Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul Travel Guide
Istanbul is one of the biggest cities in the world. It is recommended to download a map of the city before traveling for easy navigation around the city.
You can find online or offline maps for your smartphone. Here are Android and iOS applications that can work offline
Istanbul attracts millions with its ancient history. This city is the perfect combination of traditional eastern and modern Western flavor.
The city is separated into two parts: the Asian part and European part. Staying here you can be in Europe and Asia at the same time!
The most popular and the best way to travel around Istanbul is to use the Istanbul Subway. It can connect you to the most outstanding sights of the city.
We recommend you to buy the Istanbul card in the subway. It will save you money and can easily be purchased at the entrance of the subway.
The price of the Istanbul card is around ten Turkish liras (TRL). One US dollar is approximately five Turkish liras and thirty kurush (coins) . This card allows you to use the subway for a low price (around three Turkish liras); if you buy a regular ticket it will cost you around six Turkish liras*
*the price information is relevant for March 2019 and can be changed.
Detailed information on how to buy an Istanbul card can be found here.
National Geographic Istanbul Travel Guide
Istanbul Subway Guide
Istanbul Subway and Train Map
You can find online or offline maps for your smartphone. Here are Android and iOS applications that can work offline
Istanbul attracts millions with its ancient history. This city is the perfect combination of traditional eastern and modern Western flavor.
The city is separated into two parts: the Asian part and European part. Staying here you can be in Europe and Asia at the same time!
The most popular and the best way to travel around Istanbul is to use the Istanbul Subway. It can connect you to the most outstanding sights of the city.
We recommend you to buy the Istanbul card in the subway. It will save you money and can easily be purchased at the entrance of the subway.
The price of the Istanbul card is around ten Turkish liras (TRL). One US dollar is approximately five Turkish liras and thirty kurush (coins) . This card allows you to use the subway for a low price (around three Turkish liras); if you buy a regular ticket it will cost you around six Turkish liras*
*the price information is relevant for March 2019 and can be changed.
Detailed information on how to buy an Istanbul card can be found here.
National Geographic Istanbul Travel Guide
Istanbul Subway Guide
Istanbul Subway and Train Map
How to Get Istanbul
By Air
The best way to get Istanbul is to travel by air.
There are two International Airports in Istanbul.
New Istanbul Airport IGA is new Istanbul airport and the biggest airport in the world, It is situated on the European part of the city. Officially, the airport starts to work from the first of April two thousand nineteenth year.
On the official website of the airport, you can get detailed information on how to get the city center. There is no subway nearby. However, there are shuttle buses that can get you to the main Istanbul stations. Bear in mind, that shuttle busses accepts only Turkish liras - no other currencies accepted. You can exchange money directly at the airport.
Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport is situated on the Asian part of the city. You can get the European part of Istanbul by using shuttle bus, taxi, car renting or Vapur (sea train). Bear in mind that Vapurs don’t work at night time.
Ataturk International Airport which is situated on the European part of Istanbul stops its work on thirtieth of March two thousand nineteenth year. All the flights from this airport will be rescheduled to New Istanbul Airport IGA.
By Bus
The bus trip is more expensive to compare with air trips.
The main international Istanbul bus station is Coach station - Esenler Otogari (Turkish). The station serves both international as well as local buses.
There are two main companies that provide bus service to Istanbul from Europe:
1. Ulusoy
You can get tickets from Munich, Ulm, Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Mannheim, Frankfurt, Köln, Düsseldorf, Essen, and Dortmund.
2. Metro Tourism
Metro operates buses from Istanbul to cities in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Germany, and Greece.
By Boat
There are only cruise ships. Since 2011, there are no longer ferries to Italy. There is still the possibility to travel through the Greek Aegean Islands.
By Train
Bosphor Express serves trains to Bulgaria, Serbia, and Romania
By Car
It is very easy and comfortable to travel to Istanbul by car. It is necessary to have Green Card Insurance while driving in Turkey.
The best way to get Istanbul is to travel by air.
There are two International Airports in Istanbul.
New Istanbul Airport IGA is new Istanbul airport and the biggest airport in the world, It is situated on the European part of the city. Officially, the airport starts to work from the first of April two thousand nineteenth year.
On the official website of the airport, you can get detailed information on how to get the city center. There is no subway nearby. However, there are shuttle buses that can get you to the main Istanbul stations. Bear in mind, that shuttle busses accepts only Turkish liras - no other currencies accepted. You can exchange money directly at the airport.
Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport is situated on the Asian part of the city. You can get the European part of Istanbul by using shuttle bus, taxi, car renting or Vapur (sea train). Bear in mind that Vapurs don’t work at night time.
Ataturk International Airport which is situated on the European part of Istanbul stops its work on thirtieth of March two thousand nineteenth year. All the flights from this airport will be rescheduled to New Istanbul Airport IGA.
By Bus
The bus trip is more expensive to compare with air trips.
The main international Istanbul bus station is Coach station - Esenler Otogari (Turkish). The station serves both international as well as local buses.
There are two main companies that provide bus service to Istanbul from Europe:
1. Ulusoy
You can get tickets from Munich, Ulm, Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Mannheim, Frankfurt, Köln, Düsseldorf, Essen, and Dortmund.
2. Metro Tourism
Metro operates buses from Istanbul to cities in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Germany, and Greece.
By Boat
There are only cruise ships. Since 2011, there are no longer ferries to Italy. There is still the possibility to travel through the Greek Aegean Islands.
By Train
Bosphor Express serves trains to Bulgaria, Serbia, and Romania
By Car
It is very easy and comfortable to travel to Istanbul by car. It is necessary to have Green Card Insurance while driving in Turkey.
Accommodation
We recommend booking a hotel or hostel near a subway station. This will ease your movement around the city. The best locations for accommodation are Fatih and Taksim.
Istanbul offers different options for accommodations - from cheap rooms and hostels to luxurious five stars hotels and apartments.
Istanbul is located on the hills raising on both sides of the Bosporus, which makes it easy to find a hotel here with a wonderful view of the harbor or main sightseeing highlights such as the Sultan Ahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque) or Galata Kulesi.
Here is a list of websites where you can find accommodation for good prices: **The website, "Booking.com" is not available in Turkey. You can only reserve a hotel room on Booking.com in advance from another country or use a VPN application inside Turkey.