4 STARS for convenience. 2 STARS for a lack of ambience, comfort, flair. Why is flair important?…read more Well, I guess it is not important. Still, a little flair would be nice. It is a utilitarian dream in this metro. A great way to get closer to downtown. You'll have to change at Yenikapi station to get to the interesting spots. Many different metros meet here, mingle, have a few drinks, listen to cool music that doesn't interrupt the magic. And then go off on their lonely infinite loop... Until the next exciting interchange and exchange.

Terminating station for the M1 line that goes to Yenikapı, this station serves IST (the…read moreinternational airport). Plenty of signage to locate the station from the surface level, I rode an escalator down to the concourse level (there might have been a lift/elevator but I wasn't looking for one) where there were ticket vending machines. Easy enough to purchase a ticket, just put in your 5L note and receive back a 1L coin and a plastic token. The token goes into the turnstile and you follow it in to access the trains. The platform is a center island and the next stop on the line is İstanbul Fuar Merkezi. It's about a 30 minute ride from here to the other end of the line, Aksaray.

This is an important connecting station in the Istanbul metro system. We took the M2 metro line…read moreand got off here to transfer to the Marmaray suburban train line.' The station itself is huge....to go from the Marmaray tracks to the metro tracks, it took several long escalator trips and many hundreds of feet to connect. Still, the station is efficient and very busy. The Yenikapi transfer station is located in south-central Fatih in the old town part of the city. The complex is right next to the Yenikapı railway station serving the T6 light rail line and a short walk away from the Yenikapı Ferry Terminal and İDO ferry service. Yenikapı complex links two stations (M1 and M2) of Istanbul Metro to a railway station of the Turkish State Railways on the trans-Bosphorus Marmaray tunnel. Yenikapı is the largest rapid transit station in Turkey.

A new metro line that will stretch between Sabiha Gokcen International Airport and IST can also be…read morecaught here.Clean and efficient metro station. You can take several metro lines from here, including one that will take you directly to KEMAL Atatürk International Airport (IST). This is my second favorite mode of public transport to the airport. reasonable price too. The other is Havaş Bus (12 Turkish Lira now). A new metro line that will stretch between Sabiha Gokcen International Airport and IST can also be caught here.

Funicular is a funny word, fun to say, fun to throw out, and even funner to ride…read more We were at 30,000 steps for the day and simply could not make the hike to Taskim Square. This cable strung railway connect the Kabatas and Taksim Square stations and the ride takes about 3-5 minutes. Its an odd sensation traveling uphill at a angle but well worth it and fun. The station was more spartan on the Kabatas but more stuff on the Taskim side.

Built in 2006, this is a small tram that connects the Kabatas and Taksim Square stations. It comes…read moreup the hill and is a quick ride of less than 3 minutes. This tram line is a time saver too, as the only way to get to Taksim Square from the Sultanahmet area via metro in the past required an extra transfer. As it is newer and less crowded than the normal trams, it was much cleaner too.

Deep in the bowels of the earth are the trains that take you to and from this conveniently located…read moremetro station. I don't remember how many escalators I took to get back to open air, but there were a lot. Well, actually around four, but seemed like way more. Like , even five. ... Ok ok I know you are unimpressed. This metro will leave you at the far end of Istaklal street far from Taksim Square. Galatea Tower, however, is pretty close. I really like the windy streets of the Galata Tower neighborhood.

This is a great metro stop to get to Belgrad Forest. Just take the 42 bus and you'll get near the…read moreentrance of Belgrad Forest in 20 minutes without traffic. Beware! On the weekends traffic is something else and it can take twice as long. I only explored the entrance of the forest, which seemed to be overflowing with picnickers barbecuing their kebabs. I will go back and try to go deeper into the forest where there is less meat grilling. Try to go on a weekday or early early (yes I meant to write early twice, that is how emphatic I am) on a weekend. Best to take this great metro than drive.

Easy access Blue line tram station service Sultanament. This particular station is close to…read moremultiple attractions, including the hippodrome Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. The tram is a pretty efficient way to get around the city. The trams are fairly clean, but it can be totally feast or famine. Sometimes crowded and I'm talking to faces crammed up against the windows crowded or sometimes not.