Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Base City:
ISTANBUL
City Dialing Code: 212
Arriving by Air
Istanbul Ataturk Airport.
Istanbul's modern Ataturk Airport
(
www.ataturkairport.com
) is situated on the European side of the city, only a short
drive from the historic area of the city.
•
Airport-City Links:
A light rail connection is available between the airport and
the Aksaray district of Istanbul, which houses the city's bus station. The trip takes
between 30 and 40 minutes. Hava (
www.havas.net/en
) also operates shuttle ser-
vices between the airport and major landmarks such as Taksim Square.
•
Money exchange, ATMs,
and
tourist information
are available in the Interna-
tional Arrivals area.
Getting Around in Istanbul
If you reserve a hotel in the historic district of Sultanahmet, you will rarely need to
use public transportation, as the majority of the city's “must-sees” are within easy
walking distance. That said, if you find it necessary to strike out from this area,
the best bet is to use the aboveground tram system (
www.istanbul-ulasim.com.tr
).
There are three major lines traversing the Sultanahmet area and the European side
of the city, one from the airport into Sultanahmet on a northerly route, a second that
hugs the coastline, and a third that splits the difference and offers the most access-
ibility to sites of interest.
Sights/Attractions/Tours
Istanbul is truly a magnificent city, as it literally straddles the divide between East
and West. The Bosphorus Strait forms the boundary between Europe and Asia and
cleaves the city in two. The European side is divided by another small waterway,
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