations for a nonrefundable charge of ₺10 (including ₺4 credit) and can be loaded with amounts between ₺5 and ₺300 at kiosks or at machines at ferry docks, metro and bus stations.