The Marmaray is the suburban train system in Istanbul and connects neighborhoods on the European…read moreand Asian side with ease of transport and connection. Marmaray schedules operate at 15-minute intervals between Halkalı (Europe) - Gebze (Asia). The Marmaray has a fare system that is based on how many stations you travel to/from, but that only applies if you have a Turkish personalized IstanbulKart. Tourists do not get the benefit of the segment pricing and any trip on the Marmaray is charged the full amount of Marmaray of TL 39.17 (about $US1.25). The trains are modern and they looks like a normal subway train.

Convenient train station for the Marmaray about 20 minutes from the Old town…read more This serves a suburban part of Istanbul that used to be next to the old airport, which closed in 2019. There are some nice restaurants, cafes, banks and shops in the vicinity of the station. There are escalators and elevators for passenger use.

This is the ferry line that service is between Eminonu and Kadıköy…read more It's a fairly Spartan station and it seem to be packed every time we were there but the fairies run pretty efficiently so you never have to wait an extended period of time. It also had multiple kiosks for the Istanbul Kart which is essential for travel on public transportation here in Istanbul. The only drawback to the system is it appears to take only 50 Turkish lira notes which haven't gotten a ton of 200 lira notes at the airport ATM. It was difficult to make change. But aside from that, as I said, it was clean, and it served its purpose well

This bus takes you directly from the two Istanbul international airports to Taksim Square (almost…read moreright there) and then back again. The price is reasonable. I had some great naps on the bus. You can pick up the bus at either the international or domestic terminal.

Very easy, affordable way to get from Taksim in the European side of Istanbul to either Attaturk or…read moreSabiha Gokcem airport. The shuttle leaves every half an hour. I took the shuttle to Sabiha Gokcem and it took about 45 minutes (although on the website they said it takes an hour and a half). This cost us 14 Lira per person. Just walk on the bus and pay once the bus ride starts. We were not sure which shuttle to take to make it to the airport in time and messaged the company on Facebook and they got back to us promptly. I would definitely use this service is you are staying near the Taksim area

Very useful bus. Takes you straight to Taksim Square from the airport. Reasonable price too. I…read morejust had to wait a bit for the bus to fill up. You pay after you enter the bus and sit down. A man will come down the aisle the give you a ticket after you pay.

A long line tonight for a good. A direct trip to Taksim Square from Sabiha Gökçen International…read moreAirport, which is currently the second largest airport in the capital after Atatürk International Airport. Although I heard another airport is being constructed a little north of the city. After you exit the arrivals main building cross the street and turn right. You should see HAVAŞ written on the side of the buses. Yhe most convenient and cost effective way to get to downtown Istanbul.

The Havaist airport shuttle service is the cheapest way to get to Taksim Square in downtown…read moreIstanbul. When arriving to Istanbul always consider this super convenient option. It is cheap and hassle free. Taxis are expensive. Although I have not tried any metro yet. Always consider the shifting magnitude of Istanbul traffic when planning your trip. It can take more than an hour if traffic is heavy. I used to take Havas airport shuttle at Ataturk International Airport, now it is basically the same service at the new airport run by Havaist. It is important to keep in mind that you cannot buy a ticket with cash. You can use an Istanbul Metro card or a credit card ONLY.

Havaist is a bus service that services the city of Istanbul and its 2 airports (New Istanbul…read moreAirport and Sabiha Gokcen). Havaist has set pickup locations throughout Istanbul. However, there are different stops for the two airports. The New Istanbul Airport offers more pick up and drop off locations than Sabiha Gokcen. For example, there is only a pick up and drop off in Eminonu and Sultanahmet for the New Istanbul Airport. To leave more about the pick up and drop off locations, use this link (https://hava.ist/en) or download the app. In regards to going from the airports to the city, I exclusively use this service because it is significantly cheaper (18 TL). Do not use a taxi! The New Istanbul Aiport has so many drop off points (17 I think). When you go to exit the airport, you will see signs for each of the drop off points. For the Sabiha Gokcen Airport, I have only been dropped off at Taksim. This may be the last drop off point. It's a lot cheaper to use a taxi from this airport than the New Istanbul Airport. Keep in mind that you must use a credit card to purchase an Istanbul card to use this service from the New Istanbul Airport. However, if you fly into Sabiha Gokcen, you can use TL to pay for your bus ticket. Buses are comfortable and pretty clean, especially the ones for the New Istanbul Airport. This is the cheapest method to get to and from the airport. I recommend using Havaist over a taxi.

We did the Bosphorus long cruise. It was really nice to see both sides of the straight. Very…read morescenic. Before taking the long cruise, a few things to keep in mind. * The boat deck is not covered and the direct sun is brutal. We moved inside and couldn't see as well. * There are plenty of seats but the only good seats are the ones at the end, facing the direction you're going and on the side the boat is closest to. * It's not narrated, so you don't really know what you're seeing. * There are 2 bathrooms on the boat and a small concession. * The stop in Asia where you get off the boat was pretty lame and they left you there for 2.5 hours. There's really nowhere to sit or walk. The only thing you can do is eat a nice seafood lunch. But beware- the restaurant we chose didn't take credit cards.

This is a cruise company located at the Eminonu ferry terminal that does cruises along the…read moreBosphorus River. Some tour companies will try to sell you some package that includes this or will be a guided bus to the terminal, but you can show up here yourself and get it for much cheaper. There is a metro stop right near the terminal. Even the full cruise is only 25 lira (less than 4 US dollars!). Speaking of which, they offer a full 6 hour cruise which goes farther north along the river up to the Black Sea, but I do not recommend it unless you really have a lot of free time. The short 2 hour cruise was enough to see the city views of both the European and Asian sides of Istanbul and passes under many magnificent bridges. There are also some loudspeakers that give some history of what you are seeing, but I found the commentary fairly boring.