Istanbul - Turkey with Your Family: From Bustling Bazaars to Historic Sites - page 59

hotels or attractions by telephone
or from the many taxi ranks dot-
ted about the city, such as the
large one at the train station. You
can't mistake the taxis; in the city
centre they are painted bright yel-
low, while airport taxis are orange
and in the outer areas they are a
more calming lilac.
Another form of taxi is the
dolmu@ , a type of minibus that
will depart when it is full and
stop wherever anyone requests it
to. While they are the cheapest
form of transport around the
city, can be seen everywhere and
are used by locals, they are, by
their nature, a tad unreliable.
Uncomfortable, too, as they will
almost always be crowded and in
the summer heat they are a chal-
lenge even without accompany-
ing children. Probably one to
miss unless your children share
your adventurous spirit and you
want to experience 'real' daily
life in Istanbul.
One thing you will almost
certainly not want to do though
is drive. Istanbul is a manic city
of 14 million residents, and it
seems they are all out on the
streets and roads at the same
time. As the public transport
system is so expansive, inexpen-
sive and in most cases reliable, it
is probably unwise to attempt
driving a car.
Commuter ferries and
seabuses (deniz otobüsü) ferry
passengers across the Bosphorus
between Europe and Asia, as well
as to the nearby Princes' Islands
(see p. 67). Some of the more
useful crossings are between
Eminönü and Kadiköy; Eminönü

and Karaköy; Karaköy and
Kadiköy; Besiktas and Üsküdar;
Besiktas and Kadiköy; and
Karaköy and Haydarpasa. Long-
distance ferries or the faster
seabuses are operated by Istanbul
Deniz Otobüsleri ( b [phone]
12 12 www.ido.com.tr ). You can
use your Akbil electronic transit
pass to ride the sea buses.

PLANNING YOUR
OUTINGS

If travelling further afield, the
city's metro runs from Taksim
Square to Levent and from
Aksaray to Otogar in Esenler,
where buses will take you to
nearby towns or to the airport
for domestic flights. The tourist
information offices (see p. 57)
are also on hand to help if you
are planning an excursion or
extending your stay in Turkey.
The staff are hugely helpful and
speak good English.

INSIDER TIP

Buy an Akbil transit pass, avail-
able from Akbil kiosks at the
entrances to most metro and light
railway stations, and tram sta-
tions. You can put as much
money as you wish onto the chip
and it gives you discounted travel
around the city on all transport
including seabuses.

FAST FACTS

Opening Hours Shopping
hours in Istanbul are generally
Monday to Saturday 9am to
5pm, although some may stay

59