Lonely Planet İstanbul Guide

TOP TIPS

A Purchase an İstanbulkart to save nearly 50% on the standard ticket price every time you take a ferry, tram, metro, funicular or bus ride, and even more on connecting journeys. A If travelling from the Grand Bazaar or Süleymaniye Mosque to Beyoğlu, consider taking the metro from Vezneciler rather than the slower tram service. A To pick up a handy public transport map of the city or to request transport information, go to the extremely helpful İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi (İstanbul Municipality) Information Office between the Harem and Kadıköy iskeles at Eminönü. When to Travel A İstanbul is a busy city and even though public transport services are frequent, they are often crowded. Try to avoid rush hours (8am to 10am and 4pm to 6pm) if possible. A If you need to get to Taksim Meydanı (Taksim Sq) from the Asian or Bosphorus suburbs after services have finished for the night, you should be able to take a dolmuş. A All Bosphorus and Princes’ Islands ferry services are jam-packed on weekends; consider exploring on a weekday if possible. Tickets & Passes A Jetons can be purchased from ticket machines or offices at tram stops, iskelesi and funicular and metro stations, but it’s much cheaper and easier to use an İstanbulkart. A You must have an İstanbulkart to use a bus. A Pay the driver when you take a dolmuş (shared minibus); fares vary according to destination and length of trip. A Ticket prices are usually the same on public and private ferry services; İstanbulkarts can be used on some private ferries, but not all. A İstanbulkarts cannot be used to pay for Bosphorus ferry tours.