Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the airport; you can catch this to Aksaray and then connect with a tram to Sultanahmet. If
you're going to Beyoğlu, bus 830 leaves from the centre of the
otogar
every 15 minutes
between 5.50am and 8.45pm and takes approximately one hour to reach Taksim Meydanı.
Bus 910 leaves for Eminönü every 15 to 25 minutes between 6am and 8.45pm; the trip
takes approximately 50 minutes. Both trips cost 2. A taxi will cost approximately 30 to
Sultanahmet, 35 to Taksim.
There's a smaller bus station on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus at Harem, south of
Üsküdar and north of Haydarpaşa train station. If you're arriving in İstanbul by bus from
anywhere on the Anatolian side of Turkey, it's always quicker to get out at Harem and
take the car ferry to Sirkeci/Eminönü ( 2; every 30 minutes from 7am to 10.30pm); if you
stay on the bus until the
otogar,
you'll add at least an hour to your journey. If you're go-
ing the other way, you may want to catch your bus here, instead of at the
otogar;
if your
destination is serviced by frequent buses (eg Ankara or Antalya) you should have no
trouble arriving at the Harem
otogar
and buying a ticket on the spot; if there are fewer ser-
vices (eg Cappadocia) you should reserve your ticket by calling the bus line ahead of
time, requesting that you board at Harem instead of the Büyük
otogarı
.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT OPERATORS
İstanbul Elektrik Tramvay ve Tünel
(İETT, Istanbul Electricity, Tramway and Tunnel General
trams in the city. Its website has useful timetable and route information in Turkish and English.
seabus and fast ferry services are operated by
İstanbul Deniz Otobüsleri
(İDO;
212-444 4436;
Train
At the time of our research, only one international service - the daily Bosfor/Balkan Eks-
presi between İstanbul and Bucharest, Sofia and Belgrade - was operating in and out of
