Istanbul Transportation

Getting There:

By Air:

Atatürk International Airport (IST)

Atatürk International Airport (http://www.ataturkairport.com/) has numerous airline service providers including:

Air France (+90 212 663 0600 / http://www.airfrance.com/)
Blue Air (+40 40 21 208 8686 / http://www.blueair-web.com/)
British Airways (+90 212 663 0501 / http://www.britishairways.com/)
Condor ( +1 800 524 6975 / http://www7.condor.com/ )
Corendon Airlines (+32 2 722 94 94 / http://www.corendon.com/)
Delta Airlines (+90 212 663 07 52 / http://www.delta.com/)
Egyptair (+90 212 663 3301 / http://www.egyptair.com/.eg)
Emirates Airlines (+90 212 663 0708 / http://www.emirates.com/)
Germanwings ( +44 870 252 1250 / http://www1.germanwings.com/ )
KLM (+90 212 465 4287 / http://www.klm.com/)
Lufthansa (+90 212 663 0595 / http://www.lufthansa.com/)
Qantas (+90 212 240 5032 / http://www.qantas.com/.au)
Swissair (+90 212 663 6676 / http://www.swiss.com/)
SA Express (+90 212 246 6075 / http://www.saexpress.co.za)
Turkish Airlines (+90 +90 212 444 0849 / http://www.thy.com/)

Transportation leaving the airport includes:

To Taksim Square:

Buses run daily at 6a and at every half hour between 7a and 11:30p. A stop is also made in Aksaray.

To Bakirköy & Bostanci:

A bus leaves the airport to intercept the "flying boat," which arrives at Bakirköy from Bostanci.

To Akmerkez (Etiler):

Buses run daily between 7a and 9p every hour on the hour.

To Kozyatagi:

Buses run daily between 4a and 10p. A stop is also made in Kiziltoprak.

Taxi services can be found outside the arrivals area of TAV.

Some of the major car rental companies include:

Avis (+90 212 465 4550 / http://www.avis.fr)
Budget (+90 212 663 0858 / http://www.budget.fr)
Hertz (+90 212 663 0807 / http://www.hertz.fr)

Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW)

Sabiha Gökçen Airport (+90 216 585 50 00 / http://www.sgairport.com//havaalani/eng/start.asp) is a tiny airport on the Asian side of the city that services just a few airlines, and there are just a few flights at a time. Keep in mind that flights from this airport often fly you to smaller, lesser-known airports in whatever your destination city may be; however, this is the airport you fly out of if you want a really cheap ticket!

Airlines servicing SAW include:

Germanwings (+44 870 252 1250 / http://www1.germanwings.com/)
Easyjet (http://www.easyjet.com/)
Turkish Airlines (+90 212 444 0849 / http://www.thy.com/)
Pegasus Airlines (+90 444 0737 / http://www.flypgs.com/)
Corendon Airlines (+32 2 722 9494 / http://www.corendon.com/)
Montenegro Airlines (http://www.montenegro-airlines.cg.yu)
Blue Wings (+49 2 11 42 16 8060 / http://www.bluewings.com//bwg)
Hapag Fly (+49 511 2200 4713 / http://www.tuifly.com//de/index.html)
MyAir (+44 207 365 1597 / http://www.myair.com//docs/cust/en/index.shtml)
Condor (+1 800 364 1667 / http://www10.condor.com//tcf-us/index.jsp)
Air Arabia (http://www.airarabia.com/)

Getting out of Sabiha Gökçen Airport:

Taxis are available outside the terminal.

The Haydarpasa-Gebze Express shuttle regularly departs from / arrives at Pendik Train Station (at SAW itself -- just ask at airport information). There are also regular suburban services.

Havas: Ask at the airport information desk for the Havas (airport shuttle) service schedule.

Bus (IETT): Ask at the airport information desk for bus schedules.

By Train:

Not as popular a mode of transport as buses, with a much smaller network, there are rail connections from Istanbul to Ankara, Izmir and Eastern Anatolian cities. Reservations are essential for these trips, and there are several classes of seats and sleepers. International services from Sirkeci (+90 212 527 0050/51) (on the European side) and Haydarpasa (+90 216 336 0475/2063) (Asian side) stations include Vienna, Munich, Budapest, Thessaloniki, (via Eskisehir, Konya, and Gaziantep), Aleppo (via Tatvan and Van), Tehran, Moscow and Bucharest.

By Bus:

Istanbul is well-connected by bus to every part of Turkey. Buses are frequent and the main coach station, Otogar (+90 212 658 0505) is at Esenler. There are various independent bus companies, all of whom have a ticket office at the station. (The larger ones have offices dotted around town, especially in areas like Taksim, Sultanahmet, Besiktas and Bostanci.) Prices vary slightly depending on the quality of the vehicle.

By Car:

From the northwest, take route D020 southeast. From the southwest, follow route D100 northeast.

Getting Around:

Within the European Side: Istanbul's main bus terminal is Büyük Otogar (+90 212 658 0505) in Eminönü. There are also shared taxi-vans called dolmus (literally meaning "stuffed"!), which can take you anywhere around town. Other options include a tramway, a subway, a cable car from Karaköy to Beyoglu and a tiny electric trolley from Beyoglu to Taksim.

Within the Asian Side: The dolmus and buses are generally the cheap way to go; taxis are also generally easy to find.

From Europe to Asia and Back: Most Istanbulites rely on the ferries for their intercontinental travel; indeed, this is the best way to see the beautiful Haydarpasa train station, the Kiz Kulesi, and the old mansions lining the European coast. On the ferry, you are out in the open sea air that is so much a part of Istanbul's overall atmosphere. Other options for intercontinental travel are a smaller, faster seabus, or a regular bus from Büyük Otogar (Eminönü) or Bostanci (Kadiköy) over one of the bridges.

Planning a Trip

While planning your trip and consulting this guide, you should know a few things about the nature of travel and tourism in Istanbul and Turkey in general.

It is no surprise to any of us that hotels, restaurants, and museums raise their prices regularly (and in some cases, annually). However, this natural inflation is compounded by Turkey's current popularity as a tourist destination, and indeed the Ministry of Culture and Tourism accordingly recalibrates the entry fees for museums at the start of each tourist season. Thus, sparsely visited museums such as Askeri Müzesi (Military Museum) charge lesser fees in the hopes of attracting more visitors, while the fees for "must-sees" such as Topkapi Palace and the Ayasofya continue to climb to accommodate what the market will bear. Hotels (some of which are now excluding breakfast from the package) and restaurants (which shamelessly have begun to charge a "cover" for bread and water) are also taking advantage of the increased level of demand. I have tried to balance this unavoidable fact by selecting honest and reliable establishments led by professional businessmen and women, and to weed out the "get-rich-quickers." This in itself is not always possible, as ownership of hotels, restaurants, cafes, and even websites changes and evolves, often without the corresponding name change.

Furthermore, Turkey is undergoing a level of development and renewal that it has not seen in decades. Foreign direct investment, improvements in the tax collection system, an unprecedented commitment to the country's as-of-yet unexcavated cultural goods, and elevated museum entrance fees are being plowed back into the economy, while projects anticipating Istanbul's reign as European Cultural Capital (2010) and Turkey's continued bid for membership in the E.U. are giving the entire country a major face-lift. The country is changing at an incredible clip, and unfortunately it's impossible for a guidebook to stay ever-on-top of things.

Finally, there is an unavoidable (and inconvenient?) truth to writing up those rare and secret "finds." Once the secret is out, the floodgates open, and the secret becomes a cliché. The lag time varies, but the process is sadly inevitable. Hotels double their rates, carpet shops double or triple their profits, and restaurants start to cut corners. Some of these establishments ride the coat tails of Frommer's trusted listing for years, proffering outdated guides to "illustrate" the endorsement.

What does this mean for you while you plan and fantasize about your trip? In the end, we do our best and expect that you will do yours. In exchange for our experienced and researched advice, we hope that you will be smart travelers, savvy shoppers, selective with your praise and criticism, and that you will continue to let us know what you think.

Getting There

By Plane

From the United States & Canada -- Turkish Airlines (tel. 800/874-8875; www.turkishairlines.com), American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com), and Delta Airlines (tel. 800/221-1212; www.delta.com) offer the only direct nonstop service to Istanbul from the U.S. Turkish Airlines flies direct to Istanbul's Atatürk Airport (IST) from New York (JFK) and Chicago (ORD), with access to connecting flights from other U.S. cities on American Airlines. Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines announced that it would be instituting direct flights to Istanbul from Washington, D.C., in 2008, so keep your eyes open for this new service. Delta provides direct service from Atlanta (ATL) and New York (JFK). These airlines are just the tip of the iceberg; most major international airlines flying to Istanbul offer flights from U.S. cities much too numerous to inventory, either as part of their own network or in partnership with an American airline. Choosing one involves a change of planes in the airline's home country hub, but this slight inconvenience is often accompanied by cheaper, more comparable fares.

The following telephone numbers are for the U.S. and Canada. Log on to the airline websites for your local contact number. Air France (tel. 800/237-2747; www.airfrance.com), Alitalia (tel. 800/223-5730; www.alitalia.com), Austrian Airlines (tel. 800/843-0002; www.austrianair.com), British Airways (tel. 800/247-9297; www.british-airways.com), Continental (tel. 800/231-0856; www.continental.com), Iberia (tel. 800/574-8742; www.iberia.com), KLM/Northwest (tel. 800/255-2525; www.nwa.com), Lufthansa (tel. 800/645-3880; www.luftansa.com), Swiss International (tel. 877/359-7947; www.swiss.com), United (800/UNITED; www.united.com), and US Airways (tel. 800/428-4322; www.usairways.com) all provide service to Istanbul, usually with a stop at their hub in their home country. In addition, Lufthansa flies to Ankara (ANK) and Antalya (AYT), and Austrian Airlines flies to Ankara (ANK). More often than not, Turkish Airlines will provide the connecting flights to other Turkish destinations.

There are currently no direct flights to Turkey from Canada, but negotiations are on for Turkish Airlines to establish direct service, so keep your eyes open for this development. For now, Air France, Alitalia, British Airways, Delta, KLM/Northwest, and Lufthansa all provide connecting service out of Toronto (YYZ). From Montreal (YUL), flights are available on Air France, Alitalia, British Airways, Delta, Iberia, Northwest, and Lufthansa. Vancouver (YVR) is serviced by British Airways, KLM/Northwest (via Seattle), and Lufthansa.

From the United Kingdom -- The only nonstop service to Istanbul out of London is provided by British Airways (tel. 0845/77-333-77) and Turkish Airlines (tel. 20/7766-9300), which also flies nonstop from Manchester (tel. 161/489-5287). Air France (tel. 0845/082-0162), Alitalia (tel. 0870/544-8259), Austrian Airlines (tel. 0845/601-0948), KLM/Northwest (tel. 08705/074-074), Lufthansa (tel. 0845/7737-747), and Olympic (tel. 8706/060-460; www.olympicairlines.com) offer connecting service through their home port, providing service from many other major cities in the U.K. as well.

There are also charter airline options. Onur Air, Senlikkoy Mah. Çatal Sok. 3, Florya (tel. 0212/663-9176; www.onurair.com.tr), offers service from several U.K. cities into Dalaman (DLM), Bodrum (BJV), Izmir (ADB), and Antalya (AYT) via Istanbul; and from various cities throughout Europe. SunExpress (tel. 0232/444-0797; www.sunexpress.com.tr) flies twice-weekly from London's Stansted Airport to Izmir in summer only. British Airways (tel. 0870/850-9850 in the U.K.) flies direct from Gatwick to Izmir 4 days a week.

From Australia & New Zealand -- There are few choices for connecting flights to Turkey. In partnership with Turkish Airlines, Qantas (tel. 13-13-13 in Australia, or 64-9/357-8900 in Auckland; www.qantas.com) will get you from Sydney, Auckland, and Brisbane, connecting you to a Turkish Airlines flight into Istanbul. Olympic Airways (tel. 612/9251-2044 in Australia; www.olympicairlines.com) has overnight flights from Sydney and Melbourne via Athens. Other flights from Sydney are offered on British Airways (tel. 1300/767-177 in Australia, or 0800/274-847 in Auckland), Singapore Airlines (tel. 612/9350-0100; www.singaporeair.com), KLM/Northwest (tel. 008/221-714), and Lufthansa (tel. 1300/655-727). From New Zealand, Singapore Airlines flies out of Auckland and New Plymouth; from Australia, British Airways flies out of Brisbane and Melbourne; and Lufthansa services Brisbane.

Arriving at the Airport -- Before 2001, flights into and out of Istanbul's Atatürk Airport operated out of a dingy old terminal. This old terminal is now the domestic terminal, and a new contiguous, state-of-the-art international terminal makes deplaning, passing through Customs, and heading into the city as effortless as can be expected in a transport hub that welcomed 6.5 million visitors in 2007.

There are two main bonuses of arriving at this airport. First, although an entry visa is required by most of us, obtaining one is as simple as stepping up to the visa window located adjacent to the passport control area. The second is that the airport is but a 10- to 20-minute ride into town, depending on what type of transport you've arranged and your ultimate destination.

Getting into Town from the Airport -- At the time of this writing, most hotels were competing for your business by offering additional services -- such as free pickup at the airport. Check with your hotel to see if yours is one of them.

Because taxi fares into both the Old City and Taksim are still very affordable, I recommend this door-to-door option first over the alternatives suggested below. A taxi into Sultanahmet from Atatürk Airport should cost around 16YTL ($14/£6) and a ride into Taksim around 25YTL ($22/£9.50), depending on traffic and whether or not you go the scenic route.

By Bus: If your destination is around Taksim, there is the reliable and convenient Havas shuttle bus (toll-free: tel. 0212/444-0487), departing every 30 minutes from just outside the airport exit (9YTL/$7.85/£3.40; trip time 40 min.). You could also take the cheaper and rarer green municipal bus no. 97 (1.30YTL/$1.15/50p), but because Havas is so convenient and reliable, the public bus is not an option I recommend.

It's unlikely that guests heading to the deluxe hotels along the Bosphorus will be taking public transportation into town. Nevertheless, Havas also runs a shuttle from Atatürk Airport to the entrance of Akmerkez at Etiler (10YTL/$8.70/£3.80; trip time 45 min.), where taxis are regularly awaiting passengers.

By Metro/Tramway: If you're on a budget and feeling like going the whole nine yards of independent travel, take advantage of the newly completed train connection between the airport (entrance is downstairs next to the international arrivals terminal; 1.30YTL/$1.15/50p) and the Old City all the way up to Kabatas and Taksim. This service connects the airport to Zeytinburnu, where you will need to transfer aboveground to the tramway into the historic part of the city (stops include Beyazit, Cagagoglu, Sultanahmet, Gülhane, Sirkeci, Eminönü). The tramway continues all the way to Kabatas, with stops at Karaköy, Tophane, and Findikli; from the last stop, there's a brand-new funicular transporting passengers up one of Istanbul's steeper hills to Taksim. The whole trip costs 1.30YTL ($1.15/50p) if you use the Akbil; otherwise it'll be 1.30YTL ($1.15/50p) per transfer. The trip will take a little over an hour. Remember though, you'll be hot, tired, hungry, and luggage laden for this convoluted, albeit convenient, journey.

By Train

Direct trains from Europe depart daily from Bucharest and Budapest and take about 27 and 40 hours, respectively -- and that's without any border delays. It is your responsibility to obtain visas where required (either transit or tourist, depending on your travel plans) for every border that you will cross. If you're coming from Greece, trains leave regularly for Alexandropolis, where you must go through Customs. You can catch a bus to Istanbul from the Alexandropolis train station. Depending on how long you get hung up at the border, it can take anywhere from 6 to 8 hours to get to Istanbul. Visas are readily available at the border crossing.

Of course, the Orient Express is still an option (tel. 800/524-2420 in the U.S. and Canada, 0845/077-2222 in the U.K., 1-800/000-395 in Australia, and 00-800/8392-3500 in New Zealand; www.orient-express.com). Departing from Paris once a year in late summer (Aug. 29, 2008) and passing through Zurich, Innsbruck, Vienna, Budapest, and Bucharest, the journey takes 6 days/5 nights and costs a meager $8,350 (£4,175).

Sirkeci Station (tel. 0212/527-0050) has been serving train passengers arriving (and departing) Istanbul from European cities for well over a century and has served as a model for railway stations throughout central Europe. A tram stop is immediately outside the station entrance, but don't rely on this if you're first arriving, as there is no ticket kiosk at this stop.

By Car

With global warming issues and petrol prices in the stratosphere, driving to Turkey makes bad sense. But some people just insist on the comfort of their own vehicle, so be prepared for the red tape of sorting out multiple transit visas and at least 4 days of hard driving. There are two traditional routes to take: The "northern" one through Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. Or the "southern" one through Belgium, Germany, Austria, and Italy with a car ferry connection to Turkey. Drivers planning to stay longer than 3 months must have an International Driving Permit (IDP), which also comes in handy in out-of-the-way places where the local police can't decipher your national version. You'll also be required to provide proof of third-party insurance at the Turkish border.

Getting Around

By Public Transportation

Transportation in Istanbul is like the Internet: It's anonymous, indispensable, and completely decentralized. Implemented with little thought of how one service might be integrated with another, the network of buses, minibuses, funiculars, ferries, catamarans, subways, trains, trams, and trolley cars will certainly get you where you're going, but you may have to take all of them to get there. For a quick reference guide to transportation in central Istanbul, turn to the inside front cover of this book.

A one-way ride, without a transfer, on the bus, tramway, historic trolley, funicular to Taksim, metro, or Istanbul City Ferry costs 1.30YTL ($1.15/50p). Note that the dolmus, the Tünel, and several of the ferry lines have their own prices. Each time you transfer lines or modes of transport, you have to pay again, although buying a transit pass will make it a bit easier.

Not sure how to get where you're going? The transport arm of the Istanbul municipality operates a great website, www.iett.gov.tr, where you can find all the routes for the whole range of transport options. You can also plug in your starting point to find out which public transport options stop there.

Transport Made Easy with the Akbil -- True to its name (Akbil means "smart ticket"), a refillable plastic contraption hanging from the key chains of Istanbul's commuters offers both convenience and savings for an initial deposit of 6YTL ($5.20/£2.30) plus the prepaid cost of travel. Keep your receipt so that you can get your deposit back before you leave. The buses, tramway, trolley, metro, and seabuses (not the ferries, which are privately owned) have been outfitted to accept the Akbil, available for purchase (and refills) at booths displaying the Akbil logo in Taksim Square, Eminönü, and Aksaray. In addition to the per-ride savings for trips requiring multiple transfers, the Akbil will get you a savings of around 10% per ride. And better still, one Akbil can be used by multiple travelers in a group. Pre-loaded Akbils can also be purchased daily (7.50YTL/$6.55/£2.85), weekly (40YTL/$35/£15), 15-day (60YTL/$52/£23), or monthly (100 YTL/$87/£40).

The Bus -- Metropolitan buses in Istanbul are frequent, comprehensive, economical, and easy -- if you know your way around. There is no bus map nor are the routes of any individual bus line depicted anywhere near the bus stops (usually your typical glass shelter with a metal bench). What you will find is a plaque at the bus stop with a list of the stops along the route. The bus's final destination is indicated above the front windshield, with a selection of major stops listed on the side of the bus next to the entrance (admittedly, not much help if you aren't familiar with the basic layout of the city). To help you navigate, we have provided a selection of the more useful bus routes on the inside front cover of this book. Still, always check with the driver before getting on to make sure the bus is going in the direction you need, and once boarded, frequently ask your neighbor when to get off. Some of the most useful major hubs are at Eminönü, Taksim, and Besiktas. Tickets are sold at the major hubs or on the bus -- if your bus doesn't have a "cashier" on board, there's an informal system whereby you can pay the driver, who will in turn hand you his own personal Akbil to use (this earns the driver about .05YTL per cash-paying customer). Buses run, roughly, from 6 or 6:30am until around 11pm or midnight.

The Dolmus -- Dolmuses are yellow minivans that operate like group taxis with set routes. A relatively informal system, dolmuses run from early morning to early evening daily, including Sundays. A dolmus will leave its terminus (marked with a blue "D") only when it fills up (the word dolmus means "stuffed") and then pick up and drop off passengers along the route. The main dolmus stands are located in Taksim, Sirkeci, and Aksaray, and connect to points all over the city. Dolmuses are often more direct than metropolitan buses and cheaper than taxis, cutting down on time and leaving more money in your pocket. Look for a dolumus with the name of your destination displayed in the window. When boarding, tell the driver your destination and ask how much it will be (ne kadar?). For shorter distances, 3YTL ($2.60/£1.15) should cover it. The driver will drop you off at your destination, but if you want to get off sooner, say inecek var (this is my stop) or inmek istiyorum, lütfen, the short version of "I want to get off" with a "please" stuck on the end.

The Tramway -- When the tram from Eminönü to Zeytinburnu was built and inaugurated in 1991, the planners had overlooked one very important detail: money collection. Passengers rode for free for 1 year while the system installed booths and printed tickets. The system has grown up quite a bit since then; the City recently extended the tramway from Eminönü all the way to Kabatas (just below Dolmabahçe Palace) and added an underground funicular that hoists passengers up the hill to Taksim in just 110 seconds. This collective service cuts trips between Taksim and Sultanahmet down to around 15 minutes (with transfers), while destinations in-between (Eminönü, for the Egyptian Spice Bazaar; Çemberlitas or Beyazit for the Grand Bazaar; Tophane for the Istanbul Modern) are just a token away. Token (jeton) booths are located at the entrance to the turnstiles; Akbils can be purchased/refilled at selected stops, including Sultanahmet, Eminönü, and Taksim. Hours of operation are from 6am until about midnight.

The Historic Trolley -- Just when you feel your feet are ready to fall off, you hear the jingle of the lifesaving streetcar. The trolley now plies fresh tracks on newly laid cobblestones along Istiklal Caddesi. As with most public transportation options, you can pay with cash or with the Akbil. The trolley runs daily from 7am to 11pm and makes three intermediary stops at Hüseyn Aga Camii, at Galatasaray High School/Flower-Fish Market, and in Beyoglu at Nutru Sokak (in front of the Turkiye Is Merkezi).

The Funicular -- The subway known as Tünel connects the sea level neighborhood of Karaköy near the Galata Bridge with the lofty neighborhood of Beyoglu at the southern end of Istiklal Caddesi. Tünel trains run Monday through Saturday from 7am to 9pm and Sunday from 7:30am to 9pm. The cost is 90Ykr.

A second funicular was completed in 2006, providing a much-needed lift to those down at the docks of Kabatas (near Dolmabahçe Palace) up the very steep hill to Taksim. The trip, which takes a fleeting 110 seconds, costs 1.30YTL ($1.15/50p). There's a ticket booth at the turnstile entrance dispensing jetons or refilling the Akbil.

The Metro/Underground -- Istanbul's modern underground currently connects Taksim with Levent (the closest stop to the shopping mecca of Akmerkez, which is an additional, short cab ride away). On the way it makes stops in Osmanbey (walking distance to Nisantasi), Sisli/Meçidiyeköy (commercial center), and Gayrettepe (even more commerce). The metro is open from around 6:30am until midnight. You can buy jetons at the ticket window outside the turnstile or, if you're using the Akbil, just plug it into the turnstile receptacle.

The metro extension connecting the airport to town is now complete, providing access at Yenikapi (just outside the airport) to Aksaray via a roundabout route by way of the otogar (bus station). If your destination is Sultanahmet, exit the metro at Aksaray ground level, transfer to the tramway (by paying the fare again), which is but a short walk away, and hop on any train marked EMINÖNÜ.

The Ferry & Seabus -- Istanbul City Ferry Lines, Sehir Hatlari Vapurlari (tel. 0212/244-4233; port offices: Bostanci tel. 0216/361-3087; Kabatas tel. 0212/243-3756; Kadiköy tel. 0212/336-2198), runs commuter ferry service between Europe and Asia, and to the nearby Princes' Islands. Some of the more useful shuttles depart from Eminönü to Kabatas, Üsküdar, Karaköy, and Haydarpasa; this last crossing is indispensable for transfers to the train and points east. A one-way fare to points within Greater Istanbul (not including the Princes' Islands, which is nominally higher) costs 1.30YTL ($1.15/50p), and you can pay with the Akbil.

The faster seabuses are run by the Istanbul Deniz Otobüsleri (IDO; national toll-free line tel. 0212/444-4436; www.ido.com.tr) and provide convenient service to the Asian side plus the Marmara Islands, Bursa, and Yalova. A one-way fare, for example, from Kabatas to Bostanci is 4.50YTL ($3.90/£1.70). Contact the port offices directly: Bakirköy tel. 0212/560-7291; Bostanci tel. 0216/410-6633; and Kabatas tel. 0212/249-1558.

The ferry that takes the time-honored cruise up the Bosphorus leaves from Eminönü, making stops at Besiktas (near Dolmabahçe Palace and the Çiragan Palace) on its crisscross pattern up the channel (7YTL/$6.10/£2.70 one-way; 12YTL/$10/£4.55 round-trip). The ferry departs daily, year-round at 10:35am. An additional 1:35pm departure operates from mid-April through November or December (confirm times, as they may change). Hours are posted on or near the ticket window.

Long-distance ferries or the faster seabuses provide transportation to the Princes' Islands (from Eminönü and Kabatas) and to points along the southern coast of the Marmara Sea. If you're interested in traveling by car to cities along the Marmara region (for example, Bursa, Çanakkale, Izmir, and points south), the easiest and quickest way is to take a car ferry or seabus from Yenikapi to Güzelyali or Mudanya (for Bursa) or Bandirma (for Çanakkale and the Northern Aegean). The trip takes 75 minutes and 1 hour, 45 minutes respectively.

Take a Quick Cruise -- Two years ago, a cheeky young entrepreneur set a crew of expert craftsmen to replicating a traditional sultan's imperial caïque, fake gild, velvet, and all. The result is a kitschy, and yes, delightfully touristy, ride up the Bosphorus the way the royals used to do it. Sultan Kayiklari (tel. 0212/265-7802; www.sultankayiklari.com) has expanded to three motorized boats (the oars are for show) and now operates three different tours. Instead of craning your neck over the side of a crowed clunker, a maximum of 30 passengers each get a front row seat to the turning of the Ottoman centuries, sea spray and all.

Two of the three tours on offer (the third is a "Palace Tour" for groups) are quick excursions of up to an hour, no stops allowed. Choose between the tour of the Straits from Dolmabahçe to the Bosphorus Bridge and back (58YTL/$50/£22) or of the Golden Horn (45YTL/$39/£17). Boats depart from different docks and have differing schedules; reservations are required.

For a do-it-yourself Bosphorus cruise, take the Istanbul Deniz Otobüsleri seabus departing from Eminönü Pier #3 (10:35am daily; and 1:35pm summers only) for the 2-hour, zigzagged excursion up to Anadolu Kavagi. The ferry makes stops at all of the main docks on both the European and Asian sides (10 each), giving passengers the option of dumping ship early. Many visitors stay on until the last stop at Anadolu Kavagi (which can now confidently be called a tourist trap) for lunch at one of the many fish restaurants. Avoid the crush and disembark at one of the lesser-visited (for now) villages such as Emirgan, Bebek, Kanlica, and Çengelköy; then either catch a direct ferry back or wait for the return of the ferry you started on (departs Anadolu Kavagi at 3pm year-round and at 5pm in summer as well). A one-way ticket on the ferry costs 7YTL ($6.10/£2.70); a round-trip costs 13YTL ($11/£4.75). For updated information and schedules, log on to www.ido.com.tr.

By Car

With traffic getting denser and more aggravating on an hourly basis, having a car in Istanbul is the surest method for going nowhere. In the rare event that traffic moves smoothly, do you really think you know where you're going? Can you read signs in Turkish? Do you know what a "Cevreyolu" is? And once you get there, where are you going to park? If you do decide to disregard better judgment and good counsel (and the fact that traffic-related enforcement in general in Turkey has become rather unforgiving, given the potential revenues), or if you're only planning to pick up the car and drive out, here's some basic information:

The major car-rental companies in Istanbul are Avis (www.avis.com), Sixt (www.e-sixt.com), Hertz (www.hertz.com), National (www.nationalcar.com), Budget (www.budget.com), and Alamo (www.alamo.com). All have desks at Atatürk International Airport, as well as at locations in town. Meanwhile, Hertz and Decar (www.decar.com.tr) have desks in the international terminal at Sabiha Gökcen Airport, while Avis has one in the domestic terminal. Check your national website (www.avis.co.uk) for deals; at press time, the price for a compact car was about $60/£30 per day.

By Taxi

Taxis are plentiful in Istanbul and are more likely to hail you than vice versa. Avoid taxis that congregate around the main tourist spots such as Topkapi Palace, Ayasofya, and at the cruise ship landing in Karaköy -- these are the ones adept at performing a bait-and-switch with large bank notes or setting the meter to the higher nighttime rates. Better to have your hotel call a cab for you, the agreement being that the hotel will continue giving the taxi stand business only as long as the drivers remain aboveboard (granted, not a fool-proof system). Similarly, when out and about, pop into the nearest hotel and have the receptionist call a taxi for you. A taxi from Sultanahmet to Taksim will cost between 10YTL ($8.70/£3.80) and 14YTL ($12/£5.30), depending on traffic levels and distance, while nighttime rates (midnight to 6am) are 50% higher.

Don't Let Taxi Drivers Take You for a Ride -- You give up a certain amount of control when entering a taxi in a strange city. Your safest bet is to have your hotel concierge phone for the taxi rather than you flagging it down. Under no circumstances should you hire a taxi off the street in front of the Ayasofya. Some hotels and taxi companies have agreements that award the company repeat business in exchange for honesty and accountability at no extra charge to the passenger. Still, the risk that absolute ignorance of a location will be rewarded with a circuitous route is fairly high. Knowing in advance that there's nothing you can do about it is usually enough to let you sit back and relax. But there still are a few things to look out for to avoid being scammed.

Check to see that the meter is running, and that the correct rate applies. The less expensive day rate (gunduz alternately flashes with the metered fare) applies from 7am to midnight, but crafty taxi drivers will push the night (gece) rate button to increase the fare. If you've caught a driver in the act, threaten to summon the police, or get out of the cab.

Beware of the "bait and switch" routine, whereby the driver takes your 10YTL bank note (worth about $8.70 or £3.80) and accuses you of having given him a 1YTL note. You can avoid this by holding on to the bank note until you've received your change. Also, note that 1YTL notes are blue-toned and 10YTL notes are orange.

For longer distances or drives outside of the city limits, taxis usually have a list of set rates. Be sure you've discussed these in advance, as you may be able to negotiate a discount (though it's doubtful). A final word: Don't get into a cab expecting bad things to happen. Just be a smart customer.