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Transportation in Istanbul is a subject that everyone here must master due to the heavy traffic.
Let’s take a closer look at the means and types of transportation in Istanbul, which completely cover all regions of Istanbul, are affordable and accompany magnificent views.
Transportation in Istanbul
In most areas of Istanbul, IETT is in charge of transportation. You should get an Istanbulkart to enjoy the city to the fullest, wherever IETT manages it. This card can be used for all types of transportation in Istanbul. These are, respectively:
- Bus
- Metrobus
- Metro
- Marmaray
- Sea transport
- Cable car
- Tram
You can buy Istanbulkart at major transportation stations and nearby kiosks. You can also opt for disposable cards, but we recommend purchasing a reusable card and loading it as needed. By using Istanbulkart, you can save money by taking advantage of discounts and other advantages during transfers.
How do I get Istanbulkart?
You can get Istanbulkart from the Biletmatik device. However, like many other transactions today, you can apply for Istanbulkart online via this link .
If you want to get an anonymous Istanbul Card, you can buy a physical card from markets and kiosks or apply for a scheduled transportation card online.
If you want to have an Istanbul Card in your own name or if you fall into special categories such as student, teacher, or retiree, you must register with the system. You can apply to have a discounted, blue or free Istanbulcard by submitting the necessary documents online. This can be easily done without the need for a physical application.
The different ticket fees used in IETT vehicles as of November 2023 are as follows:
| Fee Type | Price (TL) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Full Electronic Ticket Fee | 15 | 0.52 |
| Student Electronic Ticket Fee | 7.32 | 0.25 |
| Teacher Electronic Ticket Fee | 10.74 | 0.37 |
| Full Subscription Fee | 1177 | 40.98 |
| Student Subscription Fee | 212 | 7.39 |
| Metrobus Full Ticket Price | 22.25 | 0.77 |
| Marmaray Short Distance | 15 | 0.52 |
| Marmaray Long Distance | 33 | 1.15 |
Means of Transportation in Istanbul
Bus
Of course, buses are one of the first vehicles that come to mind when it comes to transportation. There are bus lines in Istanbul that go to every point of the city.
It operates on certain lines and has certain stops.
The longest bus line in Istanbul is 500T. It runs on a 73-kilometer line and consists of 67 stops.
Metrobus
It is one of the fastest means of transportation in Istanbul, and therefore its cost is slightly higher than the normal fare. By swiping your card at the money-refund machines at the stop where you get off, you only pay for the distance you travel.
Metrobus lines are as follows:
| Line Name | Line Length | Number of Stations | Travel Duration (One Way) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avcılar-Zincirlikuyu | 30 km | 26 | 60 min. |
| Avcılar-Söğütlüçeşme | 42 km | 33 | 80 min. |
| Beylikdüzü-Zincirlikuyu | 40km | 37 | 80 min. |
| Beylikdüzü-Cevizlibağ | 29 km | 26 | 60 min. |
| Beylikdüzü-Söğütlüçeşme | 52 km | 44 | 100 min. |
| Zincirlikuyu-Söğütlüçeşme | 11.5 km | 8 | 25 min. |
Metro
A metro train is a means of public transportation that operates underground in Istanbul.
Merto lines in Istanbul are:
- M1A: Yenikapı – Bus Terminal – Atatürk Airport Metro Line
- M1B: Yenikapı – Bus Terminal – Kirazlı Metro Line
- M2: Yenikapı – Taksim – Hacıosman Metro Line
- M3: Başakşehir Metrokent – Kirazlı – Olympic Metro Line
- M4: Kadıköy – Kartal – Pendik Tavşantepe Metro Line
- M5: Üsküdar – Ümraniye – Çekmeköy Metro Line
- M6: Levent – Boğaziçi University Hisarüstü Metro Line
- M7: Mecidiyeköy – Mahmutbey Metro Line
- M8: Bostancı-Dudullu-Parseller Metro Line
- M9: Ataköy-Olimpiyat Metro Line
- M10: Pendik-SGH Metro Line
- M11: Gayrettepe – Istanbul Airport Metro Line
Tram
Tram is a means of transportation independent of traffic, with its own rails and therefore a special road. Tram lines in Istanbul are as follows:
- T1 – Kabataş-Bağcılar Tram Line
- T3 – Kadıköy-Moda Tram Line
- T4 – Topkapi-Mescid-i Selam Tram Line
- T5 – Eminönü-Alibeyköy Pocket Bus Terminal Tram Line
Ferry
Istanbul is the only city in the world with a sea passing through the middle of the city. This poetic city can definitely be enjoyed on the ferry. Getting on the ferry with a bagel, drinking a glass of tea on the ferry, and feeding the seagulls coming behind the ferry with that bagel is perhaps the most pleasant ritual you can do in Istanbul.
Apart from this romantic function, the ferry takes Istanbulites away from traffic. It makes it possible to quickly reach places that would take a long time to get from one place to another by car or public transportation. In addition, this is the only way to get to and from the islands by public transportation. Transportation by ferry is also provided with single-use tickets or Istanbulkart.
These are all the ferry lines in Istanbul:
| LINES IN ISTANBUL |
|---|
| Kadıköy – Kabataş |
| Kadıköy – Karaköy – Eminönü |
| Üsküdar – Karaköy – Eminönü |
| Kadıköy – Beşiktaş |
| Kadıköy – Karaköy – Beşiktaş |
| Halıcı Line |
| Aşiyan – Anadolu Hisarı – Küçüksu Ring Line |
| Üsküdar – Aşiyan |
| Kadıköy – Kasımpaşa – Fener – Hasköy – Sütlüce – Eyüpsultan Line |
| Beşiktaş – Kabataş – Karaköy – Kasımpaşa – Sütlüce – Eyüpsultan Line |
| Çengelköy – Kabataş Line |
| Bostancı – Moda – Kadıköy – Kabataş Line |
| BOSPHORUS LINES |
|---|
| Arriving from the Bosphorus – Departure to the Bosphorus |
| Anadolukavağı – Rumelikavağı – Sarıyer |
| Küçüksu – Beşiktaş – Kabataş |
| Çengelköy – İstinye |
| Kadıköy – Sarıyer |
| Anadolukavağı – Üsküdar |
| Ortaköy – Üsküdar – Kadıköy |
| Rumelikavağı – Eminönü |
| Küçüksu – İstinye |
| Bebek – Emirgan |
| Beykoz – Sariyer |
| Ortaköy – Beşiktaş – Eminönü |
| ISLANDS LINES |
|---|
| Kabataş – Islands |
| Islands – Beşiktaş |
| Bostancı – Adalar Ring Line |
| Maltepe – Büyükada – Heybeliada – Burgazada – Kınalıada Line |
IBB Sea Taxi
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s (IMM) Sea Taxi service has a capacity of 10 people and can only be booked through the IMM Sea Taxi application. This service is available any day of the week, any time of the day.
Reservations can be made up to 5 days in advance. Payments are made with credit or debit cards defined in the application. Pier attendants during the day and Sea Taxi personnel at night assist the passengers.
IBB Sea Taxi fare tariff as of November 2023 is as follows:
| Distance (miles) | Price per mile (TL) | Price per mile (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 | 210 | 7.32 |
| 1-4 | 155 | 5.40 |
| 4-8 | 125 | 4.35 |
| 8+ | 100 | 3.48 |
Minibus
Minibuses in Istanbul are independent of IETT. Each minibus has its own line but no stops. You can take the minibus from anywhere on the line. Minibuses in Istanbul are very crowded, especially during commuting and leaving hours.
There are a total of 123 minibus lines in Istanbul.
While university, master’s, and doctoral students also provide discounted transportation at IETT, the oldest high school students can benefit from discounted prices on minibuses.
DOLMUŞ
This is a private transportation service only available in Turkey. It says “DOLMUŞ” on it. The reason why it is called a minibus is that the vehicle departs regardless of the hour when it reaches its passenger capacity at the departure point.
It has a maximum capacity of 8 people and has a specific route. It is a yellow vehicle. It is more expensive than a minibus, but more comfortable.
Taxi
It is the most difficult and most expensive means of transportation in Istanbul. Unfortunately, the number of taxis in Istanbul is low compared to the population. However, many taxi drivers state that they do not want to travel short distances or do not want to go to places where there is a risk of traffic, and do not pick up passengers, causing victimization.
There are applications that allow you to call a taxi and show the approximate cost when you enter the departure point and destination. It is very useful to avoid being defrauded by taxi drivers.
Taxi pricing in November 2023 is as follows.
| Fee Type | Price (TL) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Taximeter opening fee | 19,17 | 0.67 |
| Yellow taxi distance fee | 13.75 | 0.48 |
| Yellow taxi timetable fee | 152.73 | 5.32 |
| Yellow taxi hop-on-hop-off fee | 70 | 2.44 |
Intercity Bus
These are large buses used for intercity transportation. There are three bus terminals in Istanbul: Esenler, Alibeyköy and Dudullu. There are bus services from Istanbul to all cities in Turkey.
Fast train
The stops of the intercity high-speed train in Istanbul are as follows:
- Halkalı
- Bakırköy
- Söğütlüçeşme
- Bostancı
- Pendik
The high-speed train leaving Istanbul goes to the following provinces:
- Ankara
- Eskisehir
- Izmit
- Konya
- Karaman
Airports in Istanbul
Istanbul Airport
The largest and newest airport in Istanbul is Istanbul Airport. Transportation here is provided by the following public transportation services.
IETT Lines:
- H-1 Mahmutbey Metro – Istanbul Airport Line
- H-2 Mecidiyeköy – Istanbul Airport Line
- H-3 Halkalı – Istanbul Airport Line
- H-4 Ataturk Airport – Istanbul Airport Line
Subway line:
(M11) Kağıthane – Istanbul Airport Metro
HAVAİST Lines:
- İST-1 Yenikapı – Istanbul Airport Line
- IST-2 Tüyap – Istanbul Airport Line
- IST-3 Bus Terminal – Istanbul Airport Line
- IST-4 Bakırköy – Istanbul Airport Line
- İST-5 Beşiktaş – Istanbul Airport Line
- İST-6 Alibeyköy Pocket Bus Terminal – Istanbul Airport Line
- IST-7 Kadıköy – Istanbul Airport Line
- IST-8 Pendik – Istanbul Airport Line
- IST-9 Haciosman – Istanbul Airport Line
- IST-10 Sancaktepe – Istanbul Airport Line
- İST-11 Arnavutköy – Istanbul Airport Line
- IST-12 Kemerburgaz – Istanbul Airport Line
- İST-13 Sarıyer – Istanbul Airport Line
- IST-14 Başakşehir – Istanbul Airport Line
- IST-15 Bahçeşehir – Istanbul Airport Line
- IST-16 Mahmutbey Metro – Istanbul Airport Line
- IST-17 Halkalı – Istanbul Airport Line
- IST-18 Mecidiyeköy – Istanbul Airport Line
- IST-19 Taksim – Istanbul Airport Line
Sabiha Gökçen Airport
IETT Lines:
- E9 – Bostancı – Sabiha Gökçen Airport
- E10 – Kadıköy – Kurtköy – Sabiha Gökçen Airport
- E11 – Kadıköy – Sabiha Gökçen Airport
- 16S – Sabiha Gökçen Airport – Metrobus Uzunçayır
- MR60 – Pendik YHT – Sabiha Gökçen Airport
- 130H – Naval Academy – Sabiha Gökçen Airport
- 132H – Pendik YHT – Sabiha Gökçen Airport
- 131C – Sultanbeyli/Necip Fazıl Metro – Sabiha Gökçen Airport
- 122H – 4.Levent – Yenişehir – Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport
Subway line:
M4 Kadıköy – Sabiha Gökçen Airport Metro
HAVAİST Stop Locations:
- Taksim
- Kadikoy
- Yenisahra
Important Recommendations
You can use Google Maps to find exact bus stops and times.
Apart from this, the Moovit transportation application can also be used in Istanbul.
