Even for those who, like me, have lived in Istanbul for more than a few months, the transport issue could be, how to say… tangled! After all, the Turkish metropolis, with its almost 14 million inhabitants, is among the most populous in the world, and urban planning, in continuous (and often disorderly) evolution, contributes to confuse those who try to venture into its meanders, beyond beyond the usual sightseeing tour to Sultanahmet.
But don't worry, here is the list of all means of public transport (and low cost) at your disposal to orient yourself in the most famous city jungle of the East!
First tip: especially for those planning a medium-long stay, immediately get the Akbil in the dedicated kiosks, a handy keychain equipped with a microchip that can be recharged with the desired amount. The advantage? Valid on all means of public transport, it guarantees you discounted rates and takes you out of the trouble of fumbling at the ticket offices with small coins and broken words of Anglo / Turkish and customary sign language.
For the lazy, the first choice is the classic yellow taksi, which is, however, also the least low cost one: but the expense could be worth it if you want to experience the thrill of a reckless drive in the notorious chaos of the city!
For lovers of topography, a choice that requires a fair knowledge of the urban fabric:
thebus. It is the cheapest way, but also the less "romantic" and more crowded one. You can orient yourself, if you know them, thanks to the numbers that indicate the destination, and to the color: green or blue are the private buses, red the public ones.
The tram: I highly recommend a scenic ride on the line that connects the Yeni Camii, the New Mosque near the Galata Bridge, the western ramparts, crossing all of old Istanbul (Sultanahmet, the Grand Bazaar, the university…). Or the one with the original cars that takes you directly to Taksim square, the hub of the city's nightlife.
Personally I have always used the metro very little, preferring the two folkloristic means by far
excellence: the dolmuş and the vapur. The first is a real "sharing" experience: it is an extremely cheap collective taxi with fixed routes. The beauty? The mini-bus usually leaves only when it is full, you pay once the journey has begun, with a passage of bills and coins in the hands of the travel companions to the driver (yes, while he is driving!), And a word of mouth from inecek var ( stop here) at any point of the route you want to get off ... in short, an experience not to be missed!
Finally, the most romantic means used by the citizens themselves for daily commuting: you cannot say that you have experienced Istanbul if you have not crossed the Bosphorus with vapurs, historic ferries that connect the numerous eastern and western ports of the city. With a few lire you can treat yourself to some of the best memories of your stay: magnificent sunsets on the silhouettes of lighthouses and mosques, dolphins and seagulls to accompany the trip, and the typical Turkish çay / tea to be sipped lulled by the waves of the sea.
