The best transportation options while in Istanbul

Getting around Istanbul can be a bit tricky, so this is where we step in. To alleviate your confusion, we divided transportation around city into 3 main sections.

Is renting a car in Istanbul a good idea?

Most people prefer the comfort of their own vehicle, so it is only reasonable that they want the exact same experience they have back home at their holiday location. While that is understandable, we still would recommend to avoid renting a car in Istanbul. Traffic in Istanbul tends to get quite hectic, especially during peak hours where you can end up for hours in traffic jams. Local drivers are prone to driving fast and often disregard traffic signs, while motorbikes dart in and out of lanes. Parking can be scarce and expensive in central areas, and navigating one-way streets can be a challenge. For a stress-free experience, consider Istanbul’s excellent public transport system.

Should you use taxi in Istanbul?

Grabbing a taxi is always considered to be the most convenient mean of transportation. Well, in this case, it may not be the best option when in Istanbul. When it comes to taxis in Istanbul, our recommendation is to try to avoid it, since you will most likely pay double or even triple the price. There is no way to be sure you’re getting the fair price since most taxi drivers will try to rip you off. Sometimes taxi can be convenient, so if you still decide to use it, we recommend using BiTaxi and ITaxi app. Uber is no longer banned in Turkey, but some Uber drivers may not charge you the amount from the app, instead they will make you pay their own on the spot made-up higher price and can sometimes even take you through longer routes.

To ensure that you’re being taken through direct and shorter route, your best bet is checking Google Maps or any GPS you may have on your phone to not get scammed that way. Also, make sure that the taxi driver turned on the taximeter. One thing that we would like to add is to take a photo or write down taxi plate because they can forget about your luggage and simply drive off. Don’t get us wrong, taxi is a valid option, but be aware and try to follow our suggestions to minimize the risk of possible scams.

Should you use public transport in Istanbul?

The best option for getting around Istanbul is definitely its public transport. It’s clean, frequent, reliable, cheaper and faster since it often has dedicated traffic lanes. Public transport of Istanbul includes metro (subway), Marmaray (transcontinental subway connecting European and Asian side), trams, funiculars, cable cars, ferries, buses and Metrobüs (buses with dedicated traffic lanes). To use public transport simply purchase a public transport card from  black-yellow, blue-yellow, and blue machines conveniently located at metro stations, docks, airports, and main bus terminals. Sometimes those machines can have no cards left, so try using another machine. Cards can also be purchased from these Turkish stores – A101, BİM, Şok, MMM Migros, 5M Migros, Migros Jet and CarrefourSA supermarkets. Public transport is free for children under the age of 6.

Beware! Common public transport card scam in Istanbul

Important to note that some locals buy the cards from the machine beforehand and empty the machine, so they try to sell it to tourists when they arrive to buy the card for bigger price or even the same price as the machine, but those are probably already used and expired cards. Keep in mind when they help you use the machine, they are likely to ask for compensation for their part. Don’t fall for that and just go to the next machine or next location.

Istanbul transportation card variants

There are two types of anonymous transportation cards targeted for tourists, first one is a red, rechargeable Istanbulkart and the second one is blue Istanbul City Card. Both cards can be purchased from the designated machines at metro stations, docks, airports, and main bus terminals. Istanbulkart can be purchased from black-yellow, blue-yellow, and blue “biletmatik” machines with the inner part blue with bottom inscription Istanbul. Istanbul City Card can be purchased from blue machine with a blue inscription and big sign on the machine “Istanbul City Card“. There is usually only one machine for Istanbul City Card per location. Both cards are valid for all modes of transportation.

Transportation is free on all Turkish national and religious holidays (religious dates often change depending on Islamic lunar calendar for the year). Web page for 2024. https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/turkey/2024

Something to note, those machines can be slow and can even malfunction, so just be patient with it or try different machine.