Getting around Istanbul

Istanbul is crossed on three kinds of transport and one card: the T1 tram runs along the old peninsula, the ferries cross the Bosphorus and the metro carries everything else. The Istanbulkart works on all of them. A tram or metro ride costs €0.82, and every further boarding within two hours is charged at a discount, so chain the lines instead of paying the full fare on each.

The M11 metro runs from the new airport to Gayrettepe in about half an hour, and there you change to the M2, which crosses the Golden Horn and stops at Taksim, Şişhane and Vezneciler. Choose the metro if your hotel is near an M2 stop, because it does not sit in traffic like the coach. The metro stops around midnight, so a late landing means the coach or a taxi.

The Havaist coach to Taksim takes about an hour and a half, depending on traffic, and you pay with an Istanbulkart or a bank card, not cash. Take it when you have heavy luggage and do not want to change at Gayrettepe. From Taksim the short F1 funicular drops down to Kabataş, where the T1 tram begins.

The second airport, Sabiha Gökçen, lies on the Asian side and is linked by the M4 metro, whose whole line to Kadıköy is about 52 minutes long. If you are staying in Sultanahmet, carry on from Kadıköy on a short ferry to Eminönü, where the T1 tram serves the old city.

The card works on the tram, the metro, buses, ferries and the Havaist coach, and a tram or metro ride costs €0.82. Every further boarding within two hours is charged at a discount, so the cheapest day is the one that runs in a single chain, a ferry to Eminönü and then the tram to Sultanahmet. The Princes' Islands ferry is the one exception, with no transfer discount.

The T1 tram and the funicular: the old-city line

The T1 runs from Kabataş to Bağcılar over 19.3 km and stops at Karaköy, Eminönü, Gülhane and Sultanahmet. Eminönü is also where you change to the ferries and the T5 tram. The busy line carries about 320,000 passengers a day, so expect to stand at rush hour.

3 daysHow those stops fall into a three-day plan:Istanbul in 3 days →

The city ferry from Eminönü to Kadıköy takes about twenty minutes and costs €1.16 on an Istanbulkart, and the skyline of the old city lies beside you the whole way. The long trip to Anadolu Kavağı, €11 return for foreigners, takes about six hours and is a day of its own, not a substitute for transport.

Where to stayWhich district sits on which line:Where to stay in Istanbul →

Day tripsWhere a ferry takes you beyond the city, to the islands and Bursa:Day trips from Istanbul →

BudgetWhat transport adds to the day's bill:What Istanbul costs →

The Marmaray train goes under the narrow strait through a tube 1.4 km long, 60 metres below sea level, and joins Sirkeci, where the T1 also stops, with Üsküdar on the Asian side. You do not depend on a ferry timetable. At Üsküdar you change to the M5 metro, and at Ayrılık Çeşme it connects to the M4 towards Kadıköy and Sabiha Gökçen airport.

FoodWhat to eat by the piers on the way:What to eat in Istanbul →

When to goWhich month suits walking and which needs an umbrella is in the guide to when to go.The best time to visit Istanbul →

AirportThe route from each of the two airports to a district, and arriving at night, are in the airport guide.From the airport to Istanbul →

MistakesWhy the long Bosphorus tour is not transport, and what to do when winter ferries stop, is in the guide to mistakes.Mistakes everyone makes in Istanbul →